Post-doctoral Research Fellow(s)

The Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (AOP) are seeking an enthusiastic theorist to join the 5 year ERC-funded ION-FLUX project, which aims to test whether very massive stars played a dominant role in cosmic reionisation.  The project combines stellar atmosphere and wind modelling with stellar evolution calculations, and extends to hydrodynamical studies of the circumstellar medium of massive stars prior to explosion.  You will join a collaborative team that combines detailed modelling with direct comparison to observational data.

ION-FLUX aims to establish a new predictive framework for the atmospheres, winds, and ionising output of (very) massive stars, combining hydrodynamically consistent modelling with stellar evolution.  A central goal is to connect stellar winds to the build-up of the circumstellar medium, and to determine the environments in which massive stars end their lives, either collapsing to black holes or exploding as supernovae.

By linking stellar atmospheres, mass loss, and circumstellar structure, the project will provide new insights into stellar feedback, transient phenomena, and the role of massive stars in shaping galaxies and the early Universe.

The successful candidate will play a leading role in developing next-generation hydrodynamical stellar atmosphere models and exploring their implications for stellar evolution and feedback.  This work will connect directly to observational programmes, including large surveys of massive stars at low metallicity.

Situated in Armagh, Northern Ireland, AOP delivers internationally recognised research in astronomy and related sciences and vibrant educational and outreach programmes for all ages.  Research staff work on a range of topics, from the study of our Sun and Solar System to distant galaxies, has access to all UK national observing facilities, including ESO, ALMA and ESA, and participate in several international projects such as XSHOOTU, WEAVE, GOTO, I-LOFAR and CTA.