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European Astronomical Society
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| Doctoral Position in Astronomical Instrumentation for the PLANETES Project | Closing date: 2026-01-19
Contact: Sylvestre Lacour |
| PLANETES, recently funded by the European Research Council (ERC), aims to advance exoplanet science by pushing the limits of the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). | | ▸ more | This instrumental project is directly aligned with the ongoing upgrade of the VLTI infrastructure, including the recent commissioning of GRAVITY+ (https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2519/). The project addresses technological challenges critical to the next generation of interferometric instruments: development of photonic components for shorter wavelengths; on-sky testing of a new large-format APD detector; and implementation of a novel metrology system to enable microarcsecond astrometry. More details on the project are available here: https://exogravity.obspm.fr/planetes
A PhD studentship in the framework of this project is offered. The studentship will be based at ESO Headquarters in Garching, Germany. The successful candidate will focus on the integration of the PLANETES instrument at Paranal. The PhD student will also pursue research in astronomy and exoplanet detection using existing datasets from the GRAVITY instrument.
The PhD student will join the research group and report to the PLANETES Project Manager and to the ESO Head of the Office for Science in Garching. The PhD advisor will be the PLANETES Principal Investigator, Sylvestre Lacour, based at ESO Headquarters in Garching.
For the astronomy component, he/she/they will analyze interferometric observations of exoplanets obtained with the GRAVITY instrument. The researcher will join the Exo-GRAVITY team, and benefit from numerous existing datasets obtained as part of an ESO Large Program.
Related to instrumentation and PLANETES, the researcher?s main responsibility will be to develop the optomechanical interfaces of the instrument with the VLTI, including the following tasks:
-Study, develop, and implement a dedicated feeding optics for imaging the stellar light simultaneously on both the GRAVITY and the PLANETES instrument;
-Implement the injection optics on the PIONIER instrument for injection into the single mode fibers;
-Following a positive ESO review, participating in the installation, commissioning, and performance validation of the system at the Paranal Observatory.
It is foreseen that the student will need to travel several times to Chile for system implementation (interface verification and hardware installation).
Qualifications and experience
A Master?s degree or an engineering degree in optics, applied physics, or instrumentation. Experience with technical software, including Zemax and AutoCAD (or similar). Proficiency in Python programming. A strong motivation for astronomy and its applications in engineering.
Contract and benefits
The position is funded for 36 months. The successful candidate will receive a Studentship contract in line with the ESO Student stipend rates and benefits as outlined at https://www.eso.org/public/jobs/conditions/students/
Location
The position is based in Garching near Munich, Germany, with duty trips to the Paranal Observatory in Chile.
Application
Applications should include:
- A CV (including personal data, education, skills, and expertise). A one-page motivation letter. The names and contact details of two references who have agreed to be contacted during the selection process.
Please send the documents above directly to the project office at planetes.jobs @ sympa.obspm.fr.
The deadline for applications is 19 January 2026 at midnight Central European Time (CET). The selection process, including interviews, will begin shortly after the deadline in late January 2026. The anticipated start date for this position is 1 October 2026.
We regard diversity as an asset within a team and welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
For further information, contact: Sylvestre Lacour (sylvestre.lacour @ eso.org).
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