Owen Jessop
| Biography | I completed my undergraduate education at the University of Durham, where I pursued the Master of Physics in Theoretical Physics degree from October 2019 to July 2023. Throughout my undergraduate years, I developed a strong foundation in theoretical and computational physics, which fuelled my growing interest in astrophysics and complex simulation techniques. During my final year, I embarked on a Master's thesis titled "Simulating Circumbinary Habitable Zones." This project involved a detailed investigation into the planetary climate of Earth-like planets residing in Circumbinary systems, where the planet orbits around the centre of mass of a binary star pair. The focus of my research was to simulate the climate dynamics of planets within these intricate systems, which present unique challenges due to the presence of two stellar sources. Such systems have fascinated the astrophysical community as they hold the potential for habitable conditions, despite their complex gravitational and radiative environments. My work involved using climate models to understand the impact of varying radiation fluxes and orbital configurations on potential habitability. The aim was to provide insights into how stable climatic conditions could be sustained, which is crucial for determining the potential for life in such unique planetary environments. The quality of my research and the depth of my analysis were recognized by the Department of Physics, and I was awarded the J A Chalmers Award in Theoretical Physics. This award is given for exceptionally high-quality work in theoretical research, and it was a significant honour for me to receive it in recognition of my Master's thesis. Following my passion for computational astrophysics, I began my PhD in October 2024 at the Institute for Computational Cosmology (ICC) at Durham University. My doctoral research is embedded within the highly specialized and collaborative environment of the ICC, which is known for its pioneering work in computational cosmology. My focus is on performing and analysing cosmological simulations that are run on highly parallelised supercomputers, aiming to better understand the large-scale structure and evolution of the universe. Specifically, my work involves developing and utilizing advanced numerical simulations to model the formation and behaviour of cosmic structures, such as galaxies, dark matter halos, and the cosmic web. These simulations require vast computational resources and are carried out on supercomputers with sophisticated parallel processing capabilities. By leveraging these technologies, my research aims to reproduce and interpret observational data, bridging the gap between theoretical predictions and empirical findings. My work is part of a larger effort to understand the fundamental physics governing the universe, including the nature of dark matter and dark energy, as well as the processes that drive galaxy formation and evolution. |
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| Research Interests | Computational Cosmology Cosmic Structure Formation Galaxy Formation High Performance Computing |
| Teaching and Learning | I am currently a Postgraduate Demonstrator for the Level 3 Maths Workshop Course within the Department of Physics. |