The University of Bern invites applications for a fully funded PhD position in numerical modeling of asteroid evolution, with a focus on collisional processes and tidal effects. The successful candidate will contribute to an ambitious research project linked to ESA's upcoming RAMSES (Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety), a landmark mission in planetary science and planetary defense.

The position is funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation project Characterisation of Near Earth Asteroid Apophis by exploitation of RAMSES mission data, a joint project with the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern.

The RAMSES mission will rendezvous with the near-Earth asteroid (99942) Apophis in 2029 and observe its extremely close flyby of Earth; an event that occurs only once every thousand years. This unique natural experiment will provide unprecedented insight into how tidal forces can reshape an asteroid’s surface and internal structure.

The Univers...