The Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering at the University of Sheffield, has a STFC funding for three years PhD studentship in the research areas relevant to space science (including space weather) and solar physics. The studentship provides UKRI fees and stipend for up to 3.5 years and a RTSG of £4,300 (across the award) as well as a fieldwork allowance

The particular research topics and corresponding academic points of contact are:

– physics of collisionless shocks (research related to Cluster (ESA), Solar Orbiter (ESA), MMS (NASA) and THEMIS (NASA) spacecraft missions). Collaborations with ESA Cluster team, GSFC NASA and the University of Michigan Ann Arbor are envisaged in this research,
Prof Michael Balikhin (m.balikhin@sheffield.ac.uk);

– magnetospheric physics (research related to Cluster (ESA), THEMIS (NASA) and VAP (NASA) spacecraft missions. Research collaborations with the University of Michigan Ann Arbor),
Prof Michael Balikhin (m.balikhin@sheffield.ac.uk);

– interaction of Jovian moons with the magnetosphere of Jupiter (research related to the preparation for JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE) ESA mission that is planned for launch in 2022),
Dr Simon Pope (s.a.pope@sheffield.ac.uk), Prof Michael Balikhin (m.balikhin@sheffield.ac.uk);

– application of systems engineering to the development of operation Space Weather forecasting tools,
Dr Hua-Liang Wei (w.hualiang@sheffield.ac.uk), Prof Michael Balikhin (m.balikhin@sheffield.ac.uk);

– application of data science and machine learning methods to Space Weather forecast,
Dr Inaki Esnaola (esnaola@sheffield.ac.uk), Prof Michael Balikhin (m.balikhin@sheffield.ac.uk);

– general MHD wave theory and numerical modelling (HPC and GPU computing) of plasma wave processes in the solar atmosphere and beyond. This research may also include ML and AI methodologies,
Dr Viktor Fedun (v.fedun@sheffield.ac.uk).

While space physics and space weather are priority areas for this year applicants interested in the solar physics projects also will be considered.

The eligibility requirements are:
Applications are invited from physics, mathematics, engineering or computer sciences students who have graduated with a first or upper-second class degree. Due to STFC funding restrictions, this studentship is open to the UK (tuition fees and stipend) and the EU (tuition fees only) students.

Application deadline: 30 October 2020.
PhD staring date (anticipated): January 2021

To apply, follow this link: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgradapplication/

In your application please:
– List up to three potential supervisors.
– Indicate and elaborate on your preferred area of research interest in the “Research Proposal” section. – Indicate that you are applying for the STFC studentship in the “Funding” section.