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  NUDATA04 Polar vortices in Jupiter’s atmosphere


   Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering

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  Dr Celine Guervilly, Dr P Bushby  No more applications being accepted  Competition Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

About the Project

This project is being offered as part of the STFC Centre for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science, called NUdata, which is a collaboration between Northumbria and Newcastle Universities, STFC, and a portfolio of over 40 industrial partners, including SMEs, large/multinational companies, Government and not-for profit organisations, and international humanitarian organisations. Please visit https://research.northumbria.ac.uk/nudata/ for full information.

Project Description

Spectacular cyclones have recently been discovered in the polar regions of Jupiter’s atmosphere by the NASA Juno spacecraft. These cyclones are huge (about 2000km wide), persistent and are grouped in a cluster of five to eight circulating around the poles. In contrast, at lower latitudes, the dynamics of the atmosphere is dominated by a well-known banded structure, associated with strong eastward and westward alternating wind jets. The main goal of the project is to explain the origin of the polar cyclones. The dynamics of the gas in Jupiter’s deep atmosphere is driven by convection and is strongly influenced by the rotation of the planet. We will model this system using numerical hydrodynamical simulations, which will be based on existing codes. The dynamics is strongly nonlinear, so we will use the high-performance computing facilities available at Newcastle University to perform parallel computations. We will compare our numerical results with observations from the Juno polar flybys.

Recruitment Event

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. 

Eligibility and How to Apply:

This studentship is available to home * and international applicants.

Please note eligibility requirement:

  • Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. first or 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 currently engaged in Doctoral study elsewhere.

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

Applications and Offers | Newcastle University - Postgraduate - Newcastle University (ncl.ac.uk)

Please note:

If you are interested in more than one of the Newcastle-hosted NUdata research projects, then you can say this in the cover letter of your application and you can rank up to three projects you are interested in (i.e. first choice, second choice, third choice). You are strongly encouraged to do this, since some projects are more popular than others. You only need to submit one application even if you are interested in multiple projects (we recommend you submit your application to your first choice).

Northumbria and Newcastle Universities take pride in, and value, the quality and diversity of our students and staff. We welcome applications from all members of the community. We offer all applicants full guidance on the application process and on details of the CDT. For informal enquiries, email Professor James McLaughlin (Northumbria: [Email Address Removed] ) or Professor Tamara Rogers (Newcastle: [Email Address Removed] ). Please contact the Principal Supervisor of the project(s) for project-specific enquiries.

Deadline for applications: 31st January 2023

Start Date: 25th September 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.

Physics (29)

Funding Notes

The studentship supports a full stipend, paid for four years at UKRI rates (for 2022/23, this is £17,668 per annum and full tuition fees.
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