PhD Position: Beta Decay and Nuclear Structure for Astrophysics

The Institut d’Astronomie et d’Astrophysique (IAA) at the Université Libre de Bruxelles invites applications for a PhD position focused on computational nuclear physics and astrophysics. The successful candidate will extend established large-scale nuclear structure models to calculate beta decay half-lives and strength functions for neutron-rich and exotic nuclei. This research aims to address critical open questions regarding the origin and abundance of elements in the universe, specifically supporting stellar nucleosynthesis modeling and the r-process. The candidate will also assist in integrating these new decay data into the BRUSLIB database within a collaborative and dynamic academic environment.

• Develop theoretical frameworks to compute beta decay half-lives and strength functions for nuclei relevant to astrophysical processes
• Extend existing large-scale nuclear structure models, such as the BSkG series, to predict beta decay properties
• Incorporate new beta decay datasets into the BRUSLIB database to improve dissemination to the astrophysics community
• Collaborate with team members and participate actively in regular group meetings and scientific discussions
• Contribute to scientific publications and present research findings at academic venues