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Paul Shepherd

Paul

Research Student

Email: p.d.shepherd@qmul.ac.uk
Room Number: G. O. Jones Building

Profile

Project Title: Testing Gravity Theories with Wide Binary Star Observations

Supervisor: Dr William Sutherland

This project will include the following activities:

1) Establishing parameter space constraints (e.g. mass / eccentricity / semi-major axis distributions / multi-star system orbital stability criteria) in which to model triple systems, including one unseen companion star or brown dwarf.

2) Extend the above modelling to quadruple systems

3) Evaluate prospective detectability of currently unseen companions in the future using current and near future observational techniques/equipment.

4) Incorporate sample data cleansing modelling into the above in order to establish the expected kinematic and multiplicity characteristics of final GAIA data samples used for the wide binary gravity test.

5) Fit the above models with available GAIA DR3 data and, when released, more accurate DR4 data.

6) With the results of 5) determine what level of degeneracy exists between gravity theories and the parameter space range(s).

Funding: Part-time home student, self-funded

Research

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