The PhD fellowship is related to the MICINN project “DE LOS PIXELES AL CATALOGO DE LA MISION NOMINAL DE GAIA“ (ref. PID2021-122842OB-C2). The topic of the PhD will be selected in the following context based on the skills and interests of the candidate.

The vast improvement in astrometric accuracy for nearly 2 billion stars achieved by the Gaia mission is revolutionizing the studies of the Milky Way (MW) and their relation to galaxy evolution and cosmology. Gaia's third data release (in 2020 and 2022) reduces astrometric and photometric uncertainties, extends the radial velocity survey and adds new products like astrophysical parameters and spectral energy distribution of the sources. The goal of the Gaia team at the IEEC/ICCUB is to move beyond the local description of the MW into a description and understanding of observed structures in their cosmological framework using data from Gaia and other spectroscopic or photometric surveys (Gaia-ESO, WEAVE, 4MOST, OCCASO, MIRADAS, JPLUS/JPAS, Euclid, among others).

Topics covered by our team are:

• Structure and history of the MW, stellar initial mass function and star formation history of its disc
• Formation, evolution and characterization of stellar clusters
• MW disc structure and evolution, chemical evolution and radial migration in the disc, Galactic potential, spiral arms & bar, perturbations by external galaxies
• Substructure in the phase space of the Galaxy, halo substructures, disk streams
• Kinematics and dynamics of the Magellanic Clouds

The IEEC/ICCUB team is uniquely positioned for the Gaia science exploitation because of 1) our participation in the Gaia mission since its beginning, 2) our leadership in building the Gaia archive with its associated comprehensive repository and Data Mining systems, 3) our expertise on stellar dynamics theory, and 4) our expertise in open clusters and stellar evolution. Moreover, the ICC-Technological Unit (ICC-UT) is developing tools for data mining, distributed computing and big data to better exploit the Gaia archive, and a platform for joint use of Gaia and other survey data for an optimal scientific use by international collaborations.

Check all our team members of the research line here.

Requirements:

Applicants may be all those who are enrolled or admitted to a doctoral program at the University of Barcelona for the 2022/2023 academic year, at the time of the application submission. Applicants may also be all those people who, even though at the time of the application submission are not enrolled or admitted to a doctoral program, they will be on the date the contract is formalized.

Interested applicants should formalize their application through the web at: https://www.aei.gob.es/convocatorias/buscador-convocatorias/ayudas-contratos-predoctorales-formacion-doctoresas-2022.

Contact: 

Xavier Luri (xluri @ fqa.ub.edu) and Mercè Romero-Gómez (mromero @ fqa.ub.edu)

Lola Balaguer-Núñez (lbalaguer @ fqa.ub.edu)

About the IEEC/ICCUB team:

The Gaia IEEC/ICCUB team is an interdisciplinary group of about 25 people encompassing scientists and engineers, senior staff and young students, several nationalities and a broad expertise in science, data treatment and big data techniques. The group is part of the Institute of Cosmos Science at UB (ICCUB) and of the Institute of Space Studies of Catalunya (IEEC).

This context offers an international, multicultural and multidisciplinary environment to develop research. Both IEEC and ICCUB also host a vibrant fundamental research program in cosmology, astrophysics and particle physics, with a strong technology unit supporting our participation in international collaborations in observational astronomy.

Both the IEEC and the ICCUB, being part of the University of Barcelona, are recipients of the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research (HRS4R) Award, which recognises, among other achievements, respect for equal opportunities and the capacity to attract talent in a positive working environment that promotes the pursuit of successful research careers. The ICCUB respects the principles of open, transparent, merit-based selection. We strongly encourage women and underrepresented minorities in physical sciences to apply. For additional information please see the Diversity, equity and inclusion Commission.

Both, the IEEC and the ICCUB are located in Barcelona, considered the 6th World's Best Cities 2022: one with near-perfect weather year-round, miles and miles of beaches, iconic parks, striking architecture and colourful neighbourhoods that march to their own beat—artistic, sophisticated, bohemian. Moreover, it is a pole of attraction for the technology sector, a top choice to establish a company in this sector, and it hosts some of the world's major technological events, such as the Mobile World Congress and the Smart City Expo. In addition, Barcelona and its metropolitan area is a leading destination on the map of global technological ecosystems and has infrastructures such as science parks, universities and the 22@ district.