Constraining the processes that accelerate and transport solar flare energetic electrons from the Sun’s inner atmosphere to the Earth (Advert ref: STFC23/EE/MPEE/JEFFREY)

The Sun is a prime laboratory for understanding high energy astrophysics. Its proximity to Earth and transient events such as solar flares make its atmosphere a unique and opportune environment for studying all aspects of high energy astrophysics including the production of solar flare energetic particles.

Solar flares, a key component of space weather, are evidenced to be initiated by magnetic reconnection. During the flare, much of the magnetic energy is dissipated into the acceleration of electrons but the exact amount, and the acceleration mechanism, is widely debated. Electrons deposit energy into the lower atmosphere, where the bulk of the flare radiative output is produced, while other energetic electrons that escape into the heliosphere can be detected at Earth and at other heliospheric locations. However, the connection between these distinct energetic electron populations is poorly understood. This hinders our understanding of the processes that accelerate and transport energetic particles in solar flares and other astrophysical objects.

During this project, there is opportunity to use state-of-the-art kinetic modelling alongside multi-messenger observations to study the production of, and connection between different flare-accelerated electron populations. During the project, you will adapt and work with observationally driven numerical simulations that can model flare-accelerated electrons at the Sun and at multiple locations in the heliosphere, learning about acceleration and transport processes occurring in different regions of a flare. In tandem, you will learn how to diagnose the properties of distinct populations of flare-accelerated electrons and their surrounding plasma properties, from multiple datasets (e.g., X-ray, EUV, in-situ) available from a diverse range of remote-sensing and in-situ space instrumentation such as Solar Orbiter, Parker Solar Probe, RHESSI, Hinode EIS and upcoming missions such as Aditya and ASO-S. Detailed, individual flare studies will be compared with numerical simulations, and simulations fine-tuned to match multiple spectral, temporal and angular observations, helping to constrain the processes that accelerate electrons in flares.

During the project, you will run and adapt codes written in Interactive Data Language (IDL) and Fortran and analyse spacecraft data using IDL and/or Python. The project is suited to applicants with backgrounds in astrophysics, physics and applied mathematics.

Eligibility Requirements*:

• Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
• Appropriate IELTS score, if required.
• Applicants cannot apply for this funding if they are already a PhD holder or if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere.

Please note: to be classed as a Home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
• have settled status, or
• have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student. Applicants will need to be in the UK and fully enrolled before stipend payments can commence, and be aware of the following additional costs that may be incurred, as these are not covered by the studentship.

• Immigration Health Surcharge https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application
• If you need to apply for a Student Visa to enter the UK, please refer to the information on https://www.gov.uk/student-visa. It is important that you read this information very carefully as it is your responsibility to ensure that you hold the correct funds required for your visa application otherwise your visa may be refused.
• Check what COVID-19 tests you need to take and the quarantine rules for travel to England https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19
• Costs associated with English Language requirements which may be required for students not having completed a first degree in English, will not be borne by the university. Please see individual adverts for further details of the English Language requirements for the university you are applying to.

You will join a strong and supportive research team. To help better understand the aims of the CDT and to meet the PhD supervisors, we are hosting a day-long event on campus on Monday 9th January 2023.

At that event, there will be an opportunity to discuss your research ideas, meet potential PhD supervisors, as well as hear from speakers from a variety of backgrounds (academia, industry, government, charity) discussing both STFC and data science as well as their personal paths and backgrounds. Click here for details.

How to Apply

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see

https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/

Please note:

You must include the relevant advert reference/studentship code (e.g. STFC23/…) in your application.

You do not need to submit a research proposal for the proposed project, since the project is already defined by the supervisor. If you have your own research idea and wish to pursue that, then this is also possible - please indicate this on your application (if this is the case, then please include a research proposal of approximately 300 words).

We offer all applicants full guidance on the application process and on details of the DTP. For informal enquiries, email Professor James McLaughlin (Northumbria: [Email Address Removed]). Please contact the Principal Supervisor of the project(s) [Email Address Removed] for project-specific enquiries.

Deadline for applications: 31st January 2023

Start Date: 1st October 2023

* please note: to be classed as a Home student, candidates must meet the following criteria:

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or
• have settled status, or
• have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
• have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student.