Dr Mark Wilkinson
Reader in Theoretical Astrophysics
BA, MSc (Trinity College Dublin), DPhil (Oxford)
Tel: 0116 252 3572
Email: miw6@le.ac.uk
Office: Room G51, Physics & Astronomy
Personal details
BA, MSc (Trinity College Dublin), DPhil (Oxford)
I obtained my BA and MSc in Theoretical Physics at Trinity College Dublin and a DPhil in Theoretical Astronomy at the University of Oxford. Between 2000 and 2006, I was a post-doc at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge. I subsequently moved to the University of Leicester to take up a Royal Society University Research Fellow. I am currently a Reader in the Theoretical Astrophysics Group of the Dept. of Physics & Astronomy.
Science communication
- November 2013: Invited monthly speaker for Astronomy Ireland meeting at Trinity College Dublin
- November 2013: Astronomy workshop with 8-11-year-olds in Rathfarnham Parish National School, Dublin, Ireland
- January 2014: Keynote speaker at UoL Stargazing Live event (2 presentations)
- January 2014: Speaker at Cafe Scientifique in Nottingham
- July 2016: Lecture to University of Leicester Space School students
Other activities
Organisation of post-graduate student journal club
Teaching
During the 2015/16 academic year I delivered the following modules:
- PA1120 - Unit 2 - The second law of thermodynamics
- PA2720 - Unit on Introduction to Statistical Mechanics
- PA3230 - Unit 1 of Interaction of Radiation and Matter
Publications
Selected publications
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Belokurov V., Koposov S. E., Evans N. W., Peñarrubia J., Irwin M. J., Smith M. C., Lewis G. F., Gieles M., Wilkinson M. I., Gilmore G., Olszewski E. W., Niederste-Ostholt M.,Precession of the Sagittarius stream Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2014) 437:116-131 (Journal article)
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Koch A., Hansen T., Feltzing S., Wilkinson M. I., A Spectroscopic Binary in the Hercules Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy The Astrophysical Journal (2014) 780:91- (Journal article)
2014
2013
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Assmann P., Fellhauer M., Wilkinson M. I., Smith R., Blaña M., A possible formation scenario for dwarf spheroidal galaxies - II. A parameter study Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2013) 435:2391-2406 (Journal article)
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Zubovas K., Nayakshin S., King A., Wilkinson M., AGN outflows trigger starbursts in gas-rich galaxies Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2013) 433:3079-3090 (Journal article)
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Hague P. R., Wilkinson M. I., Dark matter in disc galaxies - I. A Markov Chain Monte Carlo method and application to DDO 154 Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2013) 433:2314-2333 (Journal article)
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Nayakshin S., Wilkinson M. I., A link between feedback outflows and satellite galaxy suppression Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2013) 433:324-331 (Journal article)
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Assmann P., Fellhauer M., Wilkinson M. I., Smith R., A possible formation scenario for dwarf spheroidal galaxies - I. Fiducial model Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2013) 432:274-284 (Journal article)
Research
The Milky Way and other nearby galaxies constitute valuable templates with which to unravel the processes which drive galaxy formation and evolution. In my research, I use a combination of observations and theoretical modelling to extract information from these galaxies and use them as nearby cosmological probes. At present, my work is primarily focussed on constraining the properties of dark matter using observations of the satellite galaxies which orbit the Milky Way. My future plans include the development of dynamical models of the Milky Way which will be used to interpret new data sets, such as that from the recently launched Gaia satellite.
Supervision
During the 2015/16 academic year I supervised:
- 1 Fourth year advanced study project
- 2 Third year paired research projects
