The PhD students at Space, Earth and Environment study space, the atmosphere and the Earth, energy technology and systems, as well as sustainable development in transport, energy and consumption.
Here you can read about what some of those who have received a doctorate have recently studied – and what they thought of their time as PhD students.
Karl Vilén: Evolution of future heating systems
"I have been focused on the heating solution for future housing in cities"
Karl Vilén, Energy Technology, defended his doctoral thesis "Evolution of Future Heating Systems - Modeling of an Expanding City Using a Dynamic Systems Approach" on February 6, 2024. In his research Karl has focused on the heating solution for future housing in cities.
"Generally, the use of district heating has been the most prominent heating solution, but the technological development of other solutions, such as heat pumps, have made these other solutions viable also in cities. My research has been on modeling on how future heating systems which are sustainable and cost-efficient may look like".
What would you say has been the most rewarding part of your PhD journey?
"That I have had the opportunity to dig deep into many parts of the full energy system and decide how to use that knowledge when doing my own research. The discussions with my colleagues have also been something which I have valued highly".
Jinxi Yang: Simulating investment decisions in electricity
"Our model helped identify potential opportunities to accelerate the low-carbon transition"
Jinxi Yang, at the division of Physical Resource Theory, defended her thesis on November 10, 2023. It is about developing a model that simulates investment decisions within the electricity sector. The model called HAPPI, (Heterogeneous Agent-based Power Plant Investment Model), can help identify potential opportunities to accelerate the low-carbon transition.
"I chose this topic because transitioning to a carbon-neutral electricity system is critical for meeting our climate goals. There's still a significant investment gap in required investments in achieving the goals, and my research aimed to provide insights into bridging this gap".
Iskra Georgieva: "The quest for exoplanets"
"To me, exoplanets are the best of two worlds – mysterious, yet tangible”.
Iskra Georgieva, at the division of Astronomy and Plasma Physics, defended her doctoral thesis on June 16, 2023. Her research is about methods for identifying and characterising exoplanet. We are living in an exciting time for exoplanet research, according to Iskra.
“We keep discovering more and more of these mysterious planets. We can’t go there with the technology and physics we have today, they are not within our reach even if we travel for several lifetimes, we can’t really see what they look like. They inspire many questions, not least ‘Could there be life there?’”
Alla Toktarova: Electrification of industry
"I have been focusing on the decarbonization for the basic materials industry"
Alla Toktarova, Energy Technology, defended her doctoral thesis "Electrification of the basic materials industry – Implications for the electricity system" on May 8, 2023. According to Alla's models electrification of the basic material industry (steel, cement, plastics and etc.) will increase the electricity demand in the EU by around 44 per cent.
How would you describe your PhD journey in general?
"Fast and furious with a lot of ups and downs. Would I repeat this journey, definitely no. Was it worth it, definitely yes."
Andri Spilker: Star formation in the Milky Way
"Understanding star formation is part of understanding our cosmic origins"
Andri Spilker at Astronomy and Plasma Physics, has studied star formation during her PhD studies, describing how the properties of the star forming gas changes with scale, time and viewing angle. She defended her thesis March 31, 2023.
– The most rewarding part of my PhD journey has been to present and discuss science at conferences and with the public. I have worked with science communication and outreach for Onsala space observatory, and have enjoyed talking to scientists and the public about the Universe.
Emil Fransson: Fusion Energy
"All the benefits of nuclear fission but none of the drawbacks"
Emil Fransson, PhD Student at Astronomy and Plasma Physics, has worked on improving computer simulations of how particles move and collide in a fusion reactor. He defended his doctoral thesis on April 12, 2023.
Ahmet Mandev: Electrification of personal transport
"PHEVs can play an important role in decarbonizing the transport sector"
Ahmet Mandev at Physical Resource Theory defends his thesis "The Role of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles in Electrifying Personal Transport" on June 8. He has studied plug-in hybrid electrical vechicles (PHEV) which are described in very different ways in the public debate - as wolves in sheep’s clothing or a "gateway drug" into the world of electric vehicles.
Read Ahmet's thesis: The Role of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles in Electrifying Personal Transport.
Christian Langner: Process design in chemical industry
"Process design can be very challenging, in particular when uncertain parameters are present"
Christian Langner, Energy Technology, defended his doctoral thesis "Advances in optimal design and retrofit of chemical processes with uncertain parameters: Applications in design of heat exchanger networks", on June 12. His thesis deals with the challenges of process design in the chemical industry, with the presence of uncertain parametres. .
Any advice to new PhD Students?
Don’t get locked in, especially in the beginning! Try to look around, talk to different people especially from other research groups and maybe try to find more senior PhD students who work on topics which interest you, and which in the best case but not necessarily (!!) also share similarities with your topic(s). Maybe you can collaborate with such a PhD student, for example by contributing to a paper.