"PhD Studentship: Modelling the Partially Ionised Solar Chromosphere - PhD (STFC funded)"

University of Exeter - ESE

Placed On: 18th February 2026

Closes: 11th March 2026

Reference: 5826

The solar chromosphere is of great importance for understanding the energy flow and dissipation mechanisms in the solar atmosphere. We understand that magnetic forces are crucial in this layer, but the plasma is only partially ionised making the couple between the plasma and the magnetic field imperfect. In this project the student will explore and develop models of the coupling between the magnetic field and the fluid of the chromosphere to understand how observed dynamic phenomena are created and how the friction between charged species moving with the magnetic field plays a role in the heating of the chromosphere.

The project will involve combining numerical modelling, theory, and observations to understand how fundamental magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) phenomena develop in a partially ionised system including regimes beyond those where a single fluid approximation holds. The work of this project will connect to the efforts in the group on the Solar Atmospheric Modelling Suite Project, a project to build the next-generation modelling tool to study the solar atmosphere, led by Prof Hillier.

The studentship will be awarded on the basis of merit. Students who pay international tuition fees are eligible to apply. International applicants need to be aware that they will have to cover the cost of their student visa, healthcare surcharge and other costs of moving to the UK to do a PhD.