Pre-doctoral contract in Planetary Sciences (UA)

The Astronomy and Astrophysics research group of the University of Alicante will offer a one-year pre-doctoral contract (January to December 2021) to collaborate in the research of the group’s Planetary Sciences section. The idea is that the contract links with the contract of the call of the University of Alicante (three years) for the realization of a PhD; this last aid would begin at the end of 2021.

The Planetary Sciences section is involved in the Hera (ESA) and DART (NASA) space missions to the binary asteroid (65803) Didymos and, in addition, participates in the European project NEO-MAPP (H2020) (2020-2022) and in a state project of the 2018 call. The possible topics of work and PhD thesis are related to both missions.

The requirements to apply for this contract, whose call will be published at the end of November (and will be resolved in mid-December) of this year, will be, at the closing date of the call (beginning of December 2020):

• Preferably have a degree in Physics, Aerospace Engineering (or related), Geology, Astrophysics or Mathematics, obtained no earlier than 1/1/2017. Foreign titles must be recognized or approved.
• Be pre-admitted (not necessarily enrolled) in the IUFACyT doctoral program of the University of Alicante (EDUA; applications for admission between September 15 and 30, 2020). (Note: this, for the Spanish system, implies having, in addition to the degree, a master’s degree of at least 60 ECTS.)
• Participate in the call for aid to carry out a doctorate at the University of Alicante. (Applications -prior admission to the doctoral program- from November 2 to 30, 2020.)
• Have an average mark of the degree not less than 7.13 (6.84 if the degree is in engineering) and, of the master’s degree, not less than 8.33 (7.92 if the master’s degree is in engineering).

Please, to express interest and further information, write to Adriano Campo Bagatin (acb@ua.es) as soon as possible, but no later than next September 25.

Two-years postdoc position at Planetary Science group (UA)

The Planetary Science section of the Astronomy and Astrophysics group at the University of Alicante (Spain) is involved in the Hera and DART space missions and the NEO-MAPP project funded by the European Commission (H2020). The project is related to Near Earth Asteroids mitigation strategy.
In this frame, the group is soliciting declarations of interest for a two years research position related to the project tasks. Call and selection in October/November 2020. Start: January 31st 2021 at the latest. Suitable candidates must have a PhD with a background such that he/her may be able to do research in some of the following topics:

• Dynamics of loft regolith in fast spinning small bodies.
• Internal structure and shape of gravitational aggregates.
• Binary asteroid formation and tidal effects.
• Gravitational field of irregular asteroids.
• Structural and dynamical effects of a kinetic impact on the secondary of a binary system.

Formal calls will be issued by University of Alicante and instructions for applications will be provided. We will keep potential candidates posted on the process.
Please, show your interest by writing to Adriano Campo Bagatin (acb@ua.es), replying to this message as soon as possible. In fact, if the position may be of interest to you and you are not a Spanish national, some paperwork has to be started beforehand.