Two PhD opportunities in wind–planet and binary interactions in systems with cool evolved stars

The Institute of Astronomy (IoA) of Leuven University in Belgium is a young and vibrant research group of some 80 scientists, engineers, and administrative staff (), including 7 full-time and 3 part-time professors. The institute is an expertise center in stellar physics and is active in several international consortia and collaborations. All members of IoA have access to parallel and supercomputing facilities. The IoA is further responsible for the organisation of the 2-year Master programme in Astronomy & Astrophysics of the Faculty of Science, and operates the 1.2m Mercator telescope at Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma Observatory, Canary Islands.

Project

Project 1: WindPlanet Interactions in Systems with Cool Evolved Stars Planets orbiting cool evolved stars experience a radically different environment than those around main-sequence stars, as intense stellar winds, high mass-loss rates, and extended atmospheres can strongly affect planetary a...