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  The dynamic universe; extragalactic transients and stellar explosions


   Department of Physics

  Prof Danny Steeghs  Applications accepted all year round  Funded PhD Project (Students Worldwide)

About the Project

PhD position in Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Warwick – the dynamic universe; extragalactic transients and stellar explosions.

Prof. Danny Steeghs & Dr Joe Lyman

Overview

We invite applications from outstanding and highly motivated students for a funded PhD studentship in Astrophysics. The successful applicant will work with Prof. Danny Steeghs & Dr Joe Lyman within the Astronomy and Astrophysics group in the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick.

In this project you will be studying the energetic explosions that power a variety of luminous transients. We are interested in rapidly evolving transients and resolving the early stages of such explosions to get a better handle on the explosion physics. We lead the Gravitational wave Optical Transient Observer (GOTO) project, which will be the key search facility.

GOTO is the UK's premier wide-field sky-survey, aimed at discovering the electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational waves. GOTO's design comprises an array of telescopes situated at two locations (La Palma, and Australia), allowing us to quickly cover the night-sky and discover a multitude of transient phenomena, particularly short-lived and rare events. We have a particular interest in finding counterparts to gravitational wave sources, enabling multi-messenger science, but also other related objects such as gamma-ray bursts, fast blue transients, neutrino sources, peculiar and early stages of supernovae. The project involves aspects related to both the discovery and classification of transients, as well as the follow-up efforts in response to notable discoveries. These include multi-wavelength campaigns tracking the evolution of the sources, as well as studies and models of the host galaxies and the environments of such transients.

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), Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), and CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite (CHEOPS).

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 2025

Funding Duration: 3.5-4.0 years

Applications due by: 8 January 2025

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 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. See this page.

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, and see our Frequently Asked Questions. 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 £19,237, rising with inflation, plus allocations for travel and computing.

Physics (29)

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