Menu Close
Professor in Astrophysics, UCL

My research interests are focussed on studies of outflows at the extremes of stellar evolution.

Current projects aim to investigate the nature of mass-loss via stellar winds in a broad range of astrophysical settings, including: The structure of fast outflows from the central stars of planetary nebulae, mass-loss, clumping and the origin of structure in the winds of luminous OB stars, and accretion-disc outflows in cataclysmic variables.

The work relates to many fundamental astrophysical processes, including radiation hydrodynamics and plasma physics, accretion discs, the evolution of stars, the dynamics and enrichment of the interstellar medium, star formation, and the functioning of galaxies. The studies are based on line-synthesis analyses coupled with multi-wavelength data sets, spanning far-UV, optical and near-IR spectroscopy, plus radio and mm observations. Most recently, I am the coordinator of the COBRaS e-MERLIN Legacy proposal to conduct a deep-field survey of the fantastic Cyg OB2 stellar association.

My route to Professor at UCL has been via appointments as a Royal Society University Research Fellow, Lecturer and Reader at UCL. I have been awarded the Pol and Christiane Swings research prize by the Science Division of the Royal Academy of Belgium. I have been awarded Departmental Teaching Prize (2007) and the UCL MAPS Teaching Award 2010.

I am the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Department of Physics and Astronomy

Experience

  • –present
    Professor in Astrophysics, UCL