The Department of Space and Climate Physics, University College London (UCL), seeks to appoint a motivated Research Fellow in Exoplanet Characterisation. The appointment will be for three years in the first instance (the grant ends on 31st March 2025) to work in the research group led by Dr Vincent Van Eylen, Associate Professor in Exoplanets. The starting date is flexible with the earliest starting date in April 2022.
The successful candidate will be expected to conduct exciting research related to “understanding planets through their host stars”, a project funded by the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). They will address major open questions, such as what happens to exoplanet systems as their host stars evolve off the main sequence and become sub-giant and red giant stars, and seek to understand the evolution of planetary systems over time. To do so, they will determine the occurrence of planets orbiting evolved stars and compare that to their main sequence counterparts, capitalising on novel observations by the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
Understanding the precise characteristics and evolutionary stage of the host stars is a crucial part of the picture, and the successful candidate will seek to bring together stellar characterisation, leveraging information from e.g., asteroseismology and Gaia observations, and exoplanet science. In doing so they will be in an ideal position to maximise the science gain from the upcoming ESA Planetary Transits and Oscillations of stars (PLATO) mission. The candidate is encouraged and expected to develop and pursue independent research ideas related to the detection and characterisation of transiting exoplanets with TESS and exoplanet science in a broader sense.
Key Requirements
The successful candidate is expected to hold or about to receive a PhD in a relevant scientific or a closely related discipline. Proven ability in research and evidence of quality research output in the relevant field, and experience with the detection and characterisation of transiting exoplanets and/or the characterisation of planet host stars using asteroseismology or other tools are also essential requirements for this post.
Further Details
Application should be completed on line. To apply for this post and for further details please use the link below:
https://atsv7.wcn.co.uk/search_engine/jobs.cgi?SID=amNvZGU9MTg4MTE2OCZ2d...
The UCL Ways of Working for professional services supports colleagues to be successful and happy at UCL through sharing expectations around how we work – please see www.ucl.ac.uk/ways-of-working to find out more.