PhD Opportunities in Physics and Astronomy 2023

We are pleased to announce the launch of our PhD Studentship opportunities for 2023 across the School of Physics and Astronomy.

• STFC Application deadline: 20th January 2023 – see this website for how to apply.
• NERC/CENTA Application deadline: 11th January 2023 – see this website for how to apply.
• Future 50 Application deadline: 20th January 2023 – see this website for how to apply.
  

The list of advertised projects can be found here, including (but not limited to) topics in Planetary Science, Astrophysics, and Space hardware. STFC projects are listed here, and this is where you’d likely be looking if you are interested in space science and astrophysics. Full details of funding eligibility requirements and the application process are available from the link above.  

The full list should also be available via FindAPhd.

Please do spread the word, and contact our postgraduate admissions team (pgrphys@le.ac.uk), or the supervisors directly, for more information regarding the projects.  

Astrophysics & Planetary Science Projects

• Professor Martin Barstow White dwarfs, planetary debris and fundamental physics Project description (Word, 1.2MB) Project description (PDF, 329kb)
• Professor Andrew Blain* James Webb Space Telescope and the most luminous galaxies Project description (Word, 565kb) Project description (PDF, 382kb)
• Professor Emma Bunce* Magnetosphere-surface Interactions at Mercury  Project description (Word, 1MB) Project description (PDF, 355kb)
• Dr Matthew Burleigh Characterising eclipsing binaries from NGTS and TESS Project description (Word, 120kb) Project description (PDF, 262kb)
• Dr Sarah Casewell  Investigating young variable stars in Orion with NGTS  Project description (Word, 1.7MB) Project description (PDF, 436kb)
• Dr Charly Feldman  X-ray optic development for studying moons in the outer solar system  Project description (Word, 827kb) Project description, (PDF, 319kb)
• Professor Leigh Fletcher Exploring Giant Planet Systems with the James Webb Space Telescope Project description (Word, 769kb) Project description (PDF, 613kb)
• Dr Michael Goad  Testing the standard model for accretion in Active Galactic Nuclei  Project description (Word, 181kb) Project description (PDF, 313kb)
• Professor Steve Milan Electrodynamics of the solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere-atmosphere coupled system  Project description (Word, 138kb) Project description (PDF, 412kb)
• Professor Paul O’Brien*  The physics of Gamma-Ray Bursts and multi-messenger sources unveiled by the SVOM and Einstein Probe satellites Project description (Word, 397kb) Project description (PDF, 445kb)
• Dr Rhaana Starling Lighting up the dust: the effect of energetic flares on galactic environments  Project description (Word, 1MB) Project description (PDF, 329kb)
• Professor Nial Tanvir  Multi-messenger astrophysics   Project description (Word, 605kb) Project description (PDF, 264kb)

Earth Observation Projects

• CENTA2-PHYS1-PARK, Dr Robert Parker – Developing a Wildfire Digital Twin: Attributing causes of extreme fire events
• CENTA2-PHYS2-WRIG, Dr Darren Wright – Investigating the Earth’s Upper Atmosphere with the EISCAT_3D radar
• CENTA2-PHYS3-YEOM, Professor Tim Yeoman – Coordinated ground and space-based exploration of the cusp ionosphere
• CENTA2-NCEO1-HARR, Dr Jeremy Harrison – Supporting the Montreal Protocol: monitoring long-lived halogenated species with atmospheric nadir sounders
• CENTA2-NCEO2-GHEN, Dr Darren Ghent – High resolution thermal data for climate resilience in food security

Space Park Leicester Future 50 Projects

• Dr Sarah Casewell Ref: SPACE Casewell  Project: Planet hunting in the near-infrared with the Next Generation Planet Survey
• Dr Rossana Deplano  Ref: SPACE Deplanpo  Project: Towards an International Regulatory Regime for the Commercialization of Space Resources: What Role for the Artemis Accords?
• Dr Ramy Mesalam  Ref: SPACE Mesalam  Project: Low-power in-core thermoelectric space reactor design concepts for deep space exploration.