White dwarfs, planetary remnants and the local stellar population

We study white dwarfs and local stars from the newly defined Gaia sample, including close binary stars containing compact objects. We are particularly interested in the exotic physical processes that drive their evolution, both from observational and theoretical point of views. We also study evolved planetary systems including planets, rocky debris and discs around white dwarfs. We are partners in the four large spectroscopic surveys (DESI, SDSS-V, WEAVE, and 4MOST) and members of the group have contributed to the development and exploitation of the ULTRACAM and HiPERCAM high-speed photometer.

Research news, job opportunities and possible PhD projects are shared part of the main Astronomy and Astrophysics group webpages.

Academic Staff

Name	Email	Research Interests
Boris Gänsicke (professor, ERC Advanced Grant Fellow)	Boris.Gaensicke@warwick.ac.uk	Planetary systems around white dwarfs White dwarfs in binaries White dwarfs and their links to SNIa and gravitational waves Multi-object spectroscopic surveys
Tom Marsh (professor)	T.R.Marsh@warwick.ac.uk	Binary evolution High-speed CCD cameras White dwarfs Accretion
Danny Steeghs (professor)	D.T.H.Steeghs@warwick.ac.uk	Compact objects in binaries Accretion Time-domain techniques Gravitational wave astrophysics see also Transients and SDA
Pier-Emmanuel Tremblay (associate professor, ERC Starting Grant Fellow)	P-E.Tremblay@warwick.ac.uk	Stellar atmospheres Local stellar volume White dwarf evolution Multi-object spectroscopic surveys
Dimitri Veras (associate professor, STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellow)	Dimitri.Veras@colorado.edu	Planetary systems around white dwarfs Debris discs
Deanne Coppejans (assistant professor)	deanne.coppejans@warwick.ac.uk	Cataclysmic Variables X-ray Binaries Accretion see also Transients

Research Staff

Name	Email	Research Interests
Paul Chote (research fellow)	P.Chote@warwick.ac.uk	Time-domain astronomy Pulsating white dwarfs Robotic telescopes see also SDA
Elena Cukanovaite (research fellow, STFC)	E.Cukanovaite.1@warwick.ac.uk	White dwarf model atmospheres Convection Stellar formation histories
Tim Cunningham (research fellow, Leverhulme)	T.Cunningham@warwick.ac.uk	3D radiation-hydrodynamics Accretion onto white dwarfs Evolved planetary systems
Christopher Manser (honorary research fellow)	cmanser@ic.ac.uk	Planetary systems around white dwarfs Debris discs DESI white dwarf survey
Ingrid Pelisoli (research fellow, STFC)	Ingrid.Pelisoli@warwick.ac.uk	Extremely low-mass white dwarfs Compact binary systems Hot subdwarfs Photometrically variable systems

Postgraduate Students

Name	Email	Research Interests
Anna-Maria Cutolo (PhD student)	Anna-Maria.Cutolo@warwick.ac.uk	Planetary systems around white dwarfs
Abbigail Elms (PhD student)	Abbigail.Elms@warwick.ac.uk	Local stellar population Ultra-cool white dwarfs Stellar evolution
Matthew Hoskin (PhD student)	M.Hoskin@warwick.ac.uk	Planetary systems around white dwarfs WEAVE-White dwarf survey Habitability
Keith Inight (PhD student)	Keith.Inight@warwick.ac.uk	White dwarf binaries Local stellar population Multi-object spectroscopic surveys
Thomas Killenstein (PhD student)	T.Killestein@warwick.ac.uk	Machine/deep learning for time-domain astronomy Multi-messenger observations of gravitational wave events Astrophysical transients
Jack McCleery (PhD student)	Jack.McCleery@warwick.ac.uk	Local stellar population White dwarf evolution Spectroscopy
Catriona McDonald (PhD student)	Catriona.McDonald@warwick.ac.uk	White dwarf pollution and debris Planetary system evolution Debris discs
James Munday (PhD student)	James.Munday@warwick.ac.uk	Binary white dwarfs
Mairi O'Brien (PhD student)	Mairi.O-Brien@warwick.ac.uk	White dwarf spectroscopy Local stellar volume