Biography
I completed an MSc in Physics and Astronomy from Bristol University in 2003 and a PhD in Astrophysics from University College London in 2009. After my PhD I worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics before taking up first a Royal Astronomical Society Research Fellowship at the University of Hertfordshire in 2012. I moved to Keele University in 2015 as an Ernest Rutherford Fellow and was awarded a lectureship the following year.
Research and scholarship
My research concerns the formation and dynamics of star clusters and what this can tell us about how stars and star clusters form and evolve. I use observations at a range of wavelengths from both ground and space-based observatories to study young stars in a number of different clusters and associations. In particular I use high-precision imaging and spectroscopic observations to acquire radial velocities and proper motions for young stars to expose their kinematics and the dynamical processes at work in star clusters. I am also interested in how stars generate a magnetic dynamo and emit X-rays.
See my personal webpage for more information: http://www.astro.keele.ac.uk/~njw/
Teaching
"Stars and the Universe" (PHY-10026)
Selected Publications
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Estimating the Convective Turnover Time. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, Article ARTN 145, vol. 940(2). link> doi> full text>2022.
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The structure and 3D kinematics of vela OB2. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 5704-5720, vol. 517(4). link> doi> full text>2022.
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The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey: Implementation, data products, open cluster survey, science, and legacy. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, Article ARTN A121, vol. 666. link> doi> full text>2022.
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Large-scale expansion of OB stars in Cygnus. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 687-692, vol. 515(1). link> doi> full text>2022.
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Quantifying kinematic substructure in star-forming regions with statistical tests of spatial autocorrelation. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2266-2279, vol. 515(2). link> doi> full text>2022.
Full Publications Listshow
Journal Articles
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Estimating the Convective Turnover Time. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, Article ARTN 145, vol. 940(2). link> doi> full text>2022.
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The structure and 3D kinematics of vela OB2. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 5704-5720, vol. 517(4). link> doi> full text>2022.
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The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey: Implementation, data products, open cluster survey, science, and legacy. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, Article ARTN A121, vol. 666. link> doi> full text>2022.
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Large-scale expansion of OB stars in Cygnus. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 687-692, vol. 515(1). link> doi> full text>2022.
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Quantifying kinematic substructure in star-forming regions with statistical tests of spatial autocorrelation. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2266-2279, vol. 515(2). link> doi> full text>2022.
- 2022.
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High-resolution H alpha imaging of the northern Galactic plane and the IGAPS image database. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, Article ARTN A49, vol. 655. link> doi> full text>2021.
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The Gaia-ESO Survey: Membership probabilities for stars in 63 open and 7 globular clusters from 3D kinematics. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 1664-1680, vol. 509(2). link> doi> full text>2022.
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Proper motions of OB stars in the far Carina Arm. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 4952-4968, vol. 508(4). link> doi> link> full text>2021.
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Revisiting the Cygnus OB associations. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2370-2385, vol. 508(2). link> doi> full text>2021.
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Dispersal timescale of protoplanetary disks in the low-metallicity young cluster Dolidze 25. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Article A157, vol. 650. doi> link> full text>2021.
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OB Associations and their origins. New Astronomy Reviews, Article ARTN 101549, vol. 90. link> doi> link> full text>2020.
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The Gaia-ESO Survey: Galactic evolution of lithium at high metallicity. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, Article ARTN L1, vol. 640. link> doi> full text>2020.
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The Gaia-ESO Survey: membership probabilities for stars in 32 open clusters from 3D kinematics. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 4701-4716, vol. 496(4). link> doi> full text>2020.
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IGAPS: the merged IPHAS and UVEX optical surveys of the northern Galactic plane*. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, vol. 638. link> doi> full text>2020.
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The velocity structure of Cygnus OB2. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 3474-3481, vol. 495(3). link> doi> link> full text>2020.
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COBRaS: The e-MERLIN 21 cm Legacy survey of Cygnus OB2. Astronomy and Astrophysics, Article ARTN A64, vol. 637. link> doi> link> full text>2020.
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The dynamics of the gamma Vel cluster and nearby Vela OB2 association. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 4794-4801, vol. 494(4). link> doi> full text>2020.
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A kinematically hot population of young stars in the solar neighbourhood. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2429-2439, vol. 494(2). link> doi> full text>2020.
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Deep Chandra Survey of the Small Magellanic Cloud. III. Formation Efficiency of High-mass X-Ray Binaries. Astrophysical Journal, Article ARTN 20, vol. 887(1). link> doi> full text>2019.
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Kinematic signatures of cluster formation from cool collapse in the Lagoon Nebula cluster NGC 6530. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2694-2701, vol. 489(2). doi> full text>2019.
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Expanding associations in the Vela-Puppis region 3D structure and kinematics of the young population. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, Article ARTN A17, vol. 626. link> doi> full text>2019.
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Dynamical evolution of star-forming regions: III. Unbound stars and predictions for Gaia. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 4615-4630, vol. 487(4). link> doi> full text>2019.
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The O star hinterland of the Galactic starburst, NGC 3603. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 1034-1044, vol. 486(1). link> doi> full text>2019.
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Disentangling the spatial substructure of Cygnus OB2 from Gaia DR2. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 1838-1842, vol. 484(2). link> doi> full text>2019.
- 2019.
- 2019.
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Massive stars in the hinterland of the young cluster, Westerlund 2. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2109-2124, vol. 480(2). link> doi> full text>2018.
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Evolution of spatio-kinematic structures in star-forming regions: are Friends of Friends worth knowing?. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. link> doi> link> full text>2018.
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The stellar rotation-activity relationship in fully convective M dwarfs. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2351-2360, vol. 479(2). link> doi> full text>2018.
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A sextet of clusters in the Vela OB2 region revealed by Gaia. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, L11-L15, vol. 481(1). link> doi> full text>2018.
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The low-mass population of the Vela OB2 association from Gaia. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, L121-L125, vol. 480(1). link> doi> full text>2018.
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The Gaia-ESO Survey: a kinematical and dynamical study of four young open clusters. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, Article ARTN A37, vol. 615. link> doi> full text>2018.
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Discovery of a New Classical Nova Shell Around a Nova-like Cataclysmic Variable. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, Article ARTN 80, vol. 857(2). link> doi> full text>2018.
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A new mechanical stellar wind feedback model for the Rosette Nebula. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 3598-3612, vol. 475(3). link> doi> link> full text>2018.
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A and F stars as probes of outer Galactic disc kinematics. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 1680-1695, vol. 475(2). link> doi> full text>2018.
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The kinematics of the Scorpius-Centaurus OB association from Gaia DR1. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 381-398, vol. 476(1). link> doi> full text>2018.
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The deep OB star population in Carina from the VST Photometric H alpha Survey (VPHAS plus ). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1807-1830, vol. 465(2). link> doi> link> full text>2017.
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A tale of three cities OmegaCAM discovers multiple sequences in the color-magnitude diagram of the Orion Nebula Cluster. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, Article ARTN A22, vol. 604. link> doi> full text>2017.
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The Gaia-ESO Survey: Structural and dynamical properties of the young cluster Chamaeleon I. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, Article ARTN A97, vol. 601. link> doi> full text>2017.
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Cygnus OB2 DANCe: A high-precision proper motion study of the Cygnus OB2 association. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2593-2610, vol. 460(3). link> doi> full text>2016.
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Solar-type dynamo behaviour in fully convective stars without a tachocline. Nature, 526-528, vol. 535(7613). link> doi> full text>2016.
- 2016.
- 2016.
- 2016.
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The Gaia-ESO Survey: Dynamical analysis of the L1688 region in Ophiuchus. ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, Article ARTN A123, vol. 588. link> doi> full text>2016.
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X-RAY EMISSION FROM MASSIVE STARS IN CYG OB2. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL SUPPLEMENT SERIES, Article ARTN 1, vol. 221(1). link> doi> full text>2015.
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Classical T Tauri stars with VPHAS+ – I. H α and<i>u</i>-band accretion rates in the Lagoon Nebula M8. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1026-1046, vol. 453(1). doi>2015.
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The massive star population of Cygnus OB2. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 741-760, vol. 449(1). link> doi> full text>2015.
- 2015.
- 2014.
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A 3D extinction map of the northern Galactic plane based on IPHAS photometry. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2907-2922, vol. 443(4). link> doi> full text>2014.
- 2014.
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Ultraviolet-excess sources with a red/infrared counterpart: low-mass companions, debris discs and QSO selection. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2-13, vol. 438(1). link> doi> full text>2014.
- 2014.
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The ionized nebula surrounding the red supergiant W26 in Westerlund 1. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, L1-L5, vol. 437(1). link> doi> full text>2014.
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Constraints on massive star formation: Cygnus OB2 was always an association. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 639-646, vol. 438(1). link> doi> full text>2014.
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Dynamical evolution of star-forming regions. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 620-638, vol. 438(1). link> doi> full text>2014.
- 2013.
- 2013.
- 2013.
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First results of an Hα based search of classical Be stars in the Perseus Arm and beyond. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2169-2187, vol. 430(3). doi>2013.
- 2013.
- 2010.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2012.
- 2011.
- 2011.
- 2011.
- 2010.
- 2010.
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THE TAIWAN-AMERICAN OCCULTATION SURVEY PROJECT STELLAR VARIABILITY. I. DETECTION OF LOW-AMPLITUDE δ SCUTI STARS. The Astronomical Journal, 757-764, vol. 139(2). doi>2010.
- 2009.
- 2009.
- 2009.
- 2009.
- 2008.
- 2008.
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Initial data release from the INT Photometric H Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (IPHAS). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 89-104, vol. 388(1). doi>2008.
- 2008.
- 2006.
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The INT Photometric H Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (IPHAS). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 753-776, vol. 362(3). doi>2005.
- 2002.
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Dynamical evolution of star-forming regions - II. Basic kinematics. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 3430-3447, vol. 457(4). link> doi> full text>2016.
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First release of the IPHAS catalogue of new extended planetary nebulae. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 3388-3401, vol. 443(4). link> doi> full text>2014.
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Mass segregation in star clusters is not energy equipartition. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, L119-L123, vol. 459(1). link> doi> full text>2016.
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New OB star candidates in the Carina Arm around Westerlund 2 from VPHAS. MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 3855-3873, vol. 450(4). link> doi> full text>2015.
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SXP 214: AN X-RAY PULSAR IN THE SMALL MAGELLANIC CLOUD, CROSSING THE CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK OF THE COMPANION. ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, Article ARTN 4, vol. 826(1). link> doi> full text>2016.
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The VST Photometric Hα Survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. doi> full text>2014.
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The second data release of the INT Photometric Hα Survey of the Northern Galactic Plane (IPHAS DR2). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. doi> full text>2014.
Chapters
- 2016.
Other
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The Dynamics of OB Associations. http://coolstars20.cfa.harvard.edu/abstracts.html. Zenodo. link> doi> link> full text>2018.
School address
Lennard-Jones School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Lennard-Jones Building
Keele University
Staffordshire
ST5 5BG, UK
Phone (School Office): +44 (0)1782 733033, (Chemistry): +44 (0)1782 731693, (Forensic Science): +44 (0)1782 731694, (Physics): +44 (0)1782 733527
Email: scps@keele.ac.uk
Programme directors
Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry
Dr Matthew O'Brien
Tel : +44 (0)1782 734371
Email : m.obrien@keele.ac.uk
Forensic Science
Dr Jamie K. Pringle
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733163
Email : j.k.pringle@keele.ac.uk
Physics and Astrophysics
Dr Arumugam Mahendrasingam
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733312
Email : a.mahendrasingam@keele.ac.uk
Admission tutors
Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry
Dr Natalie Capel
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733584
Email : n.j.capel@keele.ac.uk
Forensic Science
Victoria Cartwright
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733584
Email : v.cartwright@keele.ac.uk
Physics and Astrophysics
Dr Patrick Connell
Tel : +44 (0)1782 733892
Email : physics@keele.ac.uk or p.j.connell@keele.ac.uk