Call for applications to doctoral programs 2025A in UST KASI School

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) School via the University of Science and Technology (UST) is offering doctoral (direct and integrated) scholarships starting from March 2025. PhD scholarships are provided with a competitive salary of about $1600 per month for the doctoral program. KASI is located in Daejeon, a high tech, educational and research oriented city. Convenient accommodation would be provided to students for the first 3 years in the campus.

KASI is actively involved in various fields of astronomy and astrophysics, from astronomical instrumentation to observation and theory, and participates in international collaborative and stand-alone projects including GMT, ALMA, SDSS4, DESI, LSST, KMTNet, and KVN. This semester KASI is accepting applications for the following research area:

• Astronomical Instrumentations - supervisor: Prof. Jeong-Yeol Han (jhan@kasi.re.kr)

• Cosmology I - supervisor: Prof. Arman Shafieloo (shafieloo@kasi.re.kr)

• Cosmology II - supervisor: Prof. David Parkinson (davidparkinson@kasi.re.kr) 

• Dust Astrophysics - supervisor: Prof. Thiem Hoang (thiemhoang@kasi.re.kr) 

• Galaxies - supervisors: Prof. Kwang-il Seon (kiseon@kasi.re.kr)  and Prof. Hong Soo Park (hspark@kasi.re.kr) 

• Star Formation - supervisor: Prof. Yusuke Aso (yaso@kasi.re.kr) 

and for the detailed description of the specific research topic, see the list attached or in our major homepage (https://www.kasi.re.kr/eng/pageView/140).

We encourage qualified international students to apply. Competent students with BSc degrees can apply for an integrated PhD program. Students with MSc degrees may apply directly to the PhD program.

Questions on each research area should be sent to each assigned professor, while other questions are sent to the Chief Major Professor (Sang-Sung Lee, sslee@kasi.re.kr). For more information of application, please see the UST web page (https://ust.ac.kr/admission_eng.do). Applications are considered only if they are submitted during September 27 to October 18 (17:00 KST).

Best regards,

Sang-Sung Lee

Chief Major Professor

1. Prof. Jeong-Yeol Han (jhan@kasi.re.kr) 

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

1) Research Overview 

 - Research on polishing and assembly alignment technology for the development of Astronomical space observation equipment 

 - Research on optimal data analysis technology according to the characteristics of Astronomical space observation data 

 - Research on optical system design and analysis for astronomical space telescopes

2) Research Objectives 

 - To understand the current status of large optical system mirror development technology for Astronomical application 

 - To understand the development trend of advanced optical systems at home and abroad and have an outlook for mid- to long-term optical technology development 

 - To understand the polishing technology of Astronomical space mirrors 

 - To understand the Tool Influence Function (TIF) of mirrors 

 - To understand the assembly and alignment procedures of telescopic optical systems and participate in the assembly and alignment process through analysis of assembly and alignment data 

 - To participate in the assembly alignment process by analyzing assembly alignment data 

 - Plan and analyze data collection for big data analysis in Astronomy and Space technology. 

 - To understand the current status of optical polishing machine technology development of large optical systems for Astronomy and Space. 

 - To understand the development trend of advanced optical systems at home and abroad and have a perspective on the development of optical technology in the medium and long term. 

 - To understand the optical system design and analysis technology of large-scale optical system for Astronomy and Space and study advanced optical system technology and research advanced optical polishing machine technology.

3) Research Methods 

 - To investigate the literature related to the development technology of large optical system mirrors for Astronomical and Space applications at home and abroad and share relevant knowledge through research meetings. 

- To secure research data related to the polishing technology of mirrors for Astronomical and Space applications, and to acquire sophisticated knowledge of the literature through regular publication of research papers. 

 - To acquire sophisticated knowledge of the literature and to understand the novelty of research and development in the Astronomical field 

 - To obtain and analyze the tool influence function of the mirror to optimize the polishing process 

 - To hold regular and irregular meetings with the supervisor to discuss the research.  

 - To develop research capabilities through regular and irregular meetings with the supervisor to optimize the polishing process by obtaining and analyzing the tool influence functions of mirrors 

 - To understand the assembly and alignment procedures of telescopic optical systems and the experience of assembly and alignment in existing observatories 

 - To develop new optical systems based on existing research data for polishing and alignment. 

 - To develop and apply alignment algorithms that can be utilized in the development of new optical systems based on existing data. 

 - To understand and decipher big data formats in the field of Astronomy and Space technology, and analyze the fusion information between data through data visualization.  

 - To analyze convergence information between data through data visualization and share research contents through regular team meetings. 

 - To investigate the literature related to the development of large-scale optics for Astronomy and Space at home and abroad and share knowledge through research meetings and share relevant knowledge through research meetings. 

 - To secure core research data in the field of optomechanics for large optical systems for Astronomy and Space, and acquire sophisticated knowledge of the literature through regular publications.  

 - To acquire sophisticated knowledge of references through regular publication of papers, and acquire specialized knowledge through domestic and foreign experts.  

 - To participate in optical and optomechanical design research in the field of telescopic optics to understand the techniques implemented in existing telescopes and apply new research methodologies. 

 - To understand the technologies implemented in existing telescopes and apply new research methodologies to develop advanced telescopes.

4) Expected Outcomes 

 - To understand the domestic and international trends in the development of large-scale advanced reflective optical systems that can be applied to the Astronomical and Space fields. 

 - To understand domestic and international trends in the development of large-scale advanced reflective optical systems that can be applied to the astronomical and space fields, and conduct research with global competitiveness.  

 - Develop new polishing technologies that can enhance national competitiveness and enable the assembly and alignment of increasingly diverse, large, and complex optical systems. 

 - To understand domestic and international trends in large advanced telescope opto-mechanical technologies applicable to astronomy and space, and conduct globally competitive research. 

- It will enable optomechanical design for the development of increasingly diverse, large, and complex optical systems.

2. Prof.  Arman Shafieloo (shafieloo@kasi.re.kr) 

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

We are looking for competent and enthusiastic PhD candidates to work on physical cosmology. A successful candidate will become officially involved with DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) and Rubin (former Large Synoptic Survey Telescope) surveys and the project will include studying and performing research on different aspects of physical cosmology such as testing early universe scenarios and studying dark energy using large scale structure and other cosmological data. Developing advanced statistical methods of data analysis (data mining, machine learning, regression approaches) will be a major part of the research during the PhD project or integrated-PhD.

3. Prof.  David Parkinson (davidparkinson@kasi.re.kr) 

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

In the cosmology group we are looking for enthusiastic and competent PhD candidates to undertake research in the area of cosmological and theoretical astrophysics. The next generation of large-area astronomical surveys will provide new and accurate data for answering such important questions as “what is the nature of the mysterious dark energy?” and “what were the initial conditions of the Universe?” A successful candidate will have the opportunity to become involved in two of these surveys, DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) in the optical, and EMU (the Evolutionary Map of the Universe) in the radio. The project will involve analysing data from these surveys and testing these cosmological models (such as dark energy theories and alternative models of gravity) against this data. The project will also involve developing advanced statistical methods of data analysis (such as Bayesian methods, and machine learning approaches), providing training in the area of big data analysis, which will be useful both inside astrophysics and external industrial sectors.  

4. Prof.  Thiem Hoang (thiemhoang@kasi.re.kr) 

Dust Physics and 3D Magnetic Fields in the Star and Planet Formation Process

(This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.)

We seek highly motivated candidates for one PhD or Integrated PhD position in Theoretical Astrophysics at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, under the supervision of Professor Thiem Hoang. The successful candidate will join our research group to investigate dust physical processes and the critical role of magnetic fields in the star and planet formation process. The student will perform multiwavelength synthetic modeling of dust emission and polarization, and analyze observational data from JCMT/POL2, ALMA, and JWST to constrain dust physics and magnetic field properties in star-forming and planet-forming environments. Selected candidates will receive comprehensive training in analytical and theoretical methods, numerical modeling, and data analysis, equipping them for a successful career in astrophysics.

5. Prof. Kwang-il Seon (yaso@kasi.re.kr) and Prof. Hong Soo Park (hspark@kasi.re.kr) 

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

Our project aims to systematically survey very faint or low-mass dwarf galaxies in the nearby universe. Main topics for PhD student involved in the dwarf galaxy project are:  (1) searching for extremely faint-diffuse dwarf galaxies or low surface brightness objects, 

(2) investigating the dwarf galaxies themselves, as well as the properties of galaxy groups or low-density environments to which they belong, and 

(3) probing small-scale cosmological problems in the nearby universe.PhD student in this project will develop various technical algorithms (e.g. visual, semi-automated, or automated methods such as machine learning) to search for faint galaxies. The student will primarily use deep stacked images or time series data from variable objects based on the LSST data and may sometimes use observational data from KMTNet for high cadence or Gemini-South for interesting objects.

6. Prof. Yusuke Aso (yaso@kasi.re.kr) 

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

Our research project focuses on utilizing the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the largest connected interferometer in the millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. Developed through a global collaboration, ALMA continues to expand its capabilities and scientific reach toward 2030 and beyond. We seek a highly motivated graduate student interested in advancing scientific research using ALMA.

Aims: The primary aim of our project is to investigate the processes of star and planet formation, particularly around low-mass young stellar objects, through observational studies. Our focus is to deepen our understanding of the dynamics during the formation process that includes various types of objects and evolutionary stages from dense cores to planets. Recent observations challenge traditional models, suggesting, for instance, that accreting streamers may influence disk masses even in later stages of evolution. Additionally, a recent survey has indicated that disk substructures, which signal planet formation, might form over a narrower time range than previously thought. This project seeks to identify such physical structures and reveal their roles in the star and planet formation process.

Methods: Targets of observations are protostellar/pre-main-sequence systems, such as infalling envelopes, protostellar/protoplanetary disks, outflows/jets, accreting streamers, and circumplanetary disks. The successful applicant will devote their efforts to identify velocity structures and morphology of observed different components, measure physical quantities (mass, length, density, temperature, etc.) of the identified structure, compare them with those of other young stellar objects as well as theoretical studies, and discuss variation and evolution of each structure, These studies will be achieved by newly observing targets with ALMA and other various radio telescopes, such as VLA, JCMT, TRAO, KVN, as well as using existing observational archival data obtained by these observatories.

Outcomes: The successful applicant is expected to contribute to the field by publishing a series of research papers as the lead author during their integrated PhD program. They will also have opportunities to present their findings at national and international conferences and workshops.

Call for applications to doctoral programs 2024B in UST KASI School

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) School via the University of Science and Technology (UST) is offering doctoral (direct and integrated) scholarships starting from September 2024. PhD scholarships are provided with a competitive salary of about $1600 per month for the doctoral program. KASI is located in Daejeon, a high tech, educational and research oriented city. Convenient accommodation would be provided to students for the first 3 years in the campus.

KASI is actively involved in various fields of astronomy and astrophysics, from astronomical instrumentation to observation and theory, and participates in international collaborative and stand-alone projects including GMT, ALMA, SDSS4, DESI, LSST, KMTNet, and KVN. This semester KASI is accepting applications for the following research area:

• Radio Astronomy (supervisor: Prof. Sang-Sung Lee (sslee@kasi.re.kr)

• Exoplanets - supervisor: Prof. Byeong-Cheol Lee (bclee@kasi.re.kr) 

• Star Formation - supervisor: Prof. Chang Won Lee (cwl@kasi.re.kr) 

and for the detailed description of the specific research topic, see the list attached or in our major homepage (https://www.kasi.re.kr/eng/pageView/140).

We encourage qualified international students to apply. Competent students with BSc degrees can apply for an integrated PhD program. Students with MSc degrees may apply directly to the PhD program.

Questions on each research area should be sent to each assigned professor, while other questions are sent to the Chief Major Professor (Sang-Sung Lee, sslee@kasi.re.kr). For more information of application, please see the UST web page (https://ust.ac.kr/admission_eng.do). Applications are considered only if they are submitted during April 17 to May 8 (17:00 KST).

Best regards,

Sang-Sung Lee

Chief Major Professor

1. Prof. Sang-Sung Lee (sslee@kasi.re.kr) and Prof. Youngjoo Yun (yjyun@kasi.re.kr) 

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

At the late stage of stellar evolution, stars expel most of their mass through the strong winds which are driven by the stellar pulsation and dust condensation in the circumstellar envelopes. The high mass-loss rate of evolved stars strongly regulates the stellar fate, influencing the morphological variety of planetary nebulae, the population of white dwarfs, supernovae, the fate of exoplanets orbiting them, and ultimately contributing to the chemical enrichment of the interstellar medium. The circumstellar envelopes of evolved stars are optically thick due to the expelled stellar material, so the radio emission is an important tracer to study the physical environments of the surrounding gas and dust, as well as the stars themselves. 

This project aims to study the stellar evolution from the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) to the planetary nebula (PN), during which stars undergo the radical changes in terms of their morphology, chemical composition, and interior structure. The strong stellar pulsation of late-type stars is the main driving mechanism for the large fluctuations of stellar luminosity and copious mass loss. The periods of these pulsations span a few years, allowing them to be observed during a human lifetime. Thus, monitoring observations toward individual stars located in different evolutionary stages along the AGB track enable us to trace the mass loss history of stars and study the dynamical/chemical processes during late stellar evolutions.

The stellar masers are commonly observed in most evolved stars and their excitation conditions are very sensitive to the physical properties of the circumstellar envelopes. Furthermore, the temporal variability of maser intensity shows a strong correlation with the period of stellar pulsation. Thus, the radio observations for the stellar masers can lead us to the rigorous study of physical properties along the stellar pulsation cycle. The stellar masers are sharply collimated in a specific direction and trace the high-density regions during their propagations within the circumstellar envelopes. The VLBI can resolve individual maser spots, enabling us to see the innermost regions of circumstellar envelopes with high spatial resolutions.

The Korean VLBI Network (KVN) can observe stellar masers simultaneously at four frequency bands, allowing different maser lines to be observed at the same time. Each maser line is triggered by different physical conditions, indicating various locations from the central star. This implies that we can obtain information about the physical conditions along the radial directions through the circumstellar envelopes. Since 2014, this project has accumulated VLBI data from KVN observations towards numerous evolved stars, producing outstanding outcomes almost every year based on the accumulated results. There still remain many VLBI data to be analyzed for a comprehensive understanding of the late stage of stellar evolution.

PhD students in this project are expected to carry out the data reduction of accumulated KVN data and study the dynamical evolution of circumstellar envelopes by tracing temporal and spatial variabilities of stellar masers. During their PhD courses, students can uncover the mass-loss history of individual stars and acquire statistical characteristics of stellar masers corresponding to different evolutionary stages. Furthermore, students should propose their own VLBI observations, conduct the observations, and perform data reduction to complete their scientific investigations. Their PhD thesis can contribute a crucial piece to the puzzle of stellar evolutions.

2. Prof. Byeong-Cheol Lee (bclee@kasi.re.kr) 

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

In this project, we want to achieve two main goals. First of all, we expect various achievements through efficient use and cooperation of the research equipment of the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) through microlensing research using KASI/KMTNet. 

- Exploration of exoplanets using KMTNet (Earth-like planet discovery, lonely planet discovery, etc)

- Development of an event detection algorithm

- Improved photometric precision and development of planetary signal detection algorithmsIn addition, by laying the foundation for the field of exoplanet atmosphere research using spectroscopy/Transit, we will increase our capacity to prepare for the future GMT era.

- TESS Follow-up observations by using high-resolution spectrograph.

- Atmospheric research on exoplanets using transmission spectroscopy (absorption spectroscopy) methodIn order to carry out the above project, we require students in a PhD or integrated course with related research experience.

3. Prof. Chang Won Lee (cwl@kasi.re.kr) 

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

Our project aims to study early processes in stellar and/or substellar formation in observational ways to understand fundamental formation mechanisms of stars and substellar objects in the molecular clouds and dense cores. Observing targets are dense cores, filamentary clouds, and stellar/substellar objects. Successful applicants will devote their efforts to identify velocity coherent filaments, dense cores, prestellar cores/pre-brown dwarfs, protostellar objects, proto-brown dwarfs, and the signatures of proto-planets to figure out how they form, by using existing spectroscopic and continuum data obtained from various radio observations by TRAO, KVN, JCMT, and ALMA.  

Call for applications to doctoral programs 2024A in UST KASI School

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) School via the University of Science and Technology (UST) is offering doctoral (direct and integrated) scholarships starting from March 2024. PhD scholarships are provided with a competitive salary of about $1600 per month for the doctoral program. KASI is located in Daejeon, a high tech, educational and research oriented city. Convenient accommodation would be provided to students for the first 3 years in the campus.

KASI is actively involved in various fields of astronomy and astrophysics, from astronomical instrumentation to observation and theory, and participates in international collaborative and stand-alone projects including GMT, ALMA, SDSS4, DESI, LSST, KMTNet, and KVN. This semester KASI is accepting applications for the following research area:

• Radio Astronomy (supervisor: Prof. Sang-Sung Lee (sslee@kasi.re.kr)

• Cosmology (supervisor: Prof. Arman Shafieloo (shafieloo@kasi.re.kr)

and for the detailed description of the specific research topics, see the list attached or in our major homepage (https://www.kasi.re.kr/eng/pageView/140)

We encourage qualified international students to apply. Competent students with BSc degrees can apply for an integrated PhD program. Students with MSc degrees may apply directly to the PhD program.

Questions on each research area should be sent to each assigned professor, while other questions are sent to the Chief Major Professor (Sang-Sung Lee, sslee@kasi.re.kr). For more information of application, please see the UST web page (https://ust.ac.kr/admission_eng.do). Applications are considered only if they are submitted during October 12 to November 1 (17:00 KST).

Best regards,

Sang-Sung Lee

Chief Major Professor

1. Prof. Sang-Sung Lee (sslee@kasi.re.kr)

Origins of Gamma-ray Flares in Active Galactic Nuclei: 

Gamma-ray flares of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are known to generate in innermost regions of relativistic jets which radiate in whole ranges of electromagnetic spectra due to synchrotron radiation, synchrotron self absorption, inverse-Compton scattering, Doppler boosting etc. Here we may raise two questions on the natures of the gamma-ray flares of AGN such as: a) What is the basic cause of the gamma-ray flares from AGNs? b) What is the physical process of the causes? For the first question, there are several suggestions like 1) a relativistic jet of high energy plasma (Marscher et al. 2008), 2) Doppler boosting of synchrotron radiation of the jet (Dermer 1995), 3) inverse Compton scattering by relativistic electrons, etc. For the second question, we may find some candidates and detail mechanism for the gamma-ray flares such as 1) compression and heating of the plasma in the relativistic jets, 2) generation of the relativistic particles, 3) rapid variability in flux and magnetic field. In order to answer to the questions, we may conduct either 1) studies of large samples of flaring AGNs for investigating statistics and correlation of observed properties (Lister et al. 2011), 2) multi-wavelength observations of individual objects for testing time profiles of flares (Jorstad et al. 2010), for studying physical properties of emission features (jet knots) (Agudo et al. 2011), and studying evolution of SEDs (Wehrle et al. 2013), or 3) polarization observations for looking at magnetic field environments (Jorstad et al. 2013). Possible explanations of the gamma-ray flares in AGNs are a) shocks-in-jets propagating within jet flow and b) bending of the whole jets. For both cases, we should expect changes in polarization, luminosity, particle distribution, and structures of jets at mas-scale. The multifrequency simultaneous VLBI/SD observations with KVN are the best tool for detecting such changes correlated with gamma-ray flares. The Interferometric Monitoring of Gamma-ray Bright AGNs (iMOGABA) project (Lee et al. 2016) has been launched in 2015 as a key science program of Korean VLBI Network (KVN). This project uses KVN for monthly interferometric monitoring of morethan 30 gamma-ray bright AGN at 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz simultaneously (Lee et al. 2016). The iMOGABA aims especially at the potential connection between gamma-ray outbursts and the formation of new jet components, by investigating the potential correlation of the gamma-ray light curves with the brightness and mas-scale structures of the inner jets. The monitoring cadence of a month and the observing frequencies of 22-129GHz make this project unique in studying the gamma-ray flaring AGN.

2. Prof. Arman Shafieloo (shafieloo@kasi.re.kr)

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

We are looking for competent and enthusiastic PhD candidates to work on physical cosmology. A successful candidate will become officially involved with DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) and Rubin (former Large Synoptic Survey Telescope) surveys and the project will include studying and performing research on different aspects of physical cosmology such as testing early universe scenarios and studying dark energy using large scale structure and other cosmological data. Developing advanced statistical methods of data analysis (data mining, machine learning, regression approaches) will be a major part of the research during the PhD project or integrated-PhD. 

Call for applications to doctoral programs 2023B in UST KASI School

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) School via the University of Science and Technology (UST) is offering doctoral (direct and integrated) and master scholarships starting from September 2023. PhD scholarships are provided with a competitive salary of about $1500 per month for the doctoral program. KASI is located in Daejeon, a high tech, educational and research oriented city. Convenient accommodation would be provided to students for the first 3 years in the campus.

KASI is actively involved in various fields of astronomy and astrophysics, from astronomical instrumentation to observation and theory, and participates in international collaborative and stand-alone projects including GMT, ALMA, SDSS4, DESI, LSST, KMTNet, and KVN. This semester KASI is accepting applications for the following research areas:

• Space Science (supervisor: Prof. Jaeheung Park (pj@kasi.re.kr)

and for the detailed description of the specific research topics, see the list attached or in our major homepage (https://www.kasi.re.kr/eng/pageView/140)

We encourage qualified international students to apply. Competent students with BSc degrees can apply for an integrated PhD program. Students with MSc degrees may apply directly to the PhD program.

Questions on each research area should be sent to each assigned professor, while other questions are sent to the Chief Major Professor (Sang-Sung Lee, sslee@kasi.re.kr). For more information of application, please see the UST web page (https://ust.ac.kr/admission_eng.do). Applications are considered only if they are submitted during April 24 to May 15 (17:00 KST).

Best regards,

Sang-Sung Lee

Chief Major Professor

1. Prof. Jaeheung Park (pj@kasi.re.kr)

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

This project aims at developing space science instruments that can be carried on CubeSats, such as Langmuir probes to diagnose ionospheric plasma, solid state telescopes to detect high-energy particles coming from the terrestrial radiation belt, and magnetometers that can monitor changes in the geomagnetic field disturbed by space weather. The applicants should have basic knowledge on the university physics, plasma physics, and electronics. Knowledge on or experience in project management, mechanical design, wireless  communication, or low-level programming languages (e.g., assembly, C, and VHDL) will be welcomed. During this project, the students will participate in instrument design, development, testing, and validation. At the end of this project, the students are expected to be able to lead a CubeSat project. 

Call for applications to doctoral programs 2023A in UST KASI School

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) School via the University of Science and Technology (UST) is offering doctoral (direct and integrated) and master scholarships starting from March 2023. PhD scholarships are provided with a competitive salary of about $1500-$2000 per month for the doctoral program. KASI is located in Daejeon, a high tech, educational and research oriented city. Convenient accommodation would be provided to students for the first 3 years in the campus.

KASI is actively involved in various fields of astronomy and astrophysics, from astronomical instrumentation to observation and theory, and participates in international collaborative and stand-alone projects including GMT, ALMA, SDSS4, DESI, LSST, KMTNet, and KVN. This semester KASI is accepting applications for the following research areas:

• Space Science (supervisor: Prof. Jaeheung Park (pj@kasi.re.kr)

• Cosmology (supervisor: Prof. Arman Shafieloo (shafieloo@kasi.re.kr)

and for the detailed description of the specific research topics, see the list attached or in our major homepage (https://www.kasi.re.kr/eng/pageView/140)

We encourage qualified international students to apply. Competent students with BSc degrees can apply for an integrated PhD program. Students with MSc degrees may apply directly to the PhD program.

Questions on each research area should be sent to each assigned professor, while other questions are sent to the Chief Major Professor (Sang-Sung Lee, sslee@kasi.re.kr). For more information of application, please see the UST web page (https://ust.ac.kr/admission_eng.do). Applications are considered only if they are submitted during September 21 to November 1 (17:00 KST).

Best regards,

Sang-Sung Lee

Chief Major Professor

1. Prof. Jaeheung Park (pj@kasi.re.kr)

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

This project aims at developing space science instruments that can be carried on CubeSats, such as Langmuir probes to diagnose ionospheric plasma, solid state telescopes to detect high-energy particles coming from the terrestrial radiation belt, and magnetometers that can monitor changes in the geomagnetic field disturbed by space weather. The applicants should have basic knowledge on the university physics, plasma physics, and electronics. Knowledge on or experience in project management, mechanical design, wireless  communication, or low-level programming languages (e.g., assembly, C, and VHDL) will be welcomed. During this project, the students will participate in instrument design, development, testing, and validation. At the end of this project, the students are expected to be able to lead a CubeSat project. 

2. Prof. Arman Shafieloo (shafieloo@kasi.re.kr)

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student. 

We are looking for competent and enthusiastic PhD candidates to work on physical cosmology and studying dark energy using multi-messenger astronomy. A successful candidate will work on a project to use gravitational wave sources at low and intermediate redshifts (standard sirens) to study dark energy and model independent estimation of Hubble constant. Project would include theoretical analysis, simulations, as well as electromagnetic follow up observation of gravitational wave sources using multiple facilities followed by data reduction and interpretation. Successful candidate would work on projects at Center for the Gravitational-Wave Universe and KASI and can get also officially involved with DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) and Rubin (formerly known as LSST) international surveys. Developing advanced statistical methods of data analysis (data mining, machine learning, regression approaches) might be a major part of the research activities during the PhD project or integrated-PhD.

Call for applications to doctoral program 2022B in UST-KASI

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) School via the University of Science and Technology (UST) is offering doctoral (direct and integrated) and master scholarships starting from September 2022. PhD scholarships are provided with a competitive salary of about $1100-$1600 per month for the master program and of . about $1500-$2000 per month for the doctoral program. KASI is located in Daejeon, a high tech, educational and research oriented city. Convenient accommodation would be provided to students for the first 3 years in the campus.

KASI is actively involved in various fields of astronomy and astrophysics, from astronomical instrumentation to observation and theory, and participates in international collaborative and stand-alone projects including GMT, ALMA, SDSS4, DESI, LSST, KMTNet, and KVN. This semester KASI is accepting applications for the following research areas:

• Space Science (supervisor: Prof. Yukinaga Miyashita (miyasita@kasi.re.kr)

• Cosmology (supervisor: Prof. Arman Shafieloo (shafieloo@kasi.re.kr)

• Astrophyscis (supervisor: Prof. Thiem Hoang (thiemhoang@kasi.re.kr) 

and for the detailed description of the specific research topics, see the list attached or in our major homepage (https://www.kasi.re.kr/eng/pageView/140)

We encourage qualified international students to apply. Competent students with BSc degrees can apply for an MSc program or an integrated PhD program. Students with MSc degrees may apply directly to the PhD program.

Questions on each research area should be sent to each assigned professor, while other questions are sent to the Chief Major Professor (Sang-Sung Lee, sslee@kasi.re.kr). For more information of application, please see the UST web page (https://ust.ac.kr/admission_eng.do). Applications are considered only if they are submitted during March 16 to April 6 (17:00 KST).

Best regards,

Sang-Sung Lee

Chief Major Professor

1. Prof. Yukinaga Miyashita (miyasita@kasi.re.kr)

PhD project: This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

In Space Weather Research Group, Space Science Division, we are looking for competent and enthusiastic PhD candidates to undertake research in the area of magnetospheric physics and space plasma physics. A successful candidate will be involved in a project to study space weather (near-Earth space environment) and solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, including onset and development mechanisms of space storms and substorms, and associated dynamic auroras. This project will involve analyzing various kinds of in situ and remote-sensing observation data from multiple satellites (e.g., MMS, THEMIS, ERG, and upcoming SNIPE) and ground-based instruments (e.g., auroral cameras, magnetometers, and radars). The student will learn a wide range of this research area and choose and find research topics related to storms, substorms, and/or other magnetospheric phenomena for their dissertation. 

MSc project: This project is for a MSc student.

In Space Weather Research Group, Space Science Division, we are looking for strongly motivated candidates for an MSc course student to undertake research in the area of magnetospheric physics and space plasma physics. A successful candidate will be involved in a project to study space weather (near-Earth space environment) and solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, including onset and development mechanisms of space storms and substorms, and associated dynamic auroras. This project will involve analyzing various kinds of in situ and remote-sensing observation data from multiple satellites (e.g., MMS, THEMIS, ERG, and upcoming SNIPE) and ground-based instruments (e.g., auroral cameras, magnetometers, and radars). The student will learn a wide range of this research area and choose a research topic related to storms, substorms, and/or other magnetospheric phenomena for their master’s thesis.

2. Prof. Arman Shafieloo (shafieloo@kasi.re.kr)

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student. 

We are looking for competent and enthusiastic PhD candidates to work on physical cosmology and studying dark energy using multi-messenger astronomy. A successful candidate will work on a project to use gravitational wave sources at low and intermediate redshifts (standard sirens) to study dark energy and model independent estimation of Hubble constant. Project would include theoretical analysis, simulations, as well as electromagnetic follow up observation of gravitational wave sources using multiple facilities followed by data reduction and interpretation. Successful candidate would work on projects at Center for the Gravitational-Wave Universe and KASI and can get also officially involved with DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) and Rubin (formerly known as LSST) international surveys. Developing advanced statistical methods of data analysis (data mining, machine learning, regression approaches) might be a major part of the research activities during the PhD project or integrated-PhD.  

3. Prof. Thiem Hoang (thiemhoang@kasi.re.kr)

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

We are looking for strongly motivated candidates for a PhD or an Integrated-PhD position in the Theoretical Astrophysics group at Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (TagKASI) under the supervision of Prof. Thiem Hoang. The successful candidate will work with Prof. Hoang to study the properties of dust and magnetic fields and their effects on the dynamics and chemistry of circumstellar environments. She/he will perform numerical modeling of dust emission and polarization by grain alignment and rotational disruption, and use the modeling results to interpret multi-wavelength dust emission/polarization observational data and to constrain the properties of dust and magnetic fields. Students will be trained to master a wide range of research skills, including analytical and theoretical ability, numerical modeling, and observational data analysis.

Call for applications to doctoral program 2022A in UST-KASI

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) via the University of Science and Technology (UST) is offering doctoral scholarships (direct and integrated) starting from March 2022. PhD scholarships are provided with a competitive salary of about $1500-$2000 per month. KASI is located in Daejeon, a high tech, educational and research oriented city. Convenient accommodation would be provided to students for the first 3 years in the campus.

KASI is actively involved in various fields of astronomy and astrophysics, from astronomical instrumentation to observation and theory, and participates in international collaborative and stand-alone projects including GMT, ALMA, SDSS4, DESI, LSST, KMTNet, and KVN. This semester KASI is accepting applications for the following research areas:

• Space Science I  (supervisor: Prof. Young-Sil Kwak, yskwak@kasi.re.kr)

• Space Science II (supervisor: Prof. Yukinaga Miyashita, miyasita@kasi.re.kr)

• Cosmology (supervisor: Prof. David Parkinson, davidparkinson@kasi.re.kr)

• Astrophyscis I (supervisor: Prof. Thiem Hoang, thiemhoang@kasi.re.kr) 

• Astrophyscis II (supervisor: Prof. Bindu Rani, brani@kasi.re.kr)

and for the detailed description of the specific research topics, see the list attached or in our major homepage (https://kasi.re.kr/eng/pageView/140).

We encourage qualified international students to apply. Competent students with BSc degrees can apply for an integrated PhD program. Students with MSc degrees may apply directly to the PhD program.We encourage qualified international students to apply. Competent students with BSc degrees can apply for an MSc program or an integrated PhD program. Students with MSc degrees may apply directly to the PhD program.

Questions on each research area should be sent to each assigned professor, while other questions are sent to the Chief Major Professor (Sang-Sung Lee, sslee@kasi.re.kr). For more information of application, please see the UST web page (https://ust.ac.kr/admission_eng.do). Applications are considered only if they are submitted during October 5 to October 25 (17:00 KST).

Best regards,

Sang-Sung Lee

Chief Major Professor

1. Prof. Young-Sil Kwak (yskwak@kasi.re.kr)

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

In Space Science Division, we are looking for an enthusiastic PhD candidate in the area of ionospheric research using Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data. A successful candidate will be involved in the project developing a near real-time ionospheric monitoring system using GNSS data. Dissertation research will focus on the analysis of ionospheric variation using ground/space-born GNSS observations and predicting the ionosphere using a deep learning or machine learning approach. The student will work closely with a team of experts from the area of GNSS applications and ionospheric research to learn the data processing and analysis of the results.

2. Prof. Yukinaga Miyashita (miyasita@kasi.re.kr)

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

In Space Weather Research Group, Space Science Division, we are looking for competent and enthusiastic PhD candidates to undertake research in the area of magnetospheric physics and space plasma physics. A successful candidate will be involved in a project to study space weather (near-Earth space environment) and solar wind-magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, including onset and development mechanisms of space storms and substorms, and associated dynamic auroras. This project will involve analyzing various kinds of in situ and remote-sensing observation data from multiple satellites (e.g., MMS, THEMIS, ERG, and upcoming SNIPE) and ground-based instruments (e.g., auroral cameras, magnetometers, andradars).

3. Prof. David Parkinson (davidparkinson@kasi.re.kr)

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

In the cosmology group we are looking for enthusiastic and competent PhD candidates to undertake research in the area of cosmological and theoretical astrophysics. The next generation of large-area astronomical surveys will provide new and accurate data for answering such important questions as “what is the nature of the mysterious dark energy?” and “what were the initial conditions of the Universe?” A successful candidate will have the opportunity to become involved in two of these surveys, DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) in the optical, and EMU (the Evolutionary Map of the Universe) in the radio. The project will involve analysing data from these surveys and testing these cosmological models (such as dark energy theories and alternative models of gravity) against this data. The project will also involve developing advanced statistical methods of data analysis (such as Bayesian methods, and machine learning approaches), providing training in the area of big data analysis, which will be useful both inside astrophysics and external industrial sectors. 

4. Prof. Thiem Hoang (thiemhoang@kasi.re.kr)

This project is for a MSc student.

We are looking for strongly motivated candidates for a Master student position in Theoretical Astrophysics group at Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (TagKASI) under supervision of Prof. Thiem Hoang. The successful candidate will work with Prof. Hoang to study the interaction of stellar radiation from evolved stars with circumstellar dust. She/he will perform numerical modeling of dust polarization by grain alignment and rotational disruption, and use the modeling results to interpret multi-wavelength dust polarization observational data. Students will be trained to master a wide range of research skills, including analytical and theoretical ability, numerical modeling, and observational data analysis.

5. Prof. Bindu Rani (brani@kasi.re.kr)

This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

A wide variety of astrophysical sources, from young stellar objects to white dwarfs, neutron stars, stellar mass and supermassive black holes (SMBHs), produce collimated outflows, or jets. One of the most intriguing and challenging quests of modern astrophysics is to reveal the formation mechanism of jets. Understanding jets from SMBHs in the context of active galactic nuclei (AGN) is a particularly crucial question because the jets are one of the main ways in which accreting SMBHs provide kinetic feedback on their surroundings and affect star formation, galaxy evolution, and the growth of SMBHs themselves.

Different components of an AGN dominate the observed radiation at different wavelengths, making multi-frequency observations one of the most powerful approaches to probe how the central engine of an AGN feeds and regulates the jets. Synchrotron radiation from the jets shines at radio wavelengths. However, the origin of X-ray emission is much less clear. X-rays could either originate in the immediate vicinity of the central black hole (disk/corona) or further out in the jets. The proposed research will capitalize on the observed variations in the X-ray and radio regimes to disentangle the disk/corona and jet contribution in the observed X-ray emission. 

Studying the temporal behavior of the astrophysical objects in systematic ways and over wide ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum enable us to discover new and unexpected phenomena. Time-domain astrophysicsis one of the most promising discovery areas of the decade. Variability is a peculiar characteristic of blazars. Thanks to relativistic beaming, even small modes of variations are detectable. The multi-frequency variations of AGN carry key characteristic signatures of physical processes happening several billions of light years away from us. Since different parts of an AGN dominate the observed radiation at different wavelengths, hunting correlations among broadband observations is one of the most feasible approaches to understand how the central engine of an AGN works, how it consumes gas and regulates the jets, how disturbances start in the first place, and how the disturbances propagate down the jet to produce the observed broadband flares. The prime focus of the project is to disentangle disk/corona and jet contributions in the observed X-ray emission by making use of the NASA's Swift and Nustar missions and radio VLBI observations for the same sources. The proposed research will involve the following three sub-projects:1. X-ray spectral analysis to disentangle the disk/corona and jet emission.2. Comparing the X-ray flux variations with the ejections of new components/knots from the radio core to pinpoint the X-ray emitting sites.3. Testing the correlation between parsec-scale jet orientation variations (jet wobbling) and X-ray flux variations to reveal how the dynamics of the accretion disk affect jet morphology.

Call for applications to doctoral program 2021B in UST-KASI

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) via the University of Science and Technology (UST) is offering doctoral scholarships (direct and integrated) starting from September 2021. PhD scholarships are provided with a competitive salary of about $1500-$2000 per month. KASI is located in Daejeon, a high tech, educational and research oriented city. Convenient accommodation would be provided to students for the first 3 years in the campus.

KASI is actively involved in various fields of astronomy and astrophysics, from astronomical instrumentation to observation and theory, and participates in international collaborative and stand-alone projects including GMT, ALMA, SDSS4, DESI, LSST, KMTNet, and KVN. This semester KASI is accepting applications for the following research areas:

• Cosmology I (supervisor: Prof. David Parkinson, davidparkinson@kasi.re.kr)

• Cosmology II (supervisor: Prof. Arman Shafieloo, shafieloo@kasi.re.kr) 

and for the detailed description of the specific research topics, see the list attached or in our major homepage (https://kasi.re.kr/eng/pageView/140).

We encourage qualified international students to apply. Competent students with BSc degrees can apply for an integrated PhD program. Students with MSc degrees may apply directly to the PhD program.

Questions on each research area should be sent to each assigned professor, while other questions are sent to the Chief Major Professor (Sang-Sung Lee, sslee@kasi.re.kr). For more information of application, please see the UST web page (https://ust.ac.kr/admission_eng.do). Applications are considered only if they are submitted during March 18 to April 8 (17:00 KST).

Best regards,

Sang-Sung Lee

Chief Major Professor

1. Prof. David Parkinson (davidparkinson@kasi.re.kr)

In the cosmology group we are looking for enthusiastic and competent PhD candidates to undertake research in the area of cosmological and theoretical astrophysics. The next generation of large-area astronomical surveys will provide new and accurate data for answering such important questions as “what is the nature of the mysterious dark energy?” and “what were the initial conditions of the Universe?” A successful candidate will have the opportunity to become involved in two of these surveys, DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) in the optical, and EMU (the Evolutionary Map of the Universe) in the radio. The project will involve analysing data from these surveys and testing these cosmological models (such as dark energy theories and alternative models of gravity) against this data. The project will also involve developing advanced statistical methods of data analysis (such as Bayesian methods, and machine learning approaches), providing training in the area of big data analysis, which will be useful both inside astrophysics and external industrial sectors. This project is for a PhD or integrated PhD student.

2. Prof. Arman Shafieloo (shafieloo@kasi.re.kr)

We are looking for competent and enthusiastic PhD candidates to work on physical cosmology. A successful candidate will become officially involved with SDSS-IV (Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Stage 4), DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) and LSST (Large Synoptic Survey Telescope) surveys and the project will include studying and performing research on different aspects of physical cosmology such as testing early universe scenarios and studying dark energy using large scale structure and other cosmological data. Developing advanced statistical methods of data analysis (data mining, machine learning, regression approaches) might be a major part of the research during the PhD project or integrated-PhD.

[International Admission Schedule]

※ The schedule may be subject to change.

[Notes - Application fee]

 All applicants for 2021 Spring Semester will require to pay the application fee and it must be submitted each time you apply for admission.

 Your application cannot be submitted until the application fee has been processed.

   - Application fee : USD 30 or KRW 36,000

   - How to pay : by credit card service online

       ※ Please check whether your credit card can be used on online service in advance.

   - Application fee cannot be waived nor deferred, and is non-refundable.

[Inquiry]

   - Chief Major Professor, KASI (E-mail : sslee@kasi.re.kr)

   - Student Affairs Team, UST (Tel : +82-42-865-2334, E-mail : F_adm@ust.ac.kr)

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) via the University of Science and Technology (UST) is offering doctoral scholarships (direct and integrated) starting from March 2020 (for more info, see  https://www.ust.ac.kr/astros_eng.do).  PhD scholarships are provided with a competitive salary of about $1500 per month. KASI is located in Daejeon, a high tech, educational and research oriented city. Convenient accommodation would be provided to students for the first 3 years in the campus.

KASI is actively involved in various fields of astronomy and astrophysics, from astronomical instrumentation to observation and theory, and participates in international collaborative and stand-alone projects including GMT, ALMA, SDSS4, DESI, LSST, KMTNet, and KVN. This semester KASI is accepting applications for the following research areas:

  •  Cosmology  I  (supervisor:  Prof.  Arman Shafieloo,  shafieloo@kasi.re.kr)

  •  Cosmology  II (supervisor:  Prof.  David Parkinson,  davidparkinson@kasi.re.kr) 

  •  Theoretical Astrophysics (supervisor: Prof. Thiem Hoang, thiemhoang@kasi.re.kr)

and for the detailed description of the specific research topics, see the list attached or in our major homepage  (https://www.ust.ac.kr/astros_eng.do).

We encourage qualified international students to apply. Competent students with BSc degrees can apply for an integrated PhD program. Students with MSc degrees may apply directly to the PhD program.

Questions on each research area should be sent to each assigned professor, while other questions are sent to the Chief Major Professor (Sang-Sung Lee, sslee@kasi.re.kr).  For more information of application, also see the UST web page  (https://ust.ac.kr/admission_eng.do).  Applications are considered only if they are submitted during August 19 to September 20 (17:00 KST).

Best regards,

 Sang-Sung Lee 

Chief  Major  Professor

1. Prof.  Arman Shafieloo  (shafieloo@kasi.re.kr)

In cosmology group we are looking for a strong, competent and enthusiastic PhD candidates in order to train them at a competitive level internationally and making them prepared for the near future and next generation of the cosmological surveys. A successful candidate will become officially involved with SDSS-IV (Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Stage 4), DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) and LSST (Large SynopticSurvey Telescope) surveys and the project will include studying and performing research on different aspects of physical cosmology such as testing early universe scenarios and reconstruction of the growth and expansion history of the universe using large scale structure data. Developing advanced statistical methods of data analysis (data mining, machine learning, regression approaches) and preparation to deal with future big data will be a major part of the research during the PhD project or integrated-PhD.

2. Prof.  David Parkinson (davidparkinson@kasi.re.kr)

In the cosmology group we are looking for enthusiastic and competent PhD candidates to undertake research in the area of cosmological and theoretical astrophysics. The next generation of large-area astronomical surveys will provide new and accurate data for answering such important questions as “what is the nature of the mysterious dark energy?” and “what were the initial conditions of the Universe?” A successful candidate will have the opportunity to become involved in two of these surveys, DESI (Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument) in the optical, and EMU (the Evolutionary Map of the Universe) in the radio. The project will involve analysing data from these surveys and testing these cosmological models (such as dark energy theories and alternative models of gravity) against this data. The project will also involve developing advanced statistical methods of data analysis (such as Bayesian methods, and machine learning approaches), providing training in the area of big data analysis, which will be useful both inside astrophysics and external industrial sectors.

3. Prof.  Thiem Hoang (thiemhoang@kasi.re.kr)

Project Title: Theoretical and Computational Astrophysics

Program: Integrated – Ph.D.

We are looking for outstanding and strongly motivated candidates for an integrated-Ph.D. or Ph.D. position in Theoretical Astrophysics group under supervision of Prof. Thiem Hoang. The successful candidate will be part of an international team to research on the interaction of cosmic explosions, including supernovae, kilonova, and gamma-ray burst afterglows, with their surrounding environments. The candidate will work on the formulation of new theory for extremely powerful radiation-dust interaction, development of numerical tools, and application to interpret multi-wavelength observational data of dust extinction, emission, and polarization of cosmic transients provided by upcoming unprecedented powerful telescopes such as GMT, LSST, and WFIRST. An important goal of this project is to clarify the effects of cosmic transients onto the physical and chemical properties of the surrounding environments and use observational data to probe the extragalactic environments which are inaccessible with other tracers. Students will be trained to master a wide range of research skills, including analytical and theoretical ability, numerical modeling and computational simulations.