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Published: 21 Sep 2026 10 views
The Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Göttingen is one of the world's leading research institutions in the field of solar physics and planetary research, with around 300 employees. The interdisciplinary research focus is the investigation of the development, diversity and dynamics of planets, moons, small bodies, the Sun, and solar-like stars. The MPS develops and operates scientific instruments for current and future space missions (e.g., ESA, NASA), and carries out cosmochemical laboratory investigations of meteorites as well as numerical modeling on state-of-the-art supercomputers.
The Department Solar & Stellar Interiors at MPS invites applications for the position of a Postdoctoral Researcher (f/m/d) to detect exoplanets through magnetic star-planet interaction.
In recent years, exoplanetary science has undergone a major shift -- moving from exoplanet detection towards understanding star-planet systems as a whole, including the host star, interplanetary medium and galactic context. Specifically, tidal and magnetic interactions between planets and their host stars have been recognized to be able to modulate the evolution of both, including the atmospheric evolution of the planet and its habitability. The newly established ERC StG project PLANETARE seeks a postdoctoral researcher with a background in stellar magnetism and/or exoplanetary science to develop novel ways of detecting and characterizing the mutual influence of stars and planets, with a focus on the influence of planets in short orbits on the magnetism of their host stars. At the core of the project is a new way to find exoplanets: detecting them through their magnetic interaction with the host star. This position develops the detection method itself, i.e., the statistics, the search, and the physical model behind it.
The derived occurrence rates of planet-induced flaring constrain the prevalence of interaction; the modeling of the evolution and mechanism will be built on the largest survey for planet-induced flaring to date. You will work closely with a second postdoc within a small, newly formed team of two postdocs and a PhD student, led by the PI (Ekaterina Ilin). Group members are supported to lead their own papers and proposals, and to present at international meetings in both the stellar and exoplanet communities.
| Application Deadline | 30 Oct 2026 |
| Country to study | Germany |
| Type | Fellowship |
| Sponsor | Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science |
| Gender | Men and Women |
Check also:
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at UBC 2027
Chevening Scholarship 2027
For more information, kindly visit Max Planck Institute webpage.
