Research Fellow in Planetary Atmospheres

Would you like to help explore the frontiers of our knowledge of cloud formation on other planets, by addressing our lack of knowledge on the fundamental nucleation and crystal growth mechanisms? Do you have a background in physical or chemical science, and do you want to further your career in a one of the world’s leading atmospheric science Universities?

You will become a key team member of the Ice Nucleation Group and the Atmospheric and Planetary Chemistry group in Leeds. You will be responsible for exploring the mechanisms of ice clouds in a very poorly understood clouds in the atmospheres of Venus and Mars through novel experiments.

Recent missions reveal conditions where CO₂ and H₂O ice clouds can exist in the mesosphere of both Mars and Venus. Comparable ice clouds in Earth’s atmosphere are important for the redistribution of condensable materials, atmospheric chemistry and, in the case of denser ice clouds, radiative transfer. These cloud-atmosphere interactions depend critically on ice particle size and number, which is determined by the nucleation mechanism. However, our understanding of how ice particles in these clouds form in the mesosphere of Mars and Venus is in its infancy.

We have identified two specific issues that we wish to address:

• H₂O ‘cirrus’ ice cloud formation on Venus from sulphuric acid haze droplets. We think that these ice clouds on Venus form in a cold layer above the main sulphuric acid clouds and are analogous to cirrus on Earth. Our hypothesis is that they form in a similar way to cirrus on Earth, but the droplet freezing experiments have never been done under the much colder conditions on Venus.
• CO₂ ice nucleation on H₂O ice surfaces under Martian conditions. This is thought to be a viable mechanism of CO₂ cloud formation, but again, the specific measurements have never been made.

See the Scientific Background section for a brief scientific rational and description of the experimental programme.

What we offer in return

• 26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) – That’s 42 days a year!
• Generous pension scheme plus life assurance – the University contributes 21.6% of salary. 
• Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.
• Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team, and self-development courses including languages, Creative Writing, Wellbeing Therapies and much more.
• Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.

And much more!

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:

Ben Murray, Professor of Atmospheric Science

Email: B.J.Murray@leeds.ac.uk

OR

John Plane, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry

Email: J.M.C.Plane@leeds.ac.uk

Location: Leeds - Main Campus

Working time: 37.5 hours per week

Contract type: Fixed Term (Until 30 September 2025 - grant funding)

Downloads: Candidate Brief  

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