PhD Studentship in Aeronautics: High-Fidelity Simulation of Titan/Mars Entry 
Vehicles with PyFR (AE0061)

Start Date: Earliest start date is 1 August 2025 and latest start date is 1 July 
2026

Introduction and Objectives: Next-generation Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) 
systems for Titan and Mars must safely slow down increasingly large payloads. One 
particular challenge occurs during the transonic phase of descent, where the 
spacecraft is subject to aerodynamic instabilities that can cause uncontrolled 
oscillations, posing a significant risk of mission failure. This project will 
further develop the GPU-accelerated computational fluid dynamics flow solver PyFR 
(www.pyfr.org) – implementing improved shock capturing approaches and a full 6-DOF 
free-flight capability – and use it to study dynamic stability in the transonic 
phase of descent. The work will be undertaken in collaboration with Texas A&M 
University and NASA Ames.

Supervisors: The project will be computational, and led by Prof. Peter Vincent, 
with relevant multi-domain expertise in EDL technology provided by Prof. Oliver 
Buxton, Dr. Paul Bruce and Prof. Matthew Santer, who will all act as co-
supervisors.

Learning opportunities: You will develop expertise in high-order methods for 
computational fluid dynamics, novel cross-platform implementation paradigms, and 
transonic flow physics associated with entry vehicles for Titan and Mars. There is 
also significant scope for direct interaction with project partners at Texas A&M 
University and NASA Ames.

Professional Development: You will have access to engaging professional 
development workshops in areas such as research communication, computing and data 
science, and professional progression through our Early Career Researcher 
Institute.

Duration: 3.5 years.

Funding: Full coverage of tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of £21,237 
for Home, EU and International students. Information on fee status can be found 
at: www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/fees-and-funding/tuition-fees/fee-status/.

Eligibility: You must possess (or expect to gain) a First class honours MEng/MSci 
or higher degree or equivalent in a relevant field e.g. computer science, physics, 
mathematics, engineering etc. You should have experience of coding, ideally in 
Python, C, and CUDA. A passion for fluid dynamics, space exploration and a desire 
to work on interdisciplinary projects with real-world applications is important.

How to apply: Submit your application at: 
www.imperial.ac.uk/study/apply/postgraduate-doctoral/application-process/. You 
will need to include the reference (AE0061) and address your application to the 
Department of Aeronautics. When making your application, please type ‘Aeronautics 
Research (PhD)’ into the programme search bar.

For queries regarding the application process, please contact Lisa Kelly at: 
l.kelly@imperial.ac.uk

Application deadline: 9 January 2025

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Imperial is committed to equality and valuing 
diversity. We are an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity 
Champion, a Disability Confident Employer and are working in partnership with 
GIRES to promote respect for trans people.