This week, Niels Mikkelsen successfully defended his PhD thesis titled "Understanding astrochemically relevant H2O and CO2 ices using machine learning".

In August 2022, Niels started his PhD in the Mie Andersen group, and has since become an important part of InterCat, strengthening collaborations between theory and experiment in Aarhus and Leiden. Conveying science through teaching and outreach activities, such as Forskningens Døgn and many public talks comes naturally to Niels, enlightening many - particularly children and youths.

During his PhD studies, Niels investigated the structure and dynamics of H2O and CO2 ice on interstellar dust grains. H2O and CO2 are among the most abundant ice species in the interstellar medium. These ices have catalyzing abilities that are strongly dependent on their morphology, which makes ice nucleation and dynamics an important study in astrochemistry. Interactions between molecules in the ice are modelled primarily using machine learning, allowing for more ambitious studies. The results achieved contribute to a deeper understanding of the role H2O and CO2 ices play in an astronomical context.

Congratulations Niels and well done. We are grateful for your time with InterCat, and wish you all the best in your new job.