We offer one PhD (FPI) fellowship to perform a thesis to study the physicochemical properties of evolved stars in the solar neighborhood, using Gaia observations complemented with spectroscopy from Earth and Space. We aim to study the incidence of substellar companions to evolved stars and correlate it with the evidence of atmospheric contamination by heavy elements. We will explore different mechanisms such as the tidal disruption and accretion of extrasolar planetesimals, binary interactions, and the evolution of remnant disks that are formed in the early stages i.e debris disks, or that develop later on, as a consequence of the binary evolution. 

The predoc student will join the UDC Gaia group, participating in the preparation of the Gaia DR4 archive as a member of the DPAC consortium. This will facilitate access to contextualized information about the sample in terms of galactic populations and become familiar with data mining techniques in the environment of a multidisciplinary research group. 

The student will work with Prof. M. Manteiga (UDC) and Prof. Eva Villaver (Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, IAC) on the framework of the MCIN project "Smart Data para un análisis multicolor de la Vía Láctea en Gaia”, with reference PID2021-122842OB-C22. Although the student will be based in the Faculty of Informatics of the UDC, several stays in the IAC are expected during the duration of the fellowship. 

The Gaia group of the UDC is a multidisciplinary team composed of computer engineers and physicists who are also members of CITIC, Centre for Information and Communications Technology Research, that awarded the distinction of Outstanding Research Centre in Galicia. The successful applicant would be enrolled in the UDC Ph.D. Program on Information Technologies and Communication. Applicants must have completed a master’s degree by the start of the fellowship (June-Sept 2023). The appointment will be for four years. Interested applicants should formalize their application through the web at: https://www.aei.gob.es/convocatorias/buscador-convocatorias/ayudas-contratos-predoctorales-formacion-doctoresas-2022   

For more information, please contact Minia Manteiga (minia.manteiga@udc.es) and Eva Villaver (evillaver@cab.inta-csic.es)