Join the ERC LeakingOceans team to uncover how hidden oceans on icy moons reach the surface and what this reveal about their composition, dynamics and accessibility.
We are pleased to announce one posdtoc position within the newly awarded ERC Advanced Grant LeakingOceans. This interdisciplinary project aims to reveal how the hidden oceans of icy moons, such as Enceladus, Europa and Ganymede, interact with their surfaces. Although these oceans are unreachable today, they leak through the moons’ icy crust, providing natural access to their composition and dynamics. Previous missions have shown that subsurface oceans reach the surface through several processes, and LeakingOceans aims to understand, quantify and detect these leaks and the ocean materials they deliver.
About the LeakingOceans ERC ProjectMost oceans in our Solar System lie beneath kilometres of ice. On Enceladus, one moon of Saturn, observations have revealed that its subsurface ocean escapes through geysers or plumes via crevasses in the icy shell, reaching the exosphere. These plumes, composed of icy grains and water vapour, were extensively studied during Cassini flybys. Analyses revealed that the grains are salty and contain complex organic molecules, indicating that Enceladus’ ocean holds key ingredients for life, such as water, salts and organics. Europa, a moon of Jupiter, may also host plume activity, although the evidence is less certain. Hubble observations suggest intermittent, smaller plumes. However, surface fractures on Europa indicate that its ocean can reach and spill onto the surface. Together, plumes and cracks offer exceptional opportunities to study these hidden oceans.
Recent JWST observations have revealed fine spatial and spectral variations in icy moon surfaces. For example, the CO₂ band on Ganymede and Europa appears in multiple components, indicating diverse structural ice states that could be linked to a subsurface origin. These features cannot be interpreted with existing laboratory data, as it is unknown if they belong to the microscopic (molecular level) or macroscopic (icy grains) state of the ice. This highlights the urgent need for experiments that reproduce ice formation and processes occurring on icy moons.
The goal of LeakingOceans is to determine the efficiencies, mechanisms and spectroscopic signatures of processes that bring oceanic material to moon surfaces. By combining laboratory experiments, quantum mechanical and radiative transfer modelling, to compare with JWST data, this project will provide tools to identify where and how oceans leak to the surface, supporting the search for habitable environments beyond Earth.
About the Postdoc Position — Icy moons' surfaces in laboratoryThis postdoctoral position focuses on the design, construction and scientific exploitation of a novel frozen droplet generator, a key experimental setup within the LeakingOceans project (building on Häusler et al. 2018). The goal is to produce well‑calibrated frozen icy grain analogues on a microchip perforated with hemispherical cavities of defined sizes, allowing deposition of liquid droplets of controlled dimensions. Reflectance spectra from well‑calibrated icy grain analogues submitted to different conditions (temperature of formation and fluctuations) will serve as spectral references for interpreting JWST observations and supporting future JUICE mission data analysis.
The postdoc will work in close collaboration with the PhD and Postdoc students of the LeakingOceans team and will contribute to the:
- Design and construction of the frozen droplet generator.
- Execution of experiments producing size‑controlled frozen droplets under icy moon conditions.
- Acquisition and analysis of reflectance spectra to build a grain spectral reference library.
- Comparison of laboratory spectra with JWST and JUICE observational data.
- A PhD in experimental physics, planetary science, astrochemistry, physical chemistry, or a closely related field.
- Hands‑on experience with vacuum systems, cryogenic equipment and optical setups.
- Experience with infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).
- Familiarity with icy moons science, planetary ices, or astrochemistry is a strong asset.
- Experience with instrument development or laboratory setup design is highly valued.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary team.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
Your application will receive fair consideration.
Conditions of employment- Duration of contract is 3 years Temporary
- A job of 36-40 hours per week.
- Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
- An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
- The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
- Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages.
- Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
- Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
- Partially paid parental leave
- Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.
Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.
Faculty/DepartmentFaculty of Aerospace Engineering
FTE: 1
Submission is possible until: 9 Jun 2026
#J-18808-Ljbffr€45000 - €60000 monthly