New Postdoctoral Project in Astronomy Launched at VUAS

On March 3 this year, the Engineering Research Institute “Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre” (VIRAC) of Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS) launched a research project titled "Revealing the physical mechanism of mass ejection around young massive stars via CH3OH masers" (Project No. 1.1.1.9/LZP/1/24/044).
The project aims to significantly contribute to the professional development of VSRC postdoctoral researcher Art Aberfeld by enhancing his skills, establishing new academic connections, and conducting world-class fundamental research in astrophysics. The research involves working with big data and applying advanced numerical models.
The project partner is the Astronomical Observatory of Cagliari (OAC), part of the National Institute for Astrophysics of Italy (INAF). As part of the initiative, Art Aberfeld will participate in several extended research visits to the partner institution, acquiring new expertise. This will facilitate knowledge transfer from Italy to Latvia, bringing unprecedented competencies to the country, including:
- Observing and processing radio signals at high frequencies (20–116 GHz),
- Integrating and interpreting multi-frequency observations,
- Developing the skills necessary for working with next-generation large-scale radio astronomy instruments.
The project will have a positive impact on the RIS3 (Research and Innovation Strategy for Smart Specialization) objectives by strengthening the information technology sector and significantly increasing the scientific capacity of the VIRAC. The scientific goal of the project is to address a fundamental question in massive star formation: how excess angular momentum is transferred from the protostellar disk to outflowing gas and jets, enabling the protostar to grow in mass.
Project Details
- Total cost: EUR 192,336.00
- ERDF funding: EUR 163,485.6
- Planned outputs: Three high-impact scientific publications and presentations at six international scientific conferences.
The research application "Revealing the physical mechanism of mass ejection around young massive stars via CH3OH masers" (No. 1.1.1.9/LZP/1/24/044) is implemented within the framework of project No. 1.1.1.9/1/24/I/001 and is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
This initiative is part of the European Union Cohesion Policy Programme for 2021–2027 under the specific aid objective 1.1.1 “Developing and enhancing research and innovation capacities and the uptake of advanced technologies”, Activity 1.1.1.9 “Postdoctoral research”.
Link to Project:
https://en.venta.lv/science/projects/Revealing-the-Physical-Mechanism-of-Mass-Ejection-Around-Young-Massive-Stars
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