SCIENCE
Kilohertz frequency gravitational waves:
Neutron stars are the ultra-dense cores left behind by supernova explosions of stars. The internal structure and physics of neutron stars is not well understood, however they are the only place in the Universe to study matter at densities beyond that of the nucleus of an atom. Learning about the inner workings of neutron stars using gravitational waves emitted in the moments after neutron stars merge will shed light on the most extreme matter in the Universe, probing conditions inaccessible to laboratories on Earth.
I currently hold a University of Western Australia Research Collaboration Award to develop machine learning algorithms to detect high-frequency gravitational waves. This work is the topic of my 2023-2026 Forrest Research Foundation Fellowship
Probing the microphysics of matter in neutron star mergers:
Detection of the electromagnetic emission of neutron star messengers is a field in it’s early years. Like many others, I got very interested in kilonovae - the radioactive afterglows of neutron star mergers - after the discovery of the first gravitational waves from a binary neutron star merger. There are lots of theories about how matter behaves in these explosions, some of it influenced by the extreme environment compared to other explosive transients: matter is accelerated to relativistic speeds in strong gravity. I’m interested in the nucleosynthesis that occurs in these events, as well as the acceleration of cosmic rays and the multimessenger emission of kilonovae.
Transient host galaxy studies:
You can learn a lot about a transient event like a supernova or kilonova by studying the galaxies they occur in with integral field spectroscopy. I use the WiFeS instrument on the ANU 2.3m telescope to study the host galaxies of transients, and develop techniques to accelerate and refine the analysis of these data.
Exploring the transient universe with the Zadko Observatory:
The Zadko Observatory is home to the 1m Zadko telescope. Zadko has a uniquely wide field-of-view and very rapid slew rate that makes it perfect for following up transient events that change on second to minute timescales. In addition, located at the Gingin Gravity Precinct and operated by the University of Western Australia, we are at a unique longitude to provide real-time coverage of astronomical transients. If you want me to observe a transient for you, please hit the ‘contact’ button so I can add you to a priority follow-up list (weather and visibility curve permitting!)
Next-generation gravitational wave detection:
As gravitational wave observatories become more sensitive, we will be able to observe higher-order effects that influence the inspiral waveform, including phenomena like tidal deformation. I am interested in investigating how this will affect our detection algorithms, and how we can mitigate model mis-specification in the low latency ‘detection’ environment and how this can affect our sensitivity to gravitational waves.
Are you a student? I currently have capacity for masters students with strong backgrounds in computing, mathematics and statistics who are interested in the above topics. Please contact me.
Heidelberg and the Neckar River in September, taken from Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Schloss-Wolfsbrunnenweg