PhD Studentship - Open University

Applications are invited for the following 3-year PhD studentships at the
Planetary Sciences Research Institute, Open University.

Title: The organic products and remains of giant impacts

Giant meteorite impacts are relatively frequent occurrences in the solar
system. On the Earth, the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary is one example
of this type of cataclysmic event. Theories predict that the impact
synthesised significant amounts of organic compounds from inanimate rock.
Subsequently, major environmental changes caused a mass extinction of
species and altered the course of evolution. A record of the impact and the
consequent struggle between life and death is entombed in the rock record in
the form of organic remains.

Focusing on sedimentary sequences, which encompass the K-T boundary, this
project will scrutinise the carbon isotopes of fossil molecules. The data
obtained will be used to reconstruct the conditions during and after the K-T
impact. The student will use a number of organic and isotopic techniques
such as pyrolysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas
chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry to achieve this objective.

Applications and requests for further information should be directed to:

Dr Mark Sephton,
Planetary Sciences Research Institute, Open University,
Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.
Tel: + 44 (0)1908 659358,
Fax: + 44 (0)1908 655910,
Email: [log in to unmask]

Applications should be in the form of a curriculum vitae with the names and
addresses of two academic references.

For further details of the Planetary Sciences Research Institute see:
http://psri.open.ac.uk/psri/Default.html

For details of the analytical facilities relevant to the project see:
http://psri.open.ac.uk/psri/Faculty/IainGilmour/OGAnalys.html