Fields of Research

Galactic astronomy
Stellar astronomy and planetary systems
High energy astrophysics and galactic cosmic rays
Pollution and contamination
Planetary science (excl. solar system and planetary geology)
Nutrition and dietetics
Astrobiology
Accelerators

Research Objectives

Expanding knowledge in the physical sciences
Expanding knowledge in the mathematical sciences
Assessment and management of freshwater ecosystems
Aerospace equipment
Evaluation of health and support services
Scientific instruments

Career Best Publications

An X-ray pulsar with a superstrong magnetic field in the soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 1806-20; Nature
On the Nature of XTE J0421+560/CI Camelopardalis; The Astrophysical Journal
Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer Observations of the Anomalous Pulsar 4U 0142+61; The Astrophysical Journal
The Timing Evolution of 4U 1630-47 during Its 1998 Outburst; The Astrophysical Journal
The timing properties of Sco X-1 along its Z track with EXOSAT; Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Research Publications

A Cold Neptune-Mass Planet OGLE-2007-BLG-368Lb: Cold Neptunes are Common; Astrophysical Journal
A coordinated optical and X-ray spectroscopic campaign on HD 179949: Searching for planet-induced chromospheric and coronal activity; Astronomy and Astrophysics
A frozen super-Earth orbiting a star at the bottom of the main sequence; Astronomy and Astrophysics
A Jovian-mass planet in microlensing event OGLE-2005-BLG-071; Astrophysical Journal
A Multicoloured View of 2S 0114+650; The multicoloured landscape of compact objects and their explosive origins
A new type of ambiguity in the planet and binary interpretations of central perturbations of high-magnification gravitational microlensing events; The Astrophysical Journal
A Search from Rings, Moons, or Debris in the Pluto System during the 2006 July 12 Occultation; 38th Meeting of the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences
A State Transition of GX 339-4 Observed with the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer; The Astrophysical Journal
A sub-Saturn mass planet, MOA-2009-BLG-319LB; The Astrophysical Journal: An International Review of Astronomy and Astronomical Physics
A systematic fitting scheme for caustic-crossing microlensing events; Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
An Isolated Stellar-mass Black Hole Detected through Astrometric Microlensing; Astrophysical Journal
An Unusual Burst from Soft Gamma Repeater SGR 1900+14: Comparisons with Giant Flares and Implications for the Magnetar Model; The Astrophysical Journal
An X-ray pulsar with a superstrong magnetic field in the soft gamma-ray repeater SGR 1806-20; Nature
Binary microlensing event OGLE-2009-BLG-020 gives verifiable mass, distance, and orbit predictions; The Astrophysical Journal: An International Review of Astronomy and Astronomical Physics
Changes in Pluto's Atmosphere: 1988-2006; The Astronomical Journal
Characterizing low-mass binaries from observation of long-timescale caustic-crossing gravitational microlensing events; The Astrophysical Journal
Constraints on Charon's orbital elements from the double stellar occultation of 2008 June 22; Astronomical Journal
Decrease in the orbital period of dwarf nova OY Carinae; Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Discovery and mass measurements of a cold, 10 earth mass planet and its host star; The Astrophysical Journal: An International Review of Astronomy and Astronomical Physics
Discovery of a cool planet of 5.5 Earth masses through gravitational microlensing; Nature
Discovery of a Jupiter/Saturn Analog with Gravitational Microlensing; Science
Discovery of a Magnetar Associated with the Soft Gamma Repeater SGR 1900+14; The Astrophysical Journal
Discovery of a New Soft Gamma Repeater, SGR 1627-41; The Astrophysical Journal
Energy Spectrum and Pulse Profiles of the Binary Pulsar GX 1+4; Advances in Space Research
Limits on additional planetary companions to OGLE 2005-BLG-390L; Astronomy and Astrophysics
Long-term periodicities in the flux from low mass X-ray binaries; Advances in Space Research
Magnetic field, differential rotation and activity of the hot-Jupiter-hosting star HD 179949; Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Microlensing discovery of a population of very tight, very low mass binary brown dwarfs; The Astrophysical Journal
MOA 2010-BLG-477Lb: Constraining the mass of a microlensing planet from microlensing parallax, orbital motion, and detection of blended light; The Astrophysical Journal
Moa-2010-BLG-073L: An M-dwarf with a substellar companion at the planet/brown dwarf boundary; Astrophysical Journal
MOA-2010-BLG-311: A planetary candidate below the threshold of reliable detection; Astrophysical Journal
MOA-2010-BLG-328LB: A sub-Neptune orbiting very late M dwarf?; Astrophysical Journal
MOA-2010-BLG-523: 'FAILED PLANET' = RS CVn STAR; Astrophysical Journal
MOA-2011-BLG-262Lb: a sub-earth-mass moon orbiting a gas giant primary or a high velocity planetary system in the galactic bulge; The Astrophysical Journal
No QPO time lags from Sco X-1 as seen with EXOSAT: a comparison with Cyg X-2; Astronomy and Astrophysics
Observations and modelling of the hard X-ray emission from GX 1 + 4; Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Occultation evidence for an atmosphere on Pluto; Nature
OGLE-2005-BLG-018: Characterization of full physical and orbital parameters of a gravitational binary lens; The Astrophysical Journal: An International Review of Astronomy and Astronomical Physics
OGLE-2005-BLG-071Lb, the most massive M dwarf planetary companion?; The Astrophysical Journal
OGLE-2005-BLG-153: Microlensing discovery and characterization of a very low mass binary; Astrophysical Journal
OGLE-2008-BLG-510: First automated real-time detection of a weak microlensing anomaly - brown dwarf or stellar binary?; Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
On the Nature of XTE J0421+560/CI Camelopardalis; The Astrophysical Journal
One or more bound planets per Milky Way star from microlensing observations; Nature
Photometric observations of the radio bright B[e]/X-ray binary CI Cam; Astronomy and Astrophysics
Pluto's Atmospheric Structure: Results From the 2006 June 12 Stellar Occulation; 38th Meeting of the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences
Quantifying and visualizing access to healthy food in a rural area of Australia: A spatial analysis; Food Security: the science, sociology and economics of food production and access to food
Radio and X-Ray Observations of the 1998 Outburst of the Recurrent X-Ray Transient 4U 1630-47; The Astrophysical Journal
Red noise versus planetary interpretations in the microlensing event OGLE-2013-BLG-446; Astrophysical Journal
Resumed spin-up in GX 1+4; Astronomy and Astrophysics
Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer Observations of the Anomalous Pulsar 4U 0142+61; The Astrophysical Journal
Super-orbital periods in X-ray binaries; Advances in Space Research
The first circumbinary planet found by microlensing: OGLE-2007-BLG-349L(AB)c; Astronomical Journal
The Size of Pluto's Atmosphere As Revealed by the 2006 June 12 Occultation; 38th Meeting of the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences
The Timing Evolution of 4U 1630-47 during Its 1998 Outburst; The Astrophysical Journal
The timing properties of Sco X-1 along its Z track with EXOSAT; Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Timing Noise in SGR 1806-20; The Astrophysical Journal
Vegetation mapping for Tasmania using aerial photography

Research Projects

A Bright Spark: Solar Observing as a Hook for Learning; Tasmanian Community Fund (TasCF)
Searching for Planetary Systems About Other Stars; University of Tasmania (UTAS)
Astronomical Time Series Analysis
May the force be with our students
Shaking Up the Future:

Research Candidate Supervision