I'm Ares (they/them), a PhD student in the Astronomy and Astrophysics group at the University of Warwick under the supervision of Dr Dave Armstrong (2019-2023).

I also completed my MSc by Research (2018-19) in the department under the supervision of Dr Daniel Bayliss.

My PhD project began by characterising the TESS Object of Interest TOI-431, a system containing 2 transiting planets and a further planet detected in the RV data. This system was discovered as part of the NCORES program on HARPS (1102.C-0249, PI Armstrong). You can now read the discovery paper, and see several talks and posters of this work in the sections below!

I now work on RV follow-up of planetary systems.

I managed the HARPS RV follow-up program for NGTS planets (105.20G9.001, PI Wheatley), looking at "short, young, and cool" planet discoveries by the team. We obtained masses for several planets, which are in the process of being published. As a result of this work, you can read the discovery paper for NGTS-21b!

I now manage "Nomads", a large programme on HARPS (108.21YY.001, PI Armstrong) that aims to study the nature and origin of the Neptunian Desert by precisely characterising ~30 nomad planets, substantially increasing the current sample of planets with precisely measured masses (better than 20% errors) and radii in the desert, particularly in the ‘deep desert’ far from the boundaries. Several planet discovery papers are now in progress, including TOI-332 (authored by me), and TOI-908 (authored by Faith Hawthorn). You can see talks on this work and the program progress in the sections below.

My Master's looked at the planet-metallicity correlation - that is, the correlation between a star's metal content and the probability it hosts a (giant) planet. I looked at this correlation specifically for hot Jupiters, a subset of giant planets that are Jupiter-sized, but with orbits around their host stars of only a matter of days. An increasing number of these have been found by transiting exoplanet surveys (for example: WASP, KELT, HAT and HATS), from which I compiled my sample. You can read my published findings from this work in MNRAS.

First author:

Osborn, A., Armstrong, D. J. et al. (2023, in prep)
🌟 "Blossoming sands: a new planet in the deep Neptunian desert" (title TBC, TOI-332)

Osborn, A., Armstrong, D. J. et al. (2021, MNRAS)
🌟 "TOI-431/HIP 26013: a super-Earth and a sub-Neptune transiting a bright, early K dwarf, with a third planet candidate" (ADS)

Osborn, A. and Bayliss, D. (2020, MNRAS)
🌟 "The Planet-Metallicity Correlation for Hot Jupiters" (ADS)

Contributing author:

Alves, Douglas R. (2022, MNRAS)
⭐ "NGTS-21b: An Inflated Super-Jupiter Orbiting a Metal-poor K dwarf" (ADS)

Hawthorn, Faith et al. (2022, MNRAS)
⭐ "TOI-836: A super-Earth and mini-Neptune transiting a nearby K-dwarf" (ADS)

Barragán, O. et al. (2022, MNRAS)
⭐ "The young HD 73583 (TOI-560) planetary system: two 10-M⊕ mini-Neptunes transiting a 500-Myr-old, bright, and active K dwarf" (ADS)

Sha, Lizhou et al. (2022, submitted to MNRAS)
⭐ "TESS spots a mini-neptune interior to a hot saturn in the TOI-2000 system" (ADS)

Reefe, Michael A. et al. (2022, AJ)
⭐ "A Close-in Puffy Neptune with Hidden Friends: The Enigma of TOI 620" (ADS)

Azevedo Silva, T. et al. (2022, A&A)
⭐ "The HD 137496 system: A dense, hot super-Mercury and a cold Jupiter" (ADS)

Teske, Johanna et al. (2021, ApJ)
⭐ "The Magellan-TESS Survey I: Survey Description and Mid-Survey Results" (ADS)

Otegi, J. F. et al. (2021, A&A)
⭐ "TESS and HARPS reveal two sub-Neptunes around TOI 1062" (ADS)

Hoyer, S. et al. (2021, MNRAS)
⭐ "TOI-220 b: a warm sub-Neptune discovered by TESS" (ADS)

Osborn, H.P. et al. (2021, MNRAS)
⭐ "A hot mini-Neptune in the radius valley orbiting solar analogue HD 110113" (ADS)

Armstrong, D. J. et al. (2020, Nature)
⭐ "A remnant planetary core in the hot-Neptune desert" (ADS)

🪐 I am an organiser of the departmental Planetarium, which is taken out on outreach visits to local schools.
🪐 I gave a talk about my Master's research on the planet-metallicity correlation and being LGBT+ in STEM for the Outthinkers event at the British Science Festival 2019.
🪐 I wrote an article on growing potatoes on Mars for the University's Knowledge Centre.

📒 PGSSLC (Postgraduate Student Staff Liaison Committee) Roles:

📒 Secretary, Oct 2018-19
📒 Wellbeing Rep, Oct 2019-20
📒 Astro Group Rep, Oct 2020-21
📒 Athena Swan Rep, Oct 2018-21

📒 I invigilated undergraduate examinations in 2019
📒 I organised Module Feedback for the Physics undergrad taught modules in the 2019-20 academic year
📒 I have been part of the consultation process for the University's STEM Grand Challenge

🌈 I am a Warwick LGBTUA+ Supporter, a organising committee member of the International Society of Non-binary Scientists, and an Astronomer for Planet Earth.
🌈 I have a prepared talk on gender identity, which I have given at departmental and University society seminars.
🌈 I am a founder (and committee lead) of the Equitea seminar series, a monthly forum within the Astronomy group at Warwick to discuss topics related to equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) in relation to Astronomy, Physics and/or STEM as a whole.

Talks I've given at Equitea meetings:
🌈 Oct 2021: "Transphobia, TERFs and their emergence in academia"
🌈 Mar 2022: "Gender Parity in Question-Asking at Conferences - An Overview of Previous Studies and Plans for NAM 2022"
🌈 Oct 2022: "An Introduction to Academia"
🌈 Feb 2022: "Conferences: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"
🌈 Apr 2022 (for the University of Michigan Astronomy Equitea group): "Trans in STEM (TBC)"

🌈 I am a founder of Warwick Inter-Society Announcements (WISA), a service to University of Warwick societies that use Discord with a range of announcements that they can directly subscribe to. Announcements are along the themes of calendar events (religious and activism-related), campaigns, news, SU and Uni events/support/advocacy services, LGBTQUIA+ news and events, and cross-society promotion.
🌈 I was an exec for Warwick Pride, the LGBTQUIA+ Association at the University of Warwick. See more below!
🌈 I am a volunteer "book" with the Human Library hosted by the University of Warwick library. My titles have included anxiety, depression, transgender non-binary person, and pansexual.
🌈 I will be giving a workshop on "LGBTQUIA+ Inclusive Data Collection & Analysis" for LGBTQ+ History Month 2023 - you can sign up to attend! (Tue 14 Mar, 4-5pm, MB0.08)

Fundraising:
🌈 I have raised £360 for Stonewall through 2 Equali-tea events in my department and through Warwick Tabletop Soc.
🌈 I organised a Trans Awareness Week bake sale for Mermaids, raising £133.70 with Warwick Tabletop Soc.
🌈 I was heavily involved in the organisation and delivery of Tabletop Radio in 2020 and 2021, a 26 hour stream originally for the 2.6 Challenge and Pride Month during which Warwick Tabletop Soc raised £600 for Stonewall (2020) and £2048 for Mermaids (2021).

🌈 Social Media Exec 2021-22
🌈 Won funding for and organised the inaugural "Gender Expression Fund" in 2022, a community-led fund that transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming students could use to buy up to £50 of gender-affirming items. We won £2500, and funded items for 66 students, as well as providing "Trans Rights are Human Rights" wristbands to those at the University.
🌈 Now helping run the Gender Expression Fund in 2023!

🎲 Exec Roles:

🎲 Secretary 2018-19
🎲 Graphic Design 2019-22
🎲 Magic: the Gathering Draft Rep 2019-20
🎲 Communications and Operations 2020-21
🎲 Vice President 2021-22
🎲 ED&I 2021-22

🎲 I am a regular Magic: the Gathering and RPG player, and occasionally DM D&D 5e campaigns/one-shots.

🎨 I am a digital illustrator, producing fan-art, original illustrations, and commissioned work.
🎨 Art Twitter: @imdovahbutt