Intern in the Science Engagement and Oversight Office, Solar Atmospheric Elemental Composition

Our team and mission

This position is based at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) - Noordwijk, Netherlands

Under the direct authority of the Directorate of Science, the Head of the Science Engagement and Oversight Office is responsible for overseeing the scientific content of the Programme, interfacing with the scientific community and providing scientific expertise to studies, projects and missions, also in other Directorates as needed.

Candidates interested are encouraged to visit the ESA website: http://www.esa.int

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Exploring Elemental Composition Across the Solar Atmospheric Layers

The solar atmosphere is a complex system primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, with trace amounts of metals. These elemental abundances serve as key tracers of physical processes throughout the solar atmosphere and in the solar wind. The First Ionization Potential (FIP) effect governs changes in these abundances, with low-FIP elements often enhanced in active regions and slow solar wind sources.

Current theories suggest that abundance enhancement begins in the lower solar atmosphere and propagates outward. However, compositional variability across atmospheric layers remains very poorly understood. The Solar Orbiter mission, launched in 2020, provides unprecedented insights into these processes with its suite of instruments capable of tracing compositions from the Sun to the solar wind.

This internship project, to be conducted at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA/ESTEC), aims to investigate and understand the link between spatially resolved composition measurements observed by two space missions for the first time: JAXA/ESA's Hinode and ESA's Solar Orbiter.  

Project Objectives:

• Analyze and compare elemental abundance data from Hinode/EIS and Solar Orbiter/SPICE, using a new composition diagnostic designed for a future mission;
• Quantify the correlation of elemental composition across different solar atmospheric layers and structures.

For the detailed topic description please visit the following webpage: https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/esac-trainees/4.-estec.-exploring-elemental-composition-across-the-solar-atmospheric-layers

Behavioural competencies

Result Orientation
Operational Efficiency
Fostering Cooperation
Relationship Management
Continuous Improvement
Forward Thinking

For more information, please refer to ESA Core Behavioural Competencies guidebook

Education

You must be a university student, preferably in your final or second-to-last year of a university course at Master’s level and you need to remain enrolled at your University for the entire duration of the internship.

Additional requirements

The working languages of the Agency are English and French. A good knowledge of one of these is required. Knowledge of another Member State language would be an asset.

Additional Requirements:

• English advanced knowledge;
• Python advanced knowledge;
• Solar Physics basic knowledge.