Two studentships, funded by the STFC Aurora programme and the Open University are available.
1) “The role of liquid water and salts in periglacial environments on Mars: a remote sensing and laboratory study”
Supervisors: Matt Balme, Charles Cockell, Manish Patel, Axel Hagermann(All Open University)
• Use the latest ultra high-resolution imaging and Digital Elevation Model data from Mars.
• Explore the roles of water and ice in shaping recent martian landscapes.
• Use a Mars simulation chamber to determine the behaviour of hydrated salts and brines under martian conditions and study survivability of microbes.
For more details email Matt Balme (m.r.balme@open.ac.uk) or go to
“Planetary Surfaces Research” at
http://www.open.ac.uk/science/earthsciences/opportunities/studentships/current-projects.php
Applications are being accepted until 28th February 2010.
2) “Redox Couples and the Search for Life on Mars”
Supervisors: Charles Cockell, Matt Balme, Manish Patel (All Open University), Martyn Tranter (Bristol University)
• Investigate energy sources for life on Mars.
• Carry out microbiological experiments to test redox couples under given conditions of temp, pressure etc.
• Use remote sensing data to locate regions where these conditions might plausibly exist now or in the past history of Mars.
• Contribute towards site selection criteria for future missions.
For more details email Charles Cockell (c.s.cockell@open.ac.uk) or go to:
http://cepsar.open.ac.uk/pers/c.s.cockell/
Applications are being accepted until 28th February 2010.
For more information about the Open University, Research and Postgraduate life go to:
