Postdoctoral Position in Computational Astrophysics

Background

The University of Graz is forming a Computational Astrophysics group with emphasis on modelling dynamics of stellar interiors. The group will be inaugurated in September 2026 and led by Dr. Petri Käpylä. Applications for a fully funded 5-year postdoc position starting at the inauguration date of the group are invited. The position is part of the ERC Advanced Grant project NeoCon - New Paradigm of Stellar Convection.

The NeoCon project addresses the convective conundrum: the discrepancy between observations of the Sun and results from numerical simulations. The project explores the ideas that:

• Convection in stellar envelopes is dominated by entropy rain.
• Stellar convection is strongly affected by magnetic fields.

The goal is to improve the physical understanding of stellar convection and its consequences for large-scale flows and dynamos in stars.

Research themes

The project will focus on the numerical study of entropy rain using idealized and global simulations. Research topics can include but are not limited to:

• Further development of boundary conditions driving entropy rain.
• Simulations of single and multiple plumes and convection simulations where entropy rain is induced by boundary conditions.
• Quantifying the role of entropy rain in energy transport, flow amplitude and morphology, and stratification of convective envelopes.
• Implications of entropy rain for generation of large-scale magnetic fields.

Simulations will be preferentially carried out using the Pencil Code, a community-driven open source high-order finite-difference code for compressible magnetohydrodynamics.

Candidate profile

Applicants should hold (or soon complete) a PhD degree in physics, astrophysics, or a related field, and have solid background in computational physics. Experience with programming (Python, Fortran, C/C++) and HPC are necessary prerequisites.

We offer

Competitive postdoc salary, access to state-of-the-art computing facilities, close supervision, possibility to mentor PhD students, and a vibrant international research environment with neighboring research groups working on stellar astrophysics and solar and heliospheric physics.