Research Placement opportunity for MSci Students

Project Description

The third Gaia data release is on 13th June 2022 - this signals a real shift in our ability to study the Milky Way in detail. For the first time we will have detailed compositional information for half a billion stars across the Galaxy. The goal of the summer project will be to analyse and inspect this new data in particular focussing on correlations between kinematics, chemistry and age in the Galactic disc. The research could lead to a publication led by the student.

Students are expected to be enrolled in the 4 year MSci degree in Physics/Astrophysics. Skills in computing and data analysis are essential. It is desirable if the student is comfortable programming in Python and writing SQL queries.

Award

The successful applicants will receive a studentship of £2000, paid in two lump sums at the start and halfway point of the project. This payment is equivalent to 30 hours per week at the London Living Wage of £11.05 per hour.

Application Procedure

If you wish to apply please send a CV and cover letter to Dr Jason Sanders (jason.sanders@ucl.ac.uk). The deadline for applications is 30th June.

Successful applicants will be notified after the deadline has passed.