Accretion and outflows in extreme astrophysical environments

PhD position in Physics at Warwick University - Accretion and outflows in extreme astrophysical environments

Dr Deanne Coppejans

Overview

We invite applications from outstanding and highly motivated students for the Warwick Prize Scholarships in Astrophysics. The successful applicant will work with Dr Deanne Coppejans within the Astronomy and Astrophysics group in the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick.

This project will explore the nature of the outflow in the most extreme environments and explore how these outflows are physically launched and collimated. 

High energy outflows such as jets and winds are seen in a range of astrophysical objects. For example, compact objects (white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes) can accrete material from companion stars and then launch dynamic and varied outflows. When stars explode they eject their stellar envelopes out into space at a significant fraction of the speed of light. In the most energetic cases they can even launch highly relativistic collimated jets. However, despite the ubiquity of high energy outflows, we still have fundamental questions about the outflow physics. What is the nature of the outflow in the most extreme environments? How are the outflows physically launched and collimated?

 The successful candidate will use multi-wavelength observations from telescopes such as the Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO), the Very Large Array (VLA), MeerKAT, the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) and the Liverpool Telescope to study the accretion and outflow physics of compact objects and newly discovered types of stellar explosions.

Warwick is an internationally recognised centre of research excellence. Our group takes leading roles in many major ground and space-based projects, including the Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO), Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS), PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO) telescope, Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), WHT Enhanced Area Velocity Explorer (WEAVE) spectrograph, 4-metre Multi-Object Spectrograph Telescope (4MOST), and Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI).

The Astronomy & Astrophysics group is part of the Physics Department at Warwick; both the department and the university hold Athena SWAN Silver awards, a national initiative to promote gender equality for all staff and students. The Physics Department is also a Juno Champion, which is an award from the Institute of Physics to recognise our efforts to address the under-representation of women in university physics and to encourage better practice for all. The Astronomy & Astrophysics group also hosts monthly equitea forums to break down barriers faced by all under-represented groups in science.

More details on PhD positions with the Astronomy and Astrophysics group at Warwick are available here.

Start Date: October 2023

Funding Duration: 3.5-4.0 years

Applications due by: 10 January 2023

Eligibility

You must have or expect a First or Upper second class MSci, MPhys or equivalent degree in Physics or a closely related discipline. Holders of BSc honours degrees are eligible but successful BSc applicants typically have substantial additional research experience. International equivalents are detailed here.

For students whose first language is not English, we normally require a score of 6.5 in IELTS or equivalent. If your previous degree was taught in an English-speaking country this requirement may be waived.

The award is available to home and international applicants.

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s online application system and follow the instructions. Use course code P-F3P0. Make sure to state an interest in the Astronomy and Astrophysics group. Please state ‘Warwick Prize Scholarships’ as the funding option. We encourage applicants to express interest in more than one available PhD project.

 Funding Notes

The project will provide a full UK-standard annual tax-free stipend of £18,200, rising with inflation, plus allocations for travel and computing.