Accessing Data

Table 3 from O'Brien et al. (2023) is available at CDSLink opens in a new window. Tables 1 and 6 from O'Brien et al. (2024) are available at CDSLink opens in a new window. All tables from O'Brien et al. (2024) are also available to download hereLink opens in a new window.

Publications

First-author:

M. W. O'Brien, P.-E. Tremblay et al. "The 40 pc sample of white dwarfs with GaiaLink opens in a new window". In: MNRAS 527, 3, 8687 (Jan. 2024). arXiv: 2312.02735Link opens in a new window

M. W. O'Brien, P.-E. Tremblay et al. “ Gaia  white dwarfs within 40 pc III: spectroscopic observations of new candidates in the southern hemisphereLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window". In: MNRAS 518, 2, 3055 (Jan. 2023). arXiv: 2210.01608 

Contributing:

C. López-Sanjuan, P. -E. Tremblay, M. W. O'Brien, et al. "J-PLUS: The fraction of calcium white dwarfs along the cooling sequenceLink opens in a new window". Submitted to A&A (June 2024): arXiv eprint: 2406.16055Link opens in a new window

P.-E Tremblay, A. Bédard, M. W. O'Brien, J. Munday, A. K. Elms, N. P. Gentillo Fusillo and S. Sahu. "The Gaia white dwarf revolutionLink opens in a new window". New Astronomy Reviews (Dec. 2024). arXiv: 2402.14960

T. Cunningham, P.-E. Tremblay and M. W. O'Brien. “Initial-final mass relation from white dwarfs within 40 pcLink opens in a new window". MNRAS 527, 2, 3602 (Jan. 2024). arXiv: 2310.15410Link opens in a new window 

E. Cukanovaite, P.-E. Tremblay, S. Toonen, K. D. Temmink, C. J. Manser, M. W. O'Brien and J. McCleery. “Local stellar formation history from the 40 pc white dwarf sampleLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window Link opens in a new window". In: MNRAS 522, 2, 1643 (June 2023). arXiv: 2209.13919Link opens in a new windowLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window 

S. Scaringi, P. J. Groot, C. Knigge, A. J. Bird, E. Breedt, D. A. H. Buckley, Y. Cavecchi, N. D. Degenaar, D. de Martino, C. Done, M. Fratta, K. Ilkiewicz, E. Koerding, J. -P. Lasota, C. Littlefield, C. F. Manara, M. O'Brien, P. Szkody, F. X. Timmes. “Localized thermonuclear bursts from accreting magnetic white dwarfsLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window". In: Nature 604, 447 (Apr. 2022). arXiv: 2204.09070. I wrote about my contribution to this project here.

My ADS publication library is linked hereLink opens in a new window.

Conferences and Seminar Talks

2024:

Talk - EuroWD24 - July 2024 - Barcelona, Spain: Conclusions from the 40 pc sample of Gaia white dwarfs.

Talk [Virtual] - Cool Stars 22 Splinter Session; The Solar Neighbourhood: the Importance of Being Complete - June 2024 - Virtual (San Diego, USA): The 40 pc sample of white dwarfs from Gaia.

Talk - Armagh Observatory Student Discussion - May 2024 - Armagh, UK: Unveiling the demographics of the local white dwarf population with Gaia.

Talk - UCLA Tuesday Lunch Talks - April 2024 - Los Angeles, USA: Unveiling the demographics of the local white dwarf population with Gaia.

Poster - Current Challenges in the Physics of White Dwarf Stars - March 2024 - Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA: The significance of the low-mass issue on the local white dwarf population.

2023:

Poster - Exoplanet Systems and Stellar Life Cycles: Late-Stage and Post-MS Systems - March 2023 - Aspen, USA: Metal-polluted white dwarfs in the local 40 pc volume.

2022:

Talk - EuroWD22 - August 2022 - Tübingen, Germany: Completing the 40 pc sample of Gaia white dwarfs.

Talk - National Astronomy Meeting - July 2022 - Warwick, UK: Completing the 40 pc sample of Gaia white dwarfs.

Telescope Time Awarded

July 2024 - STIS on the Hubble Space Telescope - PI: 5 orbits - GO 17778Link opens in a new window. "Revealing the closest hidden white dwarfs in post-common envelope binaries".

January 2023 - X-Shooter on the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) - PI: 4.7 hours - 111.24FZLink opens in a new window. "Ultra-cool White Dwarf Candidates Within 40 pc".

EDI, Outreach & Teaching

2023 - 2024

• Chair of PG-SSLC (Staff-Student Liaison Committee) - Organise meetings and feed back PG student concerns to staff.

• Warwick Astronomy Equitea Group: Committee member (Speaker Liaison) - Organise sessions and speakers for our monthly Equitea seminars.

• Coding with Sophie: Teaching coding to 7 - 11 year olds. An article about our outreach activities including Coding with Sophie is linked here.

• Undergraduate Lab Demonstrator

2022 - 2023​

• Physics Welfare & Communication Group: Postgraduate Wellbeing Representative - Organise weekly wellbeing coffee sessions for the physics postgraduate students.

• Warwick Astronomy Equitea Group: Committee member (Speaker Liaison) - Organise sessions and speakers for our monthly Equitea seminars.

• Coding with Sophie: Teaching coding to 7 - 11 year olds. An article about our outreach activities including Coding with Sophie is linked here.

• Big Bang Science Fair - June 2023: An article about the event is linked here.

• Undergraduate Lab Demonstrator

• Undergraduate Exam Invigilator

2021 - 2022

• Warwick White Dwarf Group Weekly Meeting Organiser.

• Warwick Astronomy Knowledge Exchange (WAKE): Ran a workshop and organised group introduction sessions with our white dwarf group.

• Undergraduate Lab Demonstrator

• Undergraduate Exam Invigilator