PhD Student in Space Physics / Atmospheric Science

Job description The position is for a period of four years. The PhD student’s placement of work and research time will be divided roughly equally between IRF’s headquarters in Kiruna and MISU in Stockholm, subject to agreement with the successful candidate. Start date: September 2026 or by agreement. About the project The number of satellites is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Decommissioned satellites eventually re-enter the atmosphere. When the material ablates, residues remain in the atmosphere, which is a complex system consisting of several layers. The altitude at which the material is deposited, its state and the size of the particles produced are still unknown. The objective of the project is to assess the large-scale impacts of space activities on Earth’s atmosphere, enabling the space industry to make well-informed decisions regarding the sustainable use of space. The topic is interdisciplinary and the project will be carried out in close collaboration between IRF and MISU. The project is financed by the Swedish Space Research School (SSRS) - a national graduate school in space science and space technology, jointly administered by a consortium of Swedish universities and research institutes, and funded by the Swedish National Space Agency. The overarching objective of SSRS is to reinforce Sweden’s long‑term provision of expertise, to offer a coordinated and high‑quality doctoral education, and to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across the Swedish space sector. Job description High-quality observational data on re-entries across a wide range of object sizes obtained using various instrumental techniques are required in order to assess the atmospheric effects of spacecraft re-entry and to determine what measures, if any, need to be taken in response to these effects. The planned research work for the PhD student include (but is not limited to): 1) Collecting and analysing data on atmospheric re-entry from, for example, radar systems (such as EISCAT, EISCAT_3D, the Nordic Meteor Radar Cluster or SIMONe) and optical systems (ALIS_4D or the Global Meteor Network). Planning and carrying out observational campaigns ahead of know re-entries. 2) Integrating the empirical results from re-entry observations into atmospheric models (such as Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model – WACCM). Determining which properties of the re-entering material are decisive for its final impact on the atmosphere. Qualification requirements For information about qualification requirements, selection and how to apply, go to the announcement, linked below. How to apply https://irf.varbi.com/en/what:job/jobID:927633/