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Nicola Gentile Fusillo

I am postdoc in the Astronomy and Astrophysics group at the University of Warwick warking with Pier-Emmanuel Tremblay on various aspects of white dwarf science.

Research interests

My research focuses on identification and characterization of white dwarfs.

I have dedicated large part of my work to identifying new white dwarfs. Using photometry and proper motions from large area surveys like the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and VST ATLAS to compile catalogues of white dwarf candidates. These catalogues have become fundamental resources in many projects spanning diverse areas of white dwarf science. In particular I have been interested in the follow-up study of metal-polluted white dwarfs and white dwarfs with debris discs. The "pollution" in the otherwise pristine H or He atmosphere of these white dwarfs is caused by accretion of planetary remnats, thus these stars provide a unique opportunity to study in detail the composition of rocky planetesimals.

I am also interested in large scale searches for variable white dwarf (e.g. pulsating white dwarf, magnetci white dwarfs) combining my catalogues with multi-epoch photometric surveys (SDSS Stripe 82, PTF, PanSTARRS).

Recently much of my research focused on white dwarf characterization by comparison of spectroscopy with models. In particular I am testing different model spectra accross all wavelengths from far UV to the near IR.

First author publications

Gentile Fusillo, N. P. et al. (2015, MNRAS 448, 2260G) -- A photometric selection of white dwarf candidates in Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 10.

Gentile Fusillo, N. P. et al. (2015, MNRAS 452, 765G) -- An independent test of the photometric selection of white dwarf candidates using LAMOST DR3.

Gentile Fusillo, N. P. et al. (2016, MNRAS, 455,2295) -- A search for variable white dwarfs in large area surveys: a pilot study in SDSS Stripe 82.

Gentile Fusillo, N. P. et al. (2017, MNRAS 468,971) -- Trace hydrogen in helium atmosphere white dwarfs as a possible signature of water accretion.

Gentile Fusillo, N. P. et al. (2017, MNRAS 469,621) -- A catalogue of white dwarf candidates in VST ATLAS.


Other work

Between 2013/2014 I worked at the Isaac Newton Group (ING) as support astronomer for the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) at Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma.

Conference talks

  • White dwarfs in the era of Gaia- Gaia data workshop, Heidelberg, Germany, 2016
  • Trace hydrogen in helium atmosphere white dwarfs as apossible signature of Water Accretion- 20th European White Dwarf Workshop, University of Warwick, UK, 2016
  • White Dwarfs in SDSS DR9 DR10- 19th European White Dwarf Workshop, Montreal, Canada, 2014.
  • A photometric selection method for WDs candidates in the SDSS photometric footprint- National Atronomy Meeting, St Andrews, UK, 2013.
  • White Dwarfs in the SDSS photometric footprint- 18th European White Dwarf Workshop, Krakow, Poland, 2012.


Visiting "Telescopio Nazionale Galileo"...a bit of national pride


Write to:

Nicola Gentile Fusillo,

Department of Physics,
University of Warwick,
Coventry CV4 7AL
UK
 

Contact details:

E-Mail: N.Gentile-Fusillo AT warwick.ac.uk