Summer Internship 2025

For the summer period 2025 starting early January, ESO is offering six projects for the Maintenance, and Engineering Department (MSE), and three projects for the Paranal Science Operations Department (PSO). Below is a brief description of each of these departments, followed by the projects available.

The Maintenance, Support and Engineering Department (MSE): provides technical support to the four VLT 8-m telescopes, to the VLT Interferometer with its auxiliary telescopes and to all instruments available for scientific observations. The MSE Department of Paranal has a total workforce of 80 engineers and technicians distributed in six engineering groups. References for MSE Dpt. http://www.eso.org/sci/facilities/paranal/paranalenginternship.html. See also the podcast about engineers working at ESO: https://www.eso.org/public/videos/esocast186a/

The Paranal Science Operations Department (PSO) consists of 60 persons of more than a dozen different nationalities. PSO’s mission is the production of high-quality astronomical data and to maintain or improve the scientific performance of Paranal’s instruments. This includes the VLTI 2nd generation instruments Gravity & Matisse, the Adaptive Optics Facility (AOF) on UT4 and the planet hunter ESPRESSO.

List of Projects MSE Department:

I. Mechanics/Electronics Project “Improving Remote Monitoring and Reliability of Dry Coolers Plant”

Description:

The current Dry Coolers Plant, part of the Paranal Chilling Plant, requires an update in both monitoring and control systems. To enhance the plant’s monitoring capabilities, the implementation of an IOT-based solution will be evaluated. This will include selecting appropriate sensors from the market and providing recommendations on their placement and installation. The IOT solution will also require establishing a network connection, either through wired connections or WiFi, in the Dry Coolers area. A layout will be designed to indicate the optimal placement of antennas and the routing for cabling to connect to routers and/or antennas. In addition, the cabinets responsible for power supply and control of the Dry Coolers’ fans need updating due to obsolescence issues with the original components, as their vendors are no longer available. Suitable industrial components will need to be sourced to replace the originals, along with creating updated connection drawings for the new components to ensure seamless integration.

Objectives:

• Finding original information, updating it where needed/possible, and archiving it in a centralized repository.
• Proposing a configuration to allow proper monitoring, which sensors and where to place them.
• Selecting industrial commercial IOT technology for remote sensing.
• Proposing network connection (cable or wifi), location of wifi antenna(s), routing for cabling, and selecting router(s) for open air services.
• Determining the tool for tracking and deploying data/monitoring: a web-based platform, Grafana, etc. Pros and cons of the options.
• Making updated electrical drawings of fans cabinet.
• Selecting industrial market components to replace current ones in fans cabinet, and doing respective connection drawings for new components.

Student Profile:

Electrical/Electronic Engineer Student, with minimum two years of university studies.

Shift and Duration:

The schedule will be eight days on duty and six days off duty (8×6) with accommodation provided on site. The internship will last for two months, January and February.

II. Software Project “VLT M1 Active Optic forces data storage and display”

Description:

In the context of the mirror coating process, there is ad-hoc software, written in C and Fortran, that is used to characterize mirrors before and after coating. This software is installed on an obsolete workstation that could fail irreparably at any time.

Objectives:

• Port this C and Fortran software to a newer language (Python or Matlab) in a virtual machine with a newer OS.
• Organize and implement a permanent storage for older data obtained from previous coatings (e.g. SVN or GIT)
• Create graphs that are useful to opticians working in active optics (desirable, if there is enough time.

Student Profile:

• Engineering student with a background in software development and testing, databases, and Python (required), with visualization tools (desirable).
• Open to all qualified students. As women are under-represented in this area, and as part of ESO’s commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion, and promoting gender equality in technical fields, we particularly encourage applications from female candidates for this project. Recognising there may be more perceived barriers to entry, female candidates interested in this opportunity are encouraged to contact us at [email protected] or Josefina Urrutia (Software Engineer) at [email protected] in case of questions.

Shift and Duration:

The schedule will be eight days on duty and six days off duty (8×6) with accommodation provided on site. The internship will take place between January and March 2025.

III. Sotfware Project “Operational Roles Assignment using OR-Tools”

Description:

The engineering department at Paranal manages a rotating set of operational roles that must be filled daily, based on personnel availability and their certifications. This task is formally known as a Rostering Problem in Optimization theory. Currently, assignments are handled manually. In 2024, a prototype was developed using Google OR-Tools and Streamlit to streamline this process, incorporating a simplified set of constraints.

Objectives:

• Finalize the tool by reviewing the previous architecture and tools.
• Implement the complete set of constraints for role assignment.
• Collaborate closely with the assistant responsible for role assignments.
• Work closely with a software engineer to address technical matters.
• Provide input on other technical issues as agreed upon with the supervisor.

Student Profile:

• Strong mathematical skills.
• Experience in software development.
• Familiarity with GIT, Python, and a mathematical framework.
• Desirable skills: Knowledge of Google OR-Tools and Streamlit.
• Open to all qualified students. As women are under-represented in this area, and as part of ESO’s commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion, and promoting gender equality in technical fields, we particularly encourage applications from female candidates for this project. Recognising there may be more perceived barriers to entry, female candidates interested in this opportunity are encouraged to contact us at [email protected] or Josefina Urrutia (Software Engineer) at [email protected] in case of questions.

Shift and Duration:

The schedule will be eight days on duty and six days off duty (8×6) with accommodation provided on site. The internship will take place between January and March 2025.

IV. Electronics Project “Commissioning of Spare VME Crate for M1 Cell”

Description:

The VLT telescope’s M1 mirrors are 25 years old and require spare parts for servicing and maintenance during operations. This internship aims to commission critical control equipment to ensure the continued operation and maintenance of the Unit Telescopes.

Objectives:

• Check hardware components, including: power distribution, cables, standard backplane, custom backplane, and connectors.
• Perform functional verification of several components, such as: CPU board, serial board, digital I/O board, analog I/O board, and motor board.
• Ensure the VME crate is serviceable as both a spare and a test bench.

Student Profile:

• Electronics Engineer.
• Interested in hardware.

Shift and Duration:

The schedule will be eight days on duty and six days off duty (8×6) with accommodation provided on site. The internship will last for two months, January and February.

V. Electronics Project “Critical Electronic Hardware Testing: VME Boards and Adapter Rotator Drives”

Description:

The internship will consist of two parts. The first part involves testing several VME boards in the Electronics Laboratory. Those found to be in good condition and fully operational will be sent directly to the warehouse to be considered available as spare units. Since many of them are already obsolete, recovering these boards is an important task. The second part focuses on working with two Adapter Rotator electrical drivers that are currently out of service. The goal is to better identify and understand the different electronic hardware stages, conduct individual tests to pinpoint the failures, and propose a solution.

Objectives:

• Run operational tests on various VME boards, including CPU, MACCON controllers, 4SA amplifiers, and ACROMAG Digital and Analog Input/Output boards.
• Determine whether the tested VME boards are fully operational.
• Identify and run individual tests on different electronic stages of two Adapter Rotator electrical drivers, with the goal of repairing faulty units.

Student Profile:

• Electronics Technician.
• Very interested in low level hardware and in power electronics.

Shift and Duration:

The schedule will be eight days on duty and six days off duty (8×6) with accommodation provided on site. The internship will last for two months, January and February.

VI. Instrumentation Project “Modeling, Simulation and Re-tuning of the Motors Control Loop in the SPHERE Instrument”

Description:

SPHERE (Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch) is a state-of-the-art exoplanet imaging instrument designed to detect and study exoplanets through direct imaging of their circumstellar environments. The instrument includes complex opto-mechanical stages, positioned along the optical path by DC and stepper motors. These motors are controlled by the CAN-RMC-DC/STP motor driver, developed by ESO. In recent months, several anomalous events have been detected in motor-mechanism operations, indicating potential issues in motor control performance. These anomalies have led to changes in key motor control parameters such as PID tuning, speed, and acceleration. With the upcoming replacement of the motor control system by a Beckhoff PLC platform, there is a pressing need to undertake detailed modeling, simulation, and re-tuning of the control loops.

Objectives:

• Modeling and simulation of motor control loop functions using MATLAB-Simulink to predict and optimize the behavior of the motorized mechanisms.
• Supporting the re-tuning of key control parameters (PID, speed, acceleration) for various opto-mechanical functions across SPHERE’s subsystems.
• Performing a detailed comparison of the new control parameters with the original data from the AIV phase to ensure continuity and to validate the performance improvements.
• Providing a comprehensive analysis of the control system’s performance.
• Documenting findings and results.

Student Profile:

• Undergraduate or Master’s student in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Control Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• Solid understanding of control theory, particularly PID control systems, motor control, and tuning.
• Familiarity with DC and stepper motors, including their operation and control principles.
• Proficiency in MATLAB-Simulink for modeling, simulating, and analyzing dynamic systems.
• Experience in building models of mechanical systems and tuning control loops is advantageous.
• Beckhoff PLC programming is a plus but not mandatory.

Shift and Duration:

The schedule will be eight days on duty and six days off duty (8×6) with accommodation provided on site. The internship will take place between January and March 2025.

List of Projects PSO Department:

I. “Machine Learning Assisted Telescope Pointing”

Description:

Currently, investigations are underway to identify potential improvements in the maintenance of pointing procedures for the Paranal Unit Telescopes (UTs). In particular, the application of Machine Learning (ML) to continuously enhance pointing accuracy by leveraging Auto Guider (AG) data collected during routine science observations is being explored. The primary objectives of this initiative are twofold: to significantly improve the UT’s blind pointing accuracy and to establish an integrated pointing strategy that maximizes the use of readily available big data resources such as datalab.

To achieve these goals, a comprehensive dataset will be curated specifically for analysis. The student involved in this project will engage directly in the observation process, gaining an understanding of both the mechanical and software aspects of the system to assess the suitability of ML techniques for addressing this problem.

Objectives:

• Familiarize with the problem and available resources.
• Identify and select appropriate software tools and methodologies.
• Develop a mid-term report detailing preliminary results and proposing a strategic approach.
• Design and implement a software tool or GUI (preferably in Python) for data access and visualization.
• Produce a comprehensive final report summarizing findings and deliver a fully functional software tool.

Student Profile:

• Software or Mathematics Engineering student with hands-on experience in ML software packages and tools.
• Proficiency in the English language.
• Essential understanding of astrometry and celestial mechanics.
• Willingness to work on a shift schedule, including occasional night shifts.

Shift and Duration:

The schedule will be eight days on duty and six days off duty (8×6) with accommodation provided on site.

II. “Automated testing of the Exposure Time Calculator of MOONS”

Description:

MOONS (the Multi Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph) is the next instrument to be installed on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in 2025. Like every other instrument on the VLT, MOONS will have an associated tool, called an “Exposure Time Calculator (ETC)” to help astronomers in the preparation of their observations with the instrument. The main purpose of an ETC is to determine how long one must observe an astronomical object (e.g. a star, a galaxy) to reach a certain signal-to-noise ratio in the data.

Objectives:

This project’s goal is to develop a Python script to automatically test the predictions made by the MOONS ETC against real data, to assess the ETC’s accuracy and reliability. A similar script already exists for other VLT instruments; this script will be adapted to be compatible with MOONS. Specifically, the code must be able to:

• Open a given astronomical FITS file obtained with MOONS and extract relevant keywords from its header.
• Create an input json file for the ETC, and query the ETC by use of a Python API.
• Measure the signal-to-noise ratio in the MOONS spectroscopic data.
• Make plots to compare the ETC predictions and the measured data.

The student is expected to give a presentation at the end of the internship to present their results.

Student Profile:

• Student of Scientific career (e.g., Physics, Astrophysics) or Computational/Software Engineer.
• Knowledge of Python language.
• As a plus (not mandatory): be familiar with astronomical and spectroscopic data in the FITS format.

Shift and Duration:

Standard 5×2 shifts in Vitacura, Santiago, with one turno at Paranal with accommodation provided on site, in coordination with supervisors. The internship will take place from January 13 to February 28, 2025.

III. “Parameter Optimization for Instrument Knowledge Discovery”

Description:

All instruments at the observatory characterize their health through the definition of a set of parameters on calibrations. Frequently, problem evaluation is based on the expertise of individuals over the parameters and sensors data. For this project, we have identified instruments/calibrations for which an enhanced and automated analysis, specifically parameter optimization, will be useful for problems identification and to assist the decision making.

Two potential use cases have been identified:

1. ESPRESSO: identify correlation between drift measurements and error estimations patterns with telemetry data.

2. GIRAFFE: wavelength parameters correlation of the health-check setups to help the IS identify optimal values of focus adjustment parameters.

The student will work in one of the use cases and deliver a solution programmed using generic keywords. This will provide the opportunity to extend it to other multi-parameter use cases. For the project execution, the student will use data sources from different systems domains, with different syntaxis. This will provide her/him with hands-on experience of data transformation techniques and data analysis over a multi-parameter space .

Objectives:

• Understand the purpose of instrument calibrations and sensor data.
• Explore the datasets.
• Identify and select appropriate tools and methodology for parameter optimization.
• Develop a mid-term report detailing preliminary results and proposing a strategic approach.
• Implement a dashboard for data access and visualization, preferably in Grafana.
• Produce a comprehensive.

Student Profile:

• Mathematics, Statistics or Data Science Engineering student with hands-on experience in ML software packages and tools.
• Proficiency in Python language.
• Intermediate level of English.

Shift and Duration:

Standard 5×2 shifts in Vitacura, Santiago, with one turno at Paranal with accommodation provided on site, in coordination with supervisors. The internship will take place from January 1 to March 31, 2025.

Duty Station

Paranal Observatory, located 120 km south of the city of Antofagasta, Chile.

ESO premises in Vitacura, Santiago.

Contract Allowance and Transportation

ESO offers a special allowance during the period of the internship; air and ground transportation between Santiago and the observatory site will be provided by ESO.

Application

We invite students from Chilean Universities, ideally in their last career years to apply. The apprenticeship should be supported by the University, and therefore, it shall be covered by the student accident insurance (Law 16.744). Applications must be completed in English and should include a CV and a motivational letter indicating the project(s) -name and number- you are interested in. Interviews will be conducted in English.

Closing date for applications is 16 October 2024.

ESO Values

An important element in any successful employment relationship is harmony in values between an organisation and its people.

The ESO Values are:

ESO strives for excellence through innovation.

ESO provides outstanding services to its communities.

ESO fosters diversity & inclusion.

ESO believes in the key role of sustainability for its future.

Achieving the above are recognized as only possible on the basis of personal values and attitudes that we expect from our employees: respect, integrity, accountability, commitment, collaboration, and clear & open communication.

Applicants to any ESO role are asked to reflect on their affinity with these values and advised they may be asked about them if called for interview.

Diversity

ESO has established diversity as an important value of the Organisation, is committed to providing an equal opportunities environment and is actively seeking to promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce. Please visit https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/sustainability/dei-at-eso/ for further details.