Research Group: Astronomy Unit
Full-time Project: yes

Funding

Project Description

The standard model of cosmology includes a period of extremely rapid expansion at early times. This period, known as cosmological inflation, lasted for only a tiny fraction of a second, but provided the initial conditions that led to the uniformly expanding Universe we see around us today. As well as this, inflation is known to produce both gravitational waves and fluctuations in the curvature of spacetime itself. These disturbances sow the seeds for the formation of large-scale structure in the Universe, as observed through galaxy surveys and the temperature fluctuations in the Cosmic Microwave Background.

During this project, the PhD student will investigate a topical problem in the modern theory of inflation. This could include:

• Constructing and studying models of cosmological inflation, using fundamental scalar fields or ideas from high-energy theories such as string theory.

• Developing tools for calculating the observable properties of the fluctuations produced by inflation, such as the degree to which they produce structures on different scales.

• Studying the behaviour of spectator fields, which were present during inflation. This
could include the Higgs field, and its consequences for our Universe.

• Investigating the production of relics during inflation, such as primordial black holes, gravitational waves, and dark matter.

Application Method:

To apply for this studentship and for entry onto the Physics programme (Full Time), please follow the instructions detailed on the following webpage:

https://www.qmul.ac.uk/spcs/phdresearch/application-process/#apply

Deadline for application - 28th of January 2026

Supervisor Contact Details:

For informal enquiries about this position, please contact Dr David Mulryne

Email: d.mulryne@qmul.ac.uk

SPCS Academics: David Mulryne