PhD positions in Stars, Exoplanet, Supernovae, Galaxies, and Cosmology

The Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University invites applications in the following research areas:

Stars: One position will be available in stellar spectroscopy, with a focus on exploiting data from the 4MOST survey. The main task will be the development of a 3D non-LTE spectral analysis pipeline tailored to large spectroscopic datasets. This methodological work will be combined with scientific applications in a chosen area, such as stellar physics, the star-planet connection, chemical tagging, or Galactic archaeology. The project aims to improve the accuracy of stellar abundance determinations and to use these advances to address key questions about the formation and evolution of elements and stellar populations in the Milky Way. The position will be supervised by Dr. Karin Lind. 

Exoplanets: One position will be available in exoplanet research, aimed at characterising exoplanets and their atmospheres through the development and application of analytical tools to data obtained from state-of-the-art observational facilities, both space-based and ground-based. Particular emphasis will be placed on the study of long-period exoplanets, which experience environmental conditions more comparable to those of Earth than those of currently well-studied exoplanets. The position will be supervised by Dr. Alexis Brandeker.

Supernovae / Computational Astrophysics: One position will be available to work with Dr. Evan O'Connor on high performance computer simulations of core-collapse supernovae with a strong focus on extreme progenitors and magnetorotational driven explosions. The project will be part of a larger ERC project COMPACTARS which is using state-of-the-art neutrino-radiation hydrodynamic simulations to understand the inner workings of magnetically dominated explosions including GRB supernovae and superluminous supernovae. Within the project there are also opportunities to develop the next generation of simulation software, predict the multimessenger signals, and develop expertise in neutrino and nuclear microphysics.

Galaxies: One position will be available within the galaxy group, with a particular focus on investigations of star cluster formation and feedback across cosmic time. The PhD student will analyse JWST imaging and spectroscopy, complemented by ground-based observations, of emerging star clusters in local galaxies as well as high-redshift lens galaxies where star cluster physical scales can be resolved. The goal is to get a better understanding of the dominant processes that connect star clusters to their host galaxies. The position will be supervised by Dr. Angela Adamo.

Cosmology: One or two position will be available within the ERC Synergy Grant COSMOMAG (2026-2032) studying the very first microseconds of the universe. The COSMOMAG project aims at pinning down the origin of cosmological magnetic fields by developing a unified framework tackling the problem from the initial conditions in the early universe up to observations in the present universe: we will study the magnetic field generation in the early universe, use numerical methods to evolve them throughout the universe and predict observable signatures today, to be tested mainly via gamma-ray, radio and gravitational waves observations. In particular, one of the PhD students will focus on the early universe dynamics and the other on the dynamics during the recombination era. The positions will be supervised by Prof. Axel Brandenburg jointly with Prof. Chiara Caprini. The PhD students will be affiliated at Nordita at Stockholm University.