Student theses and university courses

Supervision of student theses

• Doctoral study, Alexander Thamm, since 2024, Freie Universität Berlin
  Tentative title: Influence of core formation on redox state and volatile storage in planetary interiors


• Doctoral study, Meiye Wu, since 2023, Freie Universität Berlin
  Tentative title: Differentiation of mantle and core in massive rocky planets


• Doctoral study, Oliver Henke-Seemann, since 2023, Freie Universität Berlin
  Tentative title: Earth’s Super-Continental Cycles and Magnetic Field Reversal Rates


• Doctoral study co-supervisor, Demetrius Ramette, since 2021, Freie Universität Berlin
  Tentative title: Understanding and modeling the Martian dust cycle


• Doctoral study co-supervisor, Caroline Brachmann, since 2020, Freie Universität Berlin/DLR
  Tentative title: Volcanic outgassing and gas specition on early Earth and Mars


• Doctoral study, Sara Vulpius, 2019-2024, Freie Universität Berlin
  Title: The role of volatile cycles on Earth


• Doctoral study, Julia Schmidt, since 2018, Freie Universität Berlin
  Tentative title: Crust formation on early Earth and Mars


• Doctoral study co-supervisor, Rutu Parekh, 2018-2022, Freie Universität Berlin/DLR
  Title: Evaluating Volatile Induced Surface Features on Vesta and Ceres


• Doctoral study co-supervisor, Gianluigi Ortenzi, completed in 2021, Freie Universität Berlin/DLR
  Title: Interior-surface-atmosphere interactions of rocky planets: simulation of volcanic outgassing and volatile chemical speciation in the C-O-H system


• Doctoral study co-supervisor, Carolin Rabethge, since 2017, part-time student, Freie Universität Berlin
  Tentative title: Outflow Channels in Iani Chaos region and Mawrth Vallis as proxies for Martian climate shift; with analogue case studies from Icelandic Jökulhaups


• Doctoral study co-supervisor, Robert Luther, completed in 2019, Freie Universität Berlin/MfN
  Title: Numerical Modelling of Impact Crater Formation: Material Excavation and Interaction between Ejecta and Atmosphere

• Louis Müller (2024-2025), FU Berlin, Germany
  Tentative title: Geodynamos of Super-Earths


• Alexander Balduin (since 2022), FU Berlin, Germany
  Tentative title: Modelling Chemical Composition and Material Properties of Rocky Planets


• Alexander Thamm (2022-2024), FU Berlin, Germany
  Title: Modeling the composition of planetary building blocks depending on the metallicity of the host star


• Oliver Henke-Seemann (2021-2023), FU Berlin, Germany
  Title: The influence of a composite rheology on self-consistent formation of plate tectonics for an Earth-like planet


• Falco Menne (2021-2022), FU Berlin, Germany
  Title: Modelling the transport and release of H2O during subduction


• Sonja Zierke (2019-2021), FU Berlin, Germany
  Title: Thermodynamic evolution of Earth-like planets in the solar system (in German)


• Pierre Boissinot (2017), Master thesis, ROB Belgium / U Nantes, France
  Title: Numerical reconstruction of the evolution of Mars\' atmosphere. Study of outgassing and escape of H₂O and CO₂ from the mantle of Mars to space.

• Lena Dreide (2023-2024), FU Berlin, Germany
  Title: Which Viscosity Contrast is Needed to Ensure a Stagnant Lid?


• Theresa Büttner (2023-2024), FU Berlin, Germany
  Title: Reconstructing Grain-Fluid Convection Patterns with Convection Codes


• Kilian Hebold (2021-2022), FU Berlin/TU Berlin, Germany
  Title: Geophysical approach on the basic conditions for habitability in the Tau Ceti System


• Karoline Knop (2020-2021), FU Berlin, Germany
  Title: Mantle material mixing stirred up by subducting plates (in German)


• Clemens Heistracher (2014-2015), Bachelor thesis, ROB Belgium / TU Vienna, Austria
  Title: Implementation of high-pressure and high-temperature thermodynamic properties of water


• Nastasia Zimov (2014-2015), Bachelor thesis, ROB Belgium / TU Vienna, Austria
  Title: Thermal evolution of ocean planets

• Shuoran Yu (2025-2026), 1-year research stay, Peking University, China
  Title: Habitability and Origin of Life on Mars


• Dilawaiz Saghir (2025), 5-months internship, Nantes Université, France
  Title: Thermal Evolution and Crust Formation of Tidally-Locked Rocky Exoplanets


• Jian Kuang (2022-2023), 1-year research stay, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
  Title: The evolution of the thermal state of the Archean Earth


• Keavin Moore (2022), 3-months research stay, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
  Title: Magma oceans and evolution of stagnant-lid, Earth-like planets


• Claire Guimond (2019), 7-months research stay, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
  Title: Volcanic outgassing rates for a stagnant-lid Archean Earth


• Jérémie Godret (2015), 2-months internship, ROB Belgium / ELISA Aerospace Institute, France
  Title: Tidal dissipation and its influence on mantle convection


• Zeynep Aydin (2011), 3 weeks internship, DLR Berlin, Germany / FU Berlin, Germany
  Title: The influence of high surface temperatures on the thermal progress of Venus


• Franz Büsing (2010), 6 weeks internship, DLR Berlin, Germany
  Title: Thermal evolution of Mercury


• Robert Pieske (2010), 4 weeks internship, DLR Berlin, Germany / FU Berlin, Germany
  Title: Phase transitions on Earth and Mars


• Sebastien Hadjadj (2010), 1 week internship, DLR Berlin, Germany, Germany
  Title: Influence of lateral viscosity variations on mantle convection

University courses at Freie Universität Berlin

• "Planetary Evolution and Habitability", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, SS25
• "Geophysical Modelling of Planets and Moons", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, SS25
• "Modeling of plate tectonics and magmatism", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, SS25
• "Planetary Sciences Summer School", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, SS25
• "Insight into the Professional and Research Landscape", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, SS25
• "Computational Methods", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, WS24/25
• "Geophysical Modelling of Planets and Moons", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, WS24/25
• "Planetology Literature Seminar", MSc Geological Sciences, WS24/25
• "Insight into the Professional and Research Landscape", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, WS24/25
• "Computational Methods", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, WS23/24
• "Geophysical Modelling of Planets and Moons", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, WS23/24
• "Seminar on geodynamic modelling", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, WS23/24
• "TRR 170 Late Accretion onto Terrestrial Planets Seminar", MSc Geological Sciences, WS23/24, co-organization
• "Insight into the Professional and Research Landscape", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, WS23/24
• "Planetary Evolution and Habitability", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, SS23
• "Geophysical Modelling of Planets and Moons", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, SS23
• "Seminar on geodynamic modelling", MSc Geological Sciences/Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, SS23
• "TRR 170 Late Accretion onto Terrestrial Planets Seminar", MSc Geological Sciences, SS23, co-organization
• "Computational Methods", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, WS22/23
• "Geophysical Modelling of Planets and Moons", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, WS22/23
• "Seminar on geodynamic modelling", MSc Planetary Sciences and Space Exploration, WS22/23
• "TRR 170 Late Accretion onto Terrestrial Planets Seminar", MSc Geological Sciences, WS22/23, co-organization
• "Planetology Literature Seminar", MSc Geological Sciences, WS22/23
• "Bridge Course Mathematics", BSc Geological Sciences, WS22/23
• "Planetary Habitability", MSc Geological Sciences, SS22
• "Seminar on geodynamic modelling", MSc Geological Sciences, SS22
• "TRR 170 Late Accretion onto Terrestrial Planets Seminar", MSc Geological Sciences, SS22, co-organization
• "Planetology Literature Seminar", MSc Geological Sciences, SS22
• "Seminar on geodynamic modelling", MSc Geological Sciences, WS21/22
• "TRR 170 Late Accretion onto Terrestrial Planets Seminar", MSc Geological Sciences, WS21/22, co-organization
• "Bridge Course Mathematics", BSc Geological Sciences, WS21/22
• "Planetary Habitability", MSc Geological Sciences, SS21, digital lecture series
• "Seminar on geodynamic modelling", MSc Geological Sciences, SS21
• "TRR 170 Late Accretion onto Terrestrial Planets Seminar", MSc Geological Sciences, SS21, co-organization
• "Planetology Literature Seminar", MSc Geological Sciences, SS21, co-organization
• "Geophysical Modelling of Planets and Moons", MSc Geological Sciences, WS20/21
• "Seminar on geodynamics and mineral physics", MSc Geological Sciences, WS20/21
• "TRR 170 Late Accretion onto Terrestrial Planets Seminar", MSc Geological Sciences, WS20/21, co-organization
• "Bridge Course Mathematics", BSc Geological Sciences, WS20/21
• "Planetary Habitability", MSc Geological Sciences, SS20, digital lecture series
• "Introduction to quantitative Geology with Matlab", MSc Geological Sciences, WS19/20
• "Geophysical Modelling of Planets and Moons", MSc Geological Sciences, WS19/20
• "Bridge Course Mathematics", BSc Geological Sciences, WS19/20
• "Astrobiology", MSc Geological Sciences, SS19
• "Introduction to quantitative Geology with Matlab", MSc Geological Sciences, WS18/19
• "Geophysical Modelling of Planets and Moons", MSc Geological Sciences, WS18/19
• "Bridge Course Mathematics", BSc Geological Sciences, WS18/19
• "Astrobiology", MSc Geological Sciences, SS18
• "Introduction to quantitative Geology with Matlab", MSc Geological Sciences, WS17/18
• "Geophysical Modelling of Planets and Moons", MSc Geological Sciences, WS17/18
• "Bridge Course Mathematics", BSc Geological Sciences, WS17/18
• "Geophysical Modelling of Planets and Moons", MSc Geological Sciences WS16/17
• "Geophysical Modelling of Planets and Moons", MSc Geological Sciences WS15/16