Research Interests
Open to PhD applications in the field of
- Cometary and asteroid observational research
- Spectroscopy of cometary bodies
- Spectroscopy and photometry of asteroidal objects
Public outreach & key achievements
- https://phys.org/news/2017-10-astronomers-capture-solar.html
- http://asteroidday.org/video/live-luxembourg-telescopes
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08f19c3
- https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/rosetta-jitters-turn-to-joy-for-queens-prof-
as-philae-lander-touches-down-on-comet-30740813.html - https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/news/2013/03/5-minutes-with-astronomer-alan-fitzsimmons
Research students
| PhD Title | Observational studies of cometary solar system bodies |
| Name | Meabh Hyland |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Year of Study | 2014 - 2018 |
Alumni: Where are they now
| PhD Title | Physical Properties of cometary nuclei and studies of distant activity |
| Name | Dr Stephen Lowry |
| Year of Study | 1998-2001 |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Current Position | Senior Lecturer, University of Kent, UK |
| PhD Title | Forms and Rotation States of the Nuclei of Ecliptic Comets |
| Name | Dr Colin Snodgrass |
| Year of Study | 2003-2006 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Current Position | STFC Ernest Rutherford Senior Research Fellow, Open University, UK |
| PhD Title | Observational Constraints on the Steady-State Catastrophic Disruption Rate of Main Belt Asteroids measured using the Pan-STARRS Moving Object Processing System |
| Name | Dr Larry Denneau Jr |
| Year of Study | 2010 - 2015 |
| Country | USA |
| Current Position | Senior Software Engineer, Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, USA |