After participating in the module, students will be able to: • analyze and critically judge current scientific publications in the field of planetary exploration (focus: lunar exosphere), • classify their findings to present them in an appropriate manner, • utilize current methods used in the scientific context, and to • approach a scientific thesis in the field of planetary exploration.

The following contents will be covered in the module: • basics of exospheres in our solar system, • the exosphere of our Moon, focusing on water, • typical source and loss terms of the exosphere, • basics of scientific numerical modelling, focusing on the lunar exosphere, • basics of good scientific practice, according to TUM guidelines, • criteria of good scientific work.

Master students of higher semester

The seminar will take place in the form of a small group of students (max. ca. 12 students) with a focus on in-person participation. During presentations and discussions, all students will be actively involved in the seminar. The main part of the discussion will focus on the homework review, which includes the independent reading and reviewing of a scientific publication. Said publication will be introduced prior to the homework through the lecturer, who will guide the students into the topic. Additionally, each seminar meeting includes an open discussion about the methods used in the scientific context, guided by the lecturer.

The module examination is in form of continuous testing over the course of the semester. It consists of multiple written homework during the first half of the course, in which the students are tasked with writing a scientific critique of a publication which was introduced during the seminar. During the second half of the semester, the students will be put into small groups (2 people). They will independently work on one of the introduced topics to create a scientific poster summarizing their gained knowledge. The final grade will be calculated using 70% of the homework grades and 30% of the poster presentation grade.