Oxford Astrophysics will run a summer research programme for undergraduate physics students again in summer 2025. The list of available projects and links to application forms can be found below. Please ensure you meet the eligibility requirements before applying.
The selected students will work with a supervisor in the department, usually a postdoctoral researcher or lecturer, on a self-contained research project. The programme will also include lectures/seminars on current astrophysics topics, and on academic careers in astro. Students will be encouraged to take part in department life , joining researchers for coffee, discussions and seminars.
The projects run for typically 8 weeks, nominally from 1 July to 23 August. The duration may be adjusted slightly to be shorter or longer, or to accommodate summer travel. Students will be paid as employees of the University, receiving a payment of at the Oxford living wage (subject to tax and National Insurance deductions). Students are normally expected to work full time on their project, but hours can be discussed with your supervisor. We will make sure that all computing resources needed for the selected projects are available to all selected candidates.
There are also a number of astrophysics projects available for the UNIQ+ scheme, which can be found on the UNIQ+ website -- please note that applications for UNIQ+ have different criteria and are managed separately and not by the department.
Application instructions can be found below.
Eligibility criteria
Students currently in third year of a relevant undergraduate degree or combined undergraduate masters are eligible to apply, as are students in fourth year of either a five-year Scottish masters or four-year Scottish Bachelor's degree. Students who have completed a 3-year undergraduate degree and are now taking a taught Masters course, or those in a fourth year of an integrated masters are also eligible, as long as they are not in their final year. Applications are very welcome from institutes outside of Oxford. Unfortunately, due to UK visa regulations, we are only able to accept applications from candidates who do not require a visa to work in the UK. EU students currently in the UK who have been granted Pre-Settled status are also welcome to apply along with current students in the UK on a Tier 4 visa that allows vacation employment. If you have queries about your personal circumstances, please get in touch with ashling.gordon [at] physics [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk, but please be aware that unfortunately there are no exceptions to these criteria.
How to apply
To apply, submit a 1-page CV and a 1-page cover letter (in a single PDF file). As part of the form, you will be asked to rank your top 3 project choices. Applications are made through this application form.
The 1-page cover letter should briefly mention the following, bearing in mind the one page limit:
- Your motivation for participating in the programme: Why do you want to do it? How it would benefit you?
- Your academic accomplishments to date as well as other skills relevant to research (in combination with the CV)
- Your long-term goals and any particular astrophysical interests
- Your reasons for your choice of projects
- Any extenuating circumstances, examples of adversity you have had to overcome, or lack of access or opportunities you experienced
Reference: You will also be asked to contact one academic referee who can provide a short letter in support of your application. Referees should submit their letter by filling out this form before the same application deadline.
If referees do not wish to fill out a google form (for example, because they do not have a google account), they can instead email their reference, with the subject line "Reference: ApplicantSurname", to james.matthews [at] physics [dot] ox [dot] ac [dot] uk.
Deadline for applications: March 12th 2025.
Available projects
Characterising the atmosphere of a famous hot Jupiter with high-resolution spectroscopy
Supervisors: Dr Baptiste Klein, Prof. Jayne Birkby
During the transit of an exoplanet, a small fraction of the incoming stellar flux goes through the planet's atmosphere. As a result, the spectra collected during that time enclose key information about the composition, temperature and dynamics of this atmosphere. These properties are most robustly retrieved using near-infrared high-resolution spectroscopy, where the extremely fine sampling of wavelength space allows one to resolve the absorption lines from the molecules in the planet's atmosphere.
In this internship, I propose to analyse transits of the famous hot Jupiter HD 189733 b, observed multiple times with the high-resolution spectrograph SPIRou at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. A preliminary analysis of these observations has shown that water could be fairly detected in the planet's atmosphere. However, because of stellar noise, carbon monoxide remains undetected despite being one of the main constituents of the atmosphere. The successful applicant will use advanced physical- and data-driven tools to clean stellar noise in the data and extract the carbon monoxide signature predicted by theoretical models. If time allows, a search for additional species in the planetary atmosphere could be performed.
Recommend skills/experience: Skills with python and data analysis or statistics. Basic knowledge in spectroscopy.
Investigating the radio emission from high-redshift galaxies
Supervisor: Prof. Matt Jarvis, Dr Imogen Whittam and Dr Aayush Saxena
The new deep multi-wavelength surveys both from the ground and space are revealing new populations of galaxies in the distant, high-redshift Universe. Although, much information can be gleaned from the optical and near-infrared data, particularly from JWST, there are critical aspects of galaxies that are only accessible from the radio emission. This includes a method of determining the star-formation rate in galaxies free of dust obscuration and assessing the impact of radio jets on truncating or stimulating such star formation. In this project, the student will select samples using the near-infrared JWST and VISTA observations over well studied deep fields over which we also have the deepest radio data from the MIGHTEE Survey (PI Jarvis). The student will then measure the radio properties of these samples and determine the level of star formation and AGN activity in these galaxies.
Recommend skills/experience: Experience with python would be an advantage.
Gravitational waves from the Big Bang - lifting the Galactic veil
Supervisor: Dr Kevin Wolz and Dr Adrien La Posta
Our model of the Big Bang is incomplete. The Universe may have undergone an early phase of acceleration called cosmic inflation. Inflation sends ripples through spacetime, known as primordial gravitational waves. The oldest source of light in the Universe, the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), should contain a record of these gravitational waves through a specific pattern in its polarisation signal. However, the Milky Way emits polarised light orders of magnitude brighter. Distinguishing the two requires statistical models tailored to the complexity of Galactic patterns in the sky. The University of Oxford is heavily involved in searches for this elusive signal through the Simons Observatory (SO) located in the Chilean Atacama desert, which is gathering early science data right now. The goal of this project is to make SO more robust against Galactic contamination. To do so, the student will get familiar with the SO parameter inference software, and implement a Bayesian statistical tool called the Jeffreys prior.
Recommend skills/experience: Some knowledge of the Python coding language would be beneficial.
Measuring dark matter in nearby galaxies
Supervisor: Dr Adriano Poci
Dark matter was first inferred using the dynamics of nearby galaxies, and its distribution throughout the Universe has since been broadly accounted-for. But the distribution of dark matter around individual galaxies, while modeled extensively in cosmological simulations, remains difficult to measure empirically. We do not know, therefore, how well these simulations represent the real Universe. This project aims at deriving empirical constraints on the distribution of dark matter around individual galaxies. The project will combine a state-of-the-art dynamical modeling code with both high-quality observational and simulated data in order to test the canonical assumptions about dark matter around galaxies. There is ample scope to explore not only what we assume about the dynamics of galaxies (c.f. the initial `discovery' of dark matter ~50 years ago), but also directly testing if the models of dark matter in cosmological simulations are reflective of real galaxies. The outcomes are expected to be precise empirical measurements of the dark matter content around a sample of real galaxies, as well as a commentary on the accuracy of common dark-matter measurement techinques.
Baryonic Effects in Large Scale Structure, a simulation based analysis.
Supervisor: Dr. Sara Maleubre, Dr. David Alonso
Baryons contribute a non-negligible fraction of the matter density, and they should be taken into account when analysing Large Scale Structure. In order to study their effects, we use cosmological hydrodynamical simulations that include feedback processes associated with galaxy formation and evolution, such as supernovae feedback or Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN, supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies) among others. One of the current issues is that we don’t have a first principle’s model to derive the efficiencies of these feedback processes, and different simulations calibrate them differently, resulting in different predicted properties for galaxy groups, and subsequently clustering.
The proposed project will look into how Star Formation Rate (SFR) is affected by this difference in feedback calibration from different simulations. In particular, we will measure the bias-weighted mean sfr density for a variety of hydrodynamical simulations, quantifying the impact of AGN and supernova feedback, but also their modelling, as well as variations in cosmological parameters. This quantity is a cosmological observable, and contains information about the star formation history - halo mass dependence. This means that we will be able to compare with current measurements from https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.15394 and hopefully shed a bit of light into a key topic for future analyses of small-scale structure formation.
Modelling Flares from Black Holes
Supervisors: Dr. Alex Cooper, Dr. Andrew Hughes (in collaboration with Fraser Cowie)
We regularly observe black holes in our Galaxy in binary systems as they strip material from their companion star. These systems show dramatic synchrotron flaring at radio wavelengths as they go into outburst, on timescales from minutes to hours. These flares are thought to be powered by processes close to the event horizon of the black hole, and release vast amounts of energy back, re-energising the interstellar environment. Despite the importance of this phenomenon, the physical mechanism behind this powerful flaring remains a mystery, with the most commonly applied model (last updated 60 years ago) failing miserably to explain the data.
In this project, the intern will investigate a number extensions to these simple models, including crucial physics such as relativistic motion, non-spherical geometries, and time dependent particle acceleration. These improved models will be fit to the data and evaluated in a statistically robust manner to better understand the underlying processes of flaring black holes. The student will gain an understanding of the physics governing stellar mass black holes in outburst and best practices for Bayesian statistical analysis. There will be extensive opportunities to collaborate with students and scientists within the radio transients research group in Oxford Astrophysics, spanning observational and theoretical sub-fields.
Recommended skills: The student should be comfortable using the Python programming language and should have an interest in high-energy astrophysics.
Symbolic regression and a new way to calculate integrals
Supervisors: Prof. Pedro Ferreira, Dr Harry Desmond (Portsmouth), Dr Deaglan Bartlett (IAP), Dr Nicolas Tessore (UCL)
Indefinite integrals are crucial in astrophysics and across science, yet even fairly simple functions can prove difficult if not impossible to integrate analytically. At the same time the inverse process, differentiation, is almost always analytically applicable. We will exploit this fact to produce a new method for calculating indefinite integrals. This will be achieved by leveraging machine learning technology developed by the group to generate the complete set of functions comprised of some basis set of operators up to come complexity. We can then simply differentiate these functions and pick out the function we wish to integrate. While this exhaustive approach will work for relatively simple cases, it is computationally prohibitive for complex functions. In this case we will adapt a method called genetic programming (a subclass of "symbolic regression") to search iteratively through function space, penalising functions with derivatives less similar to the desired derivative. The aim is to construct an algorithm capable of reliably identifying the integrals of functions of all kind. We will then apply the technique to integration problems in astrophysics and cosmology that are otherwise analytically intractable.
Recommended skills: Experience with Python programming, machine learning and statistics
Optimising the superconducting quantum frequency converter for quantum computing and astronomical applications
Supervisors: Dr. Nikita Klimovich, Dr. Boon Kok Tan
In recent decades, there has been remarkable growth in superconducting quantum electronic technologies, playing a crucial role in quantum information science, astrophysics, and beyond. Breakthroughs include quantum-noise-limited parametric amplifiers, revolutionary imaging technology featuring MKID detectors, ultra-sensitive heterodyne mixers, and microscopic spectrometers operating at frequencies in the GHz range. These advancements find applications in diverse fields, from dark matter searches and black hole imaging to various quantum technology platforms like quantum communications and computation. A recent trend involves extending similar technologies to higher frequencies, reaching into the hundreds of GHz to the 1 THz regime. This expansion aims to improve qubit readout in quantum computers at higher bath temperatures, explore uncharted regions in axion-like dark matter searches, and study the cosmology of the early universe.
The millimetre/sub-millimetre range, largely unexplored outside astronomical purposes, holds significant novelty and potential for ground-breaking research. At Oxford, we are at the forefront of this progress, drawing on our extensive experience in mm/sub-mm astronomical instrumentation. We actively address challenges in transitioning to higher frequencies. A major challenge in this regime is generating low-noise, high-purity, and high-power tunable broadband tones at such frequencies. Conventional techniques, such as semiconductor frequency multipliers based on Schottky diodes, have moderate conversion efficiencies and substantial heat dissipation. These issues hinder their deployment for ultra-sensitive applications like quantum computing or large pixel count astronomical heterodyne arrays.
Our group is addressing this challenge by developing novel techniques and prototyping new superconducting devices that can efficiently translate signals to higher frequencies. However, the exploration of the parameter space is vast, and the preliminary framework needs refinement to answer crucial questions for optimizing device operation. We are confident that this technology will not only work in principle but also in experimental applications. Still, there is currently no systematic method for thoroughly optimizing the design of such devices with specific desired performance parameters.
In this project, the student will learn to use and build upon our existing Matlab and Python code for simulating such parametric frequency conversion devices. The focus will be on investigating the impact of various design parameters on the performance of these frequency converters. This project is ideal for students interested in quantum devices for fundamental physics experiments and those who enjoy developing theoretical/computational software. For students interested in experimentation, there will be ample opportunities to test these devices using state-of-the-art cryogenic facilities and top-end laboratory equipment. The student will be supported by several DPhil students and technicians, in addition to their supervisors.
Recommended skills: general coding knowledge, familiarity with differential equations
A planet on the edge: is WTS-2 b being pulled apart by its host star?
Supervisor: Prof. Jayne Birkby
The TESS mission has been observing the entire night sky since 2018, detecting transiting planets that pass in front of their host star along our line of sight. Alongside new planets, it has delivered high quality follow-up light curves of known exoplanets. In this project, you will extract the light curve of the known planet WTS-2 b from the TESS full frame images using tools provided by the transiting exoplanet community. WTS-2 b is a hot Jupiter in a very short orbit that was discovered in 2014. It short orbital period suggests that it is spiralling into its host star, approaching Roche lobe overflow where it can be ripped apart by tidal forces. The goal is to use the TESS light curve to search for these effects and design follow-up observations to confirm if there is missing physics in our understanding of tidal decay. If follow up observations are already available, these can be analysed too.
Outcomes: You will develop your skills in coding, and write a short report that can be used as the basis for an observing proposal for follow-up study of the exoplanet or a short paper.
Recommended skills: A basic familiarity with UNIX commands and Python would be beneficial.
Cutting edge technosignature searches with the Murriyang Parkes Radio Telescope
Supervisors: Dr Joe Bright, Dr Alex Andersson
Breakthrough Listen is a programme dedicated to the discovery of intelligent life beyond Earth. One aspect of this search is identifying extremely narrowband, drifting, radio signals that are indicative of communication technology. One of the telescopes involved in Breakthrough Listen’s search is the 64 meter Murriyang radio telescope located at the Parkes Observatory in Australia. This survey has made use of ultra-wide frequency coverage and high time- and frequency-resolution data products to search for such technosignatures. In total the Murriyang Parkes data consists of observations of over 500 sources, predominantly nearby stars, providing a unique dataset within which to search.
Recent advances in search techniques, including the use of machine learning methodologies, have unlocked novel avenues for exploring the wealth of data from this survey. The student will be able to employ a range of these novel techniques to this data in order to search for technosignatures and characterise the RFI environment at the Parkes site.
Recommended skills: The student should be familiar with Python. Familiarity with Linux operating systems and clusters would be advantageous but is not necessary.
Exploration of Stellar Activity as a Confounding Factor in the Search for Technosignatures
Supervisors: Dr Alex Anderson, Dr Joe Bright
The Breakthrough Listen programme is currently undertaking the most comprehensive search ever conducted for signatures of extraterrestrial life. Extremely sensitive radio observations coupled with new methodologies will search for technosignatures on the nearest million stars. Many of these nearby stellar systems are active and dynamic environments in which the host star(s) can produce many flares and mass ejections associated with complex changes in their magnetic fields. This stellar activity may be a significant confounding factor in the search for technosignatures, both as a contaminant in our datasets as well as inhibiting the development of civilisations due to adverse space weather effects. The goal of this project is to investigate the prevalence and pertinence of such stellar activity with respect to the search for technosignatures.
The student will investigate these ideas using data from the 64-m Murriyang radio telescope at the Parkes Observatory in Australia. The ultra-wide frequency coverage and high time- and frequency-resolution observations made of nearby stars will enable the search for narrow flaring substructures and dynamic behaviour. Similarly, searches can be conducted for pulsed signals that might mimic those of artificial beacons. This project is well suited for a student interested in radio astronomy, SETI and stellar/planetary systems.
Recommended skills: The student should be familiar with Python. Familiarity with Linux operating systems and clusters would be advantageous but is not necessary.
Anomalies in the Solar System
Supervisors: Prof. Chris Lintott and Dr Steve Croft
The upcoming Vera Rubin Observatory’s LSST survey will produce a census of solar system objects, discovering 10-100 times more small bodies than are currently known. This project aims to use a simulated survey to develop and test techniques for finding the most unusual objects within this large catalogue. Building on the work of Rogers et al, who showed that modern machine learning can identify objects with unusual orbital properties or unusual colours, this project will make use of individual simulated observations to identify objects whose properties are changing, which change orbit, have unusual light curves, or which stand out in other ways. The project will thus help us understand the limits that the LSST survey can produce on the presence of technosignatures in the Solar System, as well as informing solar system science.
Recommended skills: Though the project will inevitably involve machine learning, depending on the exact problems tackled we could accommodate a student who wants to learn to use ML for the first time, or someone who is already experienced with these techniques.
High-dynamic range RF instrument in space
Supervisors: Prof. Kristian Zarb Adami, Dr David DeBoer
Many science experiments require high-dynamic range and RFI immunity and exploring commonalities between technosignature instrumentation and other science is very fruitful in extending the field. In particular, many ground-based experiments are trying to detect the Epoch of Reionisation (EOR) signature, which is the signal of the formation of the first stars in our universe. So far, these have been unsuccessful mainly due to the high dynamic range these experiments require to detect the EOR signal in the presence of man-made interference. In this project, the student will design a single-antenna system, capable of fitting within a 3U-cubesat, which will be able to detect the EOR signature and is appropriate for technosignatures. The student will work with others within Oxford and UC Berkeley to design the antenna, the radio-frequency chain as well as the digital spectrometer that will be capable of detecting the EOR signal and capturing spectra. If there is time, the student will also have the opportunity to test out the system on a very low RFI-site either within Europe, South Africa or Australia.
Recommended Skills: Preferably the student will have experience in RF-circuit design, electromagnetic design and FPGA designs though these can be easily learnt during the duration of the project.
Comparisons of the Radio environment between the far side of the moon and the SKA-LOW site in Australia
Supervisors: Prof. Kristian Zarb Adami, Dr David DeBoer
The detection of SETI signatures from ground-based experiments is very hard due to man-made interference either due to ground-based communication stations or satellite communications. In this project, the student will study the RFI measurements carried out at SKA sites and try to determine what the minimum detectable signal from an extraterrestrial source is. The aim of this work is to then compare this to the minimum detectable signal from the far-side of the moon to present a case for carrying out SETI surveys from the far-side of the moon. The student will model the various interfering sources and their presence and also model the communication strength of an extra-terrestrial transmitter to determine the detection range between an SKA on Earth and an equivalent one on the moon.
Recommended skills: The student will preferably have a strong familiarity with Python and statistics and a basic understanding of RF-communications.