DAVID J. CHAMPION BSc MSc PhD

Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie,

Auf dem Hügel, 69

53121, Bonn

Germany

Ph: (Work) +49 228 525 315

E-mail: david@djchampion.com

A pulsar astronomer involved in several major radio survey and timing projects.

EXPERIENCE

Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie

Working on a major multibeam survey for pulsars using the 100m Effelsberg radio telescope. This is the first such survey of the northern sky and expected to yield 100s of new pulsars. Exotic pulsars and extreme binary systems are excellent laboratories for astronomy, astrophysics, plasma physics, condensed matter physics, electromagnetism and, in particular, general relativity.

A member of the European Pulsar Timing Array team using pulsars to search for gravitational waves using pulsars. Precise timing of the most stable pulsars is required to detect gravitational waves, Earth time standard errors or Solar System ephemeris errors. New levels of timing precision is also likely to yield new science as new parameter space is probed.

Australia Telescope National Facility - CSIRO

A member of the Parkes Pulsar Timing Array team using pulsars to search for gravitational waves using pulsars.

Following up the discovery of a unique highly-eccentric millisecond pulsar found in the Galactic-plane. This system is not expected given current theories of millisecond pulsar formation and its origin a matter of speculation. This has resulted in the publication of a Science paper.

Used the dual-frequency receiver at Parkes as part of a timing and multi frequency follow up of the discovery of the first millisecond radio pulsar to be found in an X-ray binary system. This pulsar is a potential missing link in recycling theory between radio pulsars and X-ray binaries and has resulted in the publication of a Science paper.

McGill University

Awarded a National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada post-doctoral fellowship.

A collaborator in several major surveys for new and exotic pulsars using the two largest radio telescopes, in Arecibo and West Virginia.

Worked on the development of a processing pipeline to reduce the more than 1024 terabytes of data produced by these surveys. The pipeline was designed to be applied to a number of different Beowulf computing clusters and to store the results in a central database. Tools were also developed to visualise these results, aiding the discovery of pulsars.

Highlights thus far include a relativistic binary, several unusual emitters and the most distant Galactic-plane short-period pulsar discovered to date.

Manchester University at Jodrell Bank

Searched an Arecibo drift-scan survey for pulsars. This led to the discovery of the 7th double neutron star system. Accurate timing allowed general relativistic effects were measured for this system constraining its geometry. Several other timing projects were undertaken resulting in the discovery of a several unusual pulsars. One pulsar challenges the classic model of pulsar emission. A small survey was undertaken to see if gamma-ray sources in a nearby star-forming region were linked with a pulsar population. Monte Carlo simulations were used to evaluate the results. Worked on the development of a quasi-real-time pulsar search pipeline to be used during the Arecibo surveys. This has discovered more that 30 pulsars thus far.

Queen's University Belfast at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

Investigated the distribution of local interstellar dust and gas using the reddening of stars along particular lines of sight. Three nights of observations on the Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope on La Palma were used to confirm the detection of a local dust cloud.

Liverpool University at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories

An instrument scientist at the world's brightest Spallation Neutron Source, ISIS. Help visiting scientists use inelastic neutron spectroscopy as a tool for condensed matter physics and physical chemistry.

C.E.R.N.

Worked with the neutrino oscillations group to link their database to a web-based data reduction tool.

Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

Initially as a summer student, I worked on the development of an internet database of inelastic neutron spectra.

TEACHING

Involved in the supervision of several PhD students at Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie.

Supervised undergraduate summer students at the Australia Telescope National Facility, McGill, Jodrell Bank and the Rutherford Appleton Labs.

Graduate Teaching Assistant at Manchester University

Third and fourth year astrophysics labs.

Second year programming course and general labs.

First year computing course and general labs.

PUBLIC OUTREACH

Involved in the Pulse@Parkes project to give high-school students a chance to use the Parkes telescope.

Gave tours of the Parkes telescope during the bi-annual open day.

Given public talks at several amateur astronomy groups.

Hosted question and answer sessions with the public at Jodrell Bank.

As part of a county wide event, gave tours of Jodrell Bank talking about the history of the observatory and research interests.

Visited local schools and gave presentations about the night sky using a portable planetarium.

EDUCATION

PERSONAL DETAILS

PUBLICATIONS

Journal Articles

Conference Articles