The Particle Astrophysics Group at Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is recruiting
fully funded PhD students in Physics to work in very-high-energy (VHE) and ultra-high-energy (UHE) gamma-
ray astrophysics.
The group, led by Dr. Xiaojie Wang, is actively involved in the High-Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC)
Gamma-Ray Observatory and the development of the next-generation Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray
Observatory (SWGO), with a strong record of high-quality publications in leading astrophysics journals.
We study:
• Galactic cosmic-ray accelerators: supernova remnants (SNRs), pulsar wind nebulae (PWNe), gamma-ray
binaries, TeV halos, and star-forming regions.
• Wide-field TeV surveys and source catalogs.
• Data analysis algorithm development and machine learning for air-shower arrays.
• Multi-wavelength and multi-messenger connections with X-ray, GeV, and neutrino/gravitational-wave
observatories.
PhD students will have the opportunity to:
• Analyze real HAWC data on Galactic accelerators.
• Contribute to reconstruction, calibration, and gamma/hadron separation and energy estimation.
• Work on SWGO performance studies and lab hands-on projects.
• Present results at collaboration meetings and major international conferences.
Background expected:0
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Physics, Astrophysics, or related field.
• Solid core physics; interest in astroparticle / high-energy astrophysics.
• Some programming experience (Python and/or C++); data analysis or ML experience is welcome but not
required.
Environment:
Missouri S&T is an R1 public university in Rolla, Missouri. Students receive close mentoring, work in an
international collaboration, and gain skills relevant to careers in academia, national labs, and data-intensive
industry.
How to express interest:
Submit to Dr. Xiaojie Wang at [xiaojiew007@gmail.com] with:
• Brief statement of interest (1–2 paragraphs).
• CV or résumé.
• Unofficial transcript(s).
Use subject line: “PhD Application – Gamma-Ray Astrophysics”. Formal applications should be submitted
through the Missouri S&T Physics PhD application portal, details see
https://futurestudents.mst.edu/admissions/graduate/ .
Please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Xiaojie Wang via the below email address in case you have any questions
about the position, the selection process, or the possible research projects. More information about the group
can be found on https://sites.mst.edu/xiaojiewang/.