Two Postdoctoral Positions in Stellar Winds, Mass Loss, Radiative Transfer, and Binary Star Evolution at KU Leuven KU Leuven in United Kingdom

KU Leuven’s Institute of Astronomy is recruiting two postdoctoral researchers for SOPHIA, a new European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant led by Prof. Leen Decin. The project focuses on the physics of giant binary stars and the broader problem of how mass loss, stellar winds, and binary interactions shape stellar evolution and the evolution of galaxies.

Position A centers on stellar winds, mass loss, radiative transfer, and dust formation. The successful candidate will help develop next-generation radiative transfer tools and model the processes that drive mass loss in evolved stars.

Position B focuses on binary star evolution using Gaia DR4. This role involves studying evolved binary systems, improving orbital solutions, and using Gaia’s data to understand how binary interactions affect stellar evolution.

The positions are based at KU Leuven, Belgium, in an international and collaborative research environment with access to advanced computational facilities and unique observational datasets. The post does not specify salary or stipend details in the announcement.

Eligibility highlights: applicants should be strong postdoctoral researchers with relevant expertise in stellar astrophysics, modelling, computational methods, radiative transfer, dust formation, or binary-star analysis. The call is open for a start date between September 2026 and January 2027 (negotiable).

Deadline: 5 August 2026.

How to apply: use the official application link and submit your application before the deadline. The vacancy is also listed on the KU Leuven jobs site under ref. BAP-2026-372.