Simulations for the ESA PLATO mission

This PhD project will work on bridging the payload development activities with the (core and complementary) science activities of the PLATO mission through a set of realistic simulations to be developed and performed with the PlatoSim software. The work will be done in close collaboration with experts in stellar variability, space-based instrumentation, and photometry at the Institute of Astronomy (IoA) of KU Leuven. Specific tasks are: • Get acquainted with the technical and scientific specifications of the PLATO mission, with a specific focus on the KU Leuven PLATO team activities concerning the payload and camera development. • Get acquainted with the PlatoSim software tool at the level sufficient for developing and executing sets of realistic simulations to support the payload and PLATO science teams. • Contribute to further development of PlatoSim in terms of implementation of relevant instrumental effects, if necessary. • Develop, perform, and interpret sets of simulations to support the needs of the PLATO scientific community as to assessing in a quantitative way the capabilities of the PLATO instrument for specific research areas.