Project Description:

All telescopes in space are subject to large amounts of highly energetic particles, which can damage them, and especially their detectors, over time. For a silicon-based detector, this will create defects in the silicon lattice, which will lead to deterioration of the images from the telescope, impacting the scientific results of the mission, if it is not corrected for. For ESA’s Euclid mission, a novel technique has been implemented which can identify and characterise the single defects in the detectors and this will be used to continuously monitor the defects during Euclid’s full mission lifetime.

The project will aim to create a visualisation tool (e.g. GUI or software tool) that can be used to track the creation and evolution of these detector defects as they accumulate. This can then inform the radiation damage correction of the Euclid images and can therefore be an important tool in improving the final science product Euclid will produce. It can also be used more generally to help improve the understanding of radiation damage of detectors in space.

• The intern will get the chance to work with data from a space telescope in-flight and thus be part of the large worldwide community working on the Euclid mission.

• They will be able to develop skills relating to the processing and visualisation of spacecraft data and work with researchers in defining and refining the requirements of the output.

• It is further an opportunity to develop programming and visualisation skills and learn skills such as code quality assurance, testing, version control, code review, etc.

• The Centre for Electronic Imaging at the Open University is an active and vibrant research group specialising in semiconductor imaging technology, which the intern will be an integrated part of. This will allow them to be part of a research environment and present their final product to the whole group, and have contact with engineers from Teledyne e2v, a world-leading detector manufacturer

Applicant Requirements:

• Passionate about exploring large and many-dimensional data sets and finding a way to visualise them

• Studying for a degree in Physics/Maths/Computing or related field.

• Knowledge of computer programming, preferably Python

• Work well in a group, i.e. good team working and interpersonal skills

• Self-motivated and well-organised

Desirable Skills:

• Experience with data visualisation and/or processing of big data

• Knowledge of solid-state physics

• Experience working with imaging detectors

Process details:

• 8 weeks minimum fixed term contract to be agreed with successful candidate

• 5 days holiday to be taken during the placement

Who we are:

The Open University (OU) has pioneered distance learning for over 50 years, delivering exceptional teaching and outstanding support to students across the UK and the world. The OU has significant impact on the space sector, with a rich history of involvement in high-profile programmes such as ExoMars, the Rosetta mission, Beagle 2, and Cassini Huygens. The University is world-renowned for planetary exploration, electronic imaging, lunar science, and astronomy and continues to be involved in many ESA and UKSA initiatives covering a broad range of space research.

The OU is home to The Centre for Electronic Imaging (CEI), a research centre that is part sponsored by Teledyne-e2v, a world-leading manufacturer of scientific image sensors. The CEI has established a reputation as a centre of excellence in semiconductor imaging technology and knowledge exchange, with research involving the detailed characterisation, design and study of CCD and CMOS image sensors for applications in space, astronomy and synchrotron radiation detection, together with the training of PhD students in associated fields. Members of the CEI have been, and are, involved in many international space missions, including XMM-Newton, Chandra, Swift, Gaia, Chandrayaan-1 and 2, UKube-1, Euclid, AlSat-Nano, JUICE, Athena, SMILE and WFIRST. The work on these missions spans many core disciplines of the group, including radiation damage measurement and mitigation (Euclid and Gaia), instrument background estimation and minimisation (Athena) and the customisation of sensors for improved science performance (JUICE, WFIRST and SMILE).