Two Ph.D. positions on the StarDance themes at the University of Florence, with the titles:

1. “Comprensione del meccanismo di formazione delle stelle ricche di litio per mezzo di tecniche spettroscopiche e fotometriche (Understanding the formation mechanism of lithium rich stars using spectroscopy and photometry)

The project will focus on the study of lithium-rich stars, whose nature is still debated. Recent evidence suggests that some of these objects may originate from interactions in binary stellar systems. The project will investigate known lithium-rich stars in order to test this and other possible scenarios. The analysis will make use of: (1) spectroscopic and photometric time series to search for variability signals; (2) activity indicators and stellar rotation measurements, which are often correlated with each other and with lithium abundance; and (3) detailed chemical abundances to identify additional anomalies and disentangle the signatures of different nucleosynthetic production sites. The project will use data from Gaia, photometric and spectroscopic surveys, and archival spectra. If needed, telescope time will be requested to obtain new observations.

2. Alla ricerca di popolazioni stellari esotiche e binarie interagenti per mezzo di grandi survey e database osservativi (Discovery of exotic stellar populations and interacting binaries with large astronomical surveys and databases)

The aim of the project is to discover and characterize exotic stellar populations and interacting binary stars using large surveys, as well as recalibrated and combined catalogues built from many different surveys. The project will make use of large photometric, astrometric, spectroscopic, and multi-band datasets, together with statistical and machine-learning techniques, to select candidates, identify unusual objects, and study stellar populations in both clusters and the field. The work will be strongly data-analysis oriented. However, a solid understanding of stellar astrophysics will also be essential for interpreting the results, especially in the areas of stellar evolution and the fundamental properties of binary systems and stellar clusters.

More details on the available positions can be found on this factsheet, results and other useful documents here: https://www.unifi.it/en/study-us/after-graduation/phd-programmes/phd-courses/cycle-42-call-applications

The deadline for applications is the 11th of June 2026 at 12:00 (CEST)

For more information and for help in preparing the application, do not hesitate to contact elena . pancino [at] inaf . it