Dr J Oliveira
No more applications being accepted
Competition Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are the nearest templates for the detailed study of star formation under metal-poor conditions. These galaxies mirror the conditions typical of galaxies during the early phases of their assembly, providing a stepping stone to understand star formation at high redshift where such processes can not be directly observed. Furthermore, they provide the exciting new opportunity of bridging the gap between star formation processes on large galactic-wide scales and on the small scales of individual young stellar objects.
Dr. Joana Oliveira is an expert on star formation studies in these galaxies. Her research lends itself to observational PhD projects addressing different facets of the star formation process, for instance the study of the detailed chemistry of gas, dust and ice in the environments of young massive stars in the Clouds, or using galaxy-wide photometric surveys to constrain the Initial mass function and star formation rates across the whole system in order to link the environmental conditions to the star formation outcomes. One possible project has as starting point a large database (over 300 sources) of mid-infrared spectra obtained with the IRS instrument onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. These spectra of Young Stellar Objects will allow the analysis of a variety of spectral features that diagnose the natal environment of the stellar embryos: solid state features (ices and dust grains) and gas (molecular hydrogen, forbidden emission lines of excited gas). Another project aims to use near-IR photometry from the Vista Magellanic Cloud Survey to constrains and characterise young stellar populations across the Magellanic System: using statistical methods to construct the Initial Mass Function across whole star formation complexes, and mapping and quantifying the true extent of these regions and their interplay with the gas and dust.
For informal enquiries on this project, contact Dr Joana Oliveira by email: [Email Address Removed]
PhD available from September 2019 (flexible)
Please quote FNS GS 2018-20 on your application and the project title "Star formation in the Magellanic Clouds" (Dr Joana Oliveria)
Keele University values diversity, and is committed to ensuring equality of opportunity. In support of these commitments, Keele University particularly welcomes applications from women and from individuals of black and ethnic minority backgrounds for this post. The School of Chemical and Physical Sciences and Keele University have both been awarded Athena Swan awards and Keele University is a member of the Disability Confident scheme. More information is available on these web pages:
https://www.keele.ac.uk/equalitydiversity/
https://www.keele.ac.uk/athenaswan/
https://www.keele.ac.uk/raceequalitycharter/disabilityconfident
Funding Notes
A choice of Astrophysics projects is available (see below) of which a minimum of one will be funded (probably 3 in total).
Funding support is provided as follows;
100% UK/EU tuition fees for 3 years commencing Academic year 2019/20. Stipend support for three years at Research Council rates (2018/9 £14,777 per annum).
Jointly supported by STFC and the Keele University.
Eligibliity Crtieria:
UK residents are eligible for full funding (tuition fees and stipend at Research Council rate). EU nationals (who are not resident in the UK) will normally qualify for a fees-only award.