Research degrees
Research areas
Astronomy
Exoplanets and planetary physics

Exoplanets and planetary physics

Qualifications Duration Start dates Application period
PhD
(MPhil also available)
Full time: 3–4 years
Part time: 6–8 years
February and October January to April
Qualifications
PhD (MPhil also available)
Duration
Full time: 3–4 years
Part time: 6–8 years
Start dates
February and October
Application period
January to April

The study of exoplanets is a rapidly moving field at the forefront of Astrophysics. The Astronomy Discipline is working to find important new exoplanets, including Proxima b which was widely hailed as one of the most important science discoveries of 2016. We also perform multi-wavelength follow-up studies of established planets, consider habitability in novel contexts, and model exoplanetary atmospheres and interiors.

We are members of the SuperWASP, PLATO, ARIEL and PaleRedDot consortia, and lead the Dispersed Matter Planet Project (DMPP) which has identified a key population of rocky exoplanets orbiting bright nearby stars. Our exoplanets researchers frequently use competitively awarded telescopes including the Hubble Space Telescope, precision spectrographs HARPS and UVES,  and we also use our share of the 10-metre Southern African Large Telescope and our own PIRATE and COAST telescopes on the island of Tenerife.

The group closely collaborates with the department's planetary science and space instrumentation groups, especially in the areas of exoplanet compositions, planetary atmospheres, habitability and dust from catastrophically disintegrating planets like Kepler 1520b.

Entry requirements

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent). If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.

Potential research projects

We welcome enquiries from prospective students in the following areas:

  • Rocky exoplanet compositions
  • A Galactic population model of planets
  • Habitability of planets around white dwarf stars
  • Mass loss from close-in exoplanets
  • Dynamics of multiple exoplanet systems
  • Earth analogue exoplanets
  • Planet searches around nearby M dwarf stars

Please also see further opportunities.

Current/recent research projects

  • Discovery of close-in planets around nearby stars (DMPP)
  • The mass-radius-composition relationships for low mass exoplanets
  • The search for exoplanets orbiting the Sun’s stellar neighbours
  • Follow-up photometry of transiting exoplanet candidates with the OpenScience Observatories
  • False-positive signal in exoplanet transit searches, and application to the PLATO mission
  • Measuring the dust properties of Kepler 1520b
  • Nearby analogues of Kepler 1520b
  • Star-Planet Interactions

Potential supervisors

Fees and funding

UK fee International fee
Full time: £4,712 per year Full time: £15,456 per year
Part time: £2,356 per year Part time: £7,584 per year

Some of our research students are funded via the UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Doctoral Training Partnership; others are self-funded.

For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.

To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see Current studentships.

Links

Exoplanet in night sky
 

How to apply

Get in touch

If you have an enquiry specific to this research topic, please contact:

Administration support

Email: STEM SPS PHD
Phone: +44 (0)1908 653796

Apply now

If you’re interested in applying for this research topic, please take a look at the application process.