Research Group
My current research group has a key thrust of novel instrumentation aimed primarily at exoplanet-related science. Group members (honours project or greater involvement) include:
- Anika Chan (Honours, ANU): Metrology for the Pyxis space interferometer prototype and the SEIRIOS mission. Chathura Bandutunga primary supervisor.
- Catherine Smith (Honours, ANU): Precision galactic archaeology using binary stars and the Heimdallr instrument.
- Benjamin Courney-Barrer (PhD, ANU): Solving the long secondary period puzzle through high angular resolution observations, and upgrading the VLTI for Asgard
Past Group Members
Previous members of my group (non-exhaustive at semester-long undergrad research project level, with 1-2 students/year) includes the following people. As I am collaborative in my research, some of these people had other primary supervisors, and are listed as such.- Jonah Hansen (PhD, ANU): The Pyxis space interferometer prototype.
- Samuel Wade: Mechatronics engineer for the Pyxis project.
- Erin Holdorf (Honours, ANU): Enabling precision radial velocities using the Veloce spectrograph.
- Nicholas Standen (Honours, ANU): Adding a stellar (rather than association) age dimension to CHRONOSTAR.
- Jens Kammerer (PhD, ANU): Transitional disk structure, and direct imaging of young exoplanet with kernel phase interferometry.
- Alexander Wallace (PhD, ANU): Direct Imaging of the Youngest Exoplanets with aperture mask interferometry and accurate PSF modelling.
- Adam Rains (PhD, ANU): Abundances and Fundumental Parameters of TESS targets with FunnelWeb. Details TBD.
- Eloise Birchall (Masters, ANU): Modelling super-resolution Keck observations of transition disks.
- Margaret Streamer (part-time M.Phil, ANU): Delta Scuti stars in eclipsing binary stars a way to calibrate models of A stars. Still an active visitor at RSAA
- Harry-Dean Kenchington Goldsmith (Postdoc, wasPhD candidate, ANU - Stephen Madden primary supervisor): Chancogenide waveguides for VIKING at VLTI.
- Dr Marusa Zerjal: Young stars and young stellar associations.
- Brendan Orenstein (Masters, ANU): Precision radial velocities of M-dwarfs with Veloce, especailly telluric correction.
- Dr Rajika Kuruwita (PhD, ANU - Christoph Fedderath primary supervisor): Circumbinary disks. Now postdoctoral researcher at University of Copenhagen.
- Timothy Crundall (Masters, ANU): Bayesian methods to search for Young Stars in the Gaia era. PhD candidate in Cologne from April 2019.
- Dr Joao Bento: Observatory integration of the RHEA spectrograph, HAT-South and transiting exoplanets. Went to at Intelledox.
- Dr Dary Ruiz-Rodriguez (PhD 2018, ANU - Lucas Cieza primary supervisor): Aperture mask interferometric imaging of young stars, focusing on binary stars and transition disks, ALMA observations of young stars of young stars.
- Eloise Birchall (Masters 2017, ANU): Modelling resolved disks from high angular resolution infrared observations.
- Dr Tobias Feger (PhD 2017, Macquarie Uni): The RHEA spectrograph.
- Adam Rains (Masters 2016, ANU): efficient injection into and astronomy with the RHEA spectrograph.
- Dr Aaron Rizzuto (honours 2010, PhD 2014). Became a postdoctoral fellow at UT Austin, and eventually a data scientist.
- Jane (Jinying) Lin (honours 2015, primary supervisor Martin Asplund). Universty medal, continuing with Asplund group.
- Dr Emily Rickman (undergrad project 2015). Currently a European Space Agency/Space Telescope Science Institute Astronomer.
- Dr Izabela Spaleniak (PhD 2014). Became a postdoctoral fellow at Herriot Watt University and works for Intel.
- Dr Yitping Kok (PhD 2013). Was a postdoctoral fellow in the Gravity group at MPIE, then at UWA physics, then a data scientist.
- Mr Benjamin Warrington : Research associate 2010-2013. Became a SOFIA astronomical flight planner.
- Dr Arwen Nicholson : Research associate 2011. Subsequent astrobiology PhD from the University of Exeter.
- Dr Barnaby Norris (honours, primary supervisor Peter Tuthill)
- Dr Carlos Bacigalupo (honours 2012)
- Dr Tom Evans (masters 2011)
- Dr Nathaniel Butterworth (honours 2009, PhD in geophysics)
- Dr Daniel Huber (PhD 2011, primary supervisor Tim Bedding)
- Dr Vicente Maestro (PhD 2013, primary supervisor Peter Tuthill)
- Dr Henry Woodruff (PhD 2010, primary supervisor Peter Tuthill)
- Ms Alison Hammond (TSP Undergrad project, 2008).
Bok prize 2012 - She once listed her astro project with me as the reason for a switch from Maths/History to physics, but eventually did law instead. - Dr Anthony Cheetham (Undergrad research project, 2009). PhD from Uni of Sydney, and became a postdoc at the Observatory of Geneva.