PhD Studentship: Observations and Methods to Characterise Small Planets Around Sun-like Stars

Circumbinary exoplanets orbit around both stars at once, like Tatooine in StarWars. Such planets are rare, but important to better understand the processes behind planet formation and orbital evolution. The project is about collecting data and analysing it in search for circumbinary planets. At Birmingham we search for such signals using radial-velocities, and the transit method, which means we also regularly visit observatories outside the United Kingdom and as remote as the Atacama Desert and the Antarctic Plateau. The project will be supervised by Dr Annelies Mortier. 

Information about the Sun, Stars & Exoplanets research group in Birmingham can be found at www.birmingham.ac.uk/sasp/. Our group has 6 permanent academics, 11 postdoctoral researchers, and 8 PhD students and is gender-balanced at every level of seniority. Last year a PhD student within our group was awarded the Royal Astronomical Society’s prize for best PhD thesis in the UK. 

The School of Physics and Astronomy is an Institute of Physics Juno Champion since 2014 and holder of the Athena SWAN Silver Award. Both initiatives recognise the School’s commitment to promote diversity and equality, and to encourage better practice for all members of the community, whilst also working towards developing an equitable working culture in which all students and staff can achieve their full potential. We welcome applications from all qualified applicants, and encourage applications from traditionally under-represented groups in physics and astronomy including, but not limited to, women and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic. 

Note that we do not accept CVs and applications sent directly to us by email. Follow the links towards the application portal. 

Apply online via the above ‘Apply’ button. 

For information contact:

sasp-phd@contacts.bham.ac.uk

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/research/how-to-apply/advertised-phd

Deadline for application is 15 January. 

Funding notes:

The fully-funded scholarship for UK students includes tuition fees and a living stipend. This year, we are unlikely to be in a position to offer a fully-funded international scholarship.

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