About the project
This PhD project will lead the next-generation search for black holes in the Galaxy. Weave together state-of-the-art observational and theoretical evidence on understanding how these cosmic monsters are born and evolve.
Black holes have emerged in recent years as key players in many areas of astronomy. They hold the key to understanding new physics, and are the gateway to the invisible universe of gravitational waves. But their birth, growth and evolution all remain hotly debated.
This PhD project aims to substantially advance our understanding of the Milky Way population of black holes, and use this to infer the wider properties of black holes in other galaxies.
You will work at the interface of observational and theoretical astronomy, analysing state-of-the-art data from telescopes such as Gaia, the Vera Rubin Observatory (LSST), eROSITA/SRG, and VISTA/4MOST.
Key goals include:
- constraining the demography of black holes in the Milky Way, pushing sensitivity limits by orders-of-magnitude beyond previous studies
- identifying and characterising new black hole candidates, including follow-up spectroscopy for dynamical mass and kinematic measurements
- using these results to predict signals for next-generation gravitational-wave detectors and to inform models of supermassive black hole growth in other galaxies.
The project offers fully-rounded training in blue-skies research and transferrable skill development in:
- data analysis and coding
- observational techniques using world-class astronomical facilities
- critical evaluation of theoretical models
- exploring machine-learning methods to accelerate parameter inference
- scientific communication, presentation, and publication.
You will join a vibrant research group of international researchers with regular seminars, journal clubs, post-graduate lectures and other training activities.
The School of Physics & Astronomy is committed to promoting equality, diversity inclusivity as demonstrated by our Athena SWAN award. We welcome all applicants regardless of their gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or age, and will give full consideration to applicants seeking flexible working patterns and those who have taken a career break. The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities, and offers a range of benefits to help ensure employees’ well-being and work-life balance. The University of Southampton is committed to sustainability and has been awarded the Platinum EcoAward.
