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.

Field(s) of activity for the internship

Topic of the internship: Solar Energetic Particles observed by Planetary Missions on their way to their targets

The atmosphere of our Sun is a dynamic medium where explosive events take place. Such phenomena can inject high energy particles into the solar system, also known as solar energetic particle (SEP) events, and that can be observed by spacecraft in the interplanetary medium. The goal of this project is to identify SEP events measured by planetary missions on their way to their targets and the solar sources related to them, using data from different spacecraft. Planetary missions equipped with radiation monitors may have the opportunity to measure SEP events, determining particle (electron and proton) intensities, directivity, and spectra. These planetary missions, such as BepiColombo or JUICE, will be selected based on the data availability.

As an optional additional work, and based on data availability, a few case studies will be selected to characterize the instruments onboard the planetary missions and to compare its measurements with other particle instruments onboard solar and heliophysics missions in the heliosphere.

It is expected that this project will lead to a publication in a relevant scientific journal.

Required Qualifications 

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.

• Advanced knowledge of English;
• Advanced knowledge of Python;
• Basic knowledge of Heliophysics.