| Tim O'Brien | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Timothy John O'Brien (1964-03-31) 31 March 1964 (age 60) |
| Alma mater | University College London (BSc) University of Manchester (PhD) |
| Known for | Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) Bluedot Festival |
| Spouse | Teresa Anderson |
| Awards | Kelvin Prize (2014) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Manchester Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics Liverpool John Moores University |
| Thesis | A model for the remnant of the recurrent nova RS Ophiuchi (1985) (1990) |
| Doctoral advisor | Franz Daniel Kahn |
| Website | proftimobrien |
Timothy John O'Brien (born 31 March 1964) is a British astronomer, currently working at the University of Manchester as Professor of Astrophysics. He often appears on the BBC.
Early life and education
He was born in Littleborough, Greater Manchester. He grew up in Castleton, Greater Manchester in the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. He attended school in Rochdale., attending St Wilfrid’s RC Middle School from 1975 to 1977, and Bishop Henshaw RC Memorial High School, now St Cuthbert's RC High School, from 1977 to 1982.
He studied Physics and Astrophysics at Queen Mary College and completed his PhD at the University of Manchester between 1985 and 1988.
Career and research
He taught at the University of Liverpool in the 1990s. He began working at the University of Manchester in 1999 where he is currently associate director of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics. He is also Director of Teaching & Learning in the university's School of Physics & Astronomy. From 2009 to 2015, he taught the first year undergraduate course in Astrophysics.
His research is primarily in the area of novae (thermonuclear explosions on white dwarf stars in binary star systems) and includes both theoretical work and observations using telescopes around the world and in space working across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Broadcasting
He has appeared on Stargazing Live on BBC Two and The Infinite Monkey Cage on BBC Radio 4.
Personal life
O'Brien is married to Professor Teresa Anderson (born 1 December 1962). He lived for a time in Macclesfield and currently lives in south Manchester. He has a younger sister (born 1965) and a younger brother (born 1967).
References
- Dyson, James E.; Lynden Bell, Donald (1999). "Franz Daniel Kahn. 13 May 1926 -- 8 February 1998: Elected F.R.S. 1993". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 45: 255–267. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1999.0017. ISSN 0080-4606. S2CID 71566659.
- Tim O'Brien at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
- Healy, F.; O'Brien, T. J.; Beswick, R. (2016). "eMERLIN imaging of γ-ray nova V959 Mon's surprising evolution". Journal of Physics: Conference Series. 728 (4): 042002. Bibcode:2016JPhCS.728d2002H. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/728/4/042002. ISSN 1742-6588.
- ^ Anglesey, Natalie (26 August 2016). "THE SCIENCE INTERVIEW: 'AWESOME ASTROPHYSICIST' PROFESSOR TIM O'BRIEN". thecheshiremagazine.co.uk. Cheshire Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 November 2016.
- Newsround February 2016
- BBC Inside Science February 2016
- Rochdale January 2014
- Astrophysics
- EuroScience Open Forum 2016
- Newsround February 2017
- Wife
| Academic offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Professor of Astrophysics at the School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester - |
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| Jodrell Bank Observatory | |
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| Supernovae | ||
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- Jodrell Bank Observatory
- 1964 births
- Academics of the University of Liverpool
- Academics of the University of Manchester
- Alumni of the University of Manchester
- Alumni of University College London
- British astrophysicists
- British people of Irish descent
- 21st-century British astronomers
- English physicists
- People from Littleborough, Greater Manchester
- British science communicators
- Living people