Andrew Simpson
B.Sc. (Hons)


PhD Student
RAACE (Research Award for Areas and Centres of Excellence) award

Contact Details: Email: ajs@els.mq.edu.au

Research Area: Martian meteorological measurements using ground-based telescopes
Supervisor: Dr Jeremy Bailey

Once upon a time, I wanted to be a doctor (of the medical as opposed to academic kind). Then I figured I might not thoroughly enjoy cutting up people, so I decided that I'd be a vet. Eventually I realised the same problem applied to animals as well, so I took the only logical step I could think of and set my heart on doing astronomy.

I completed my undergraduate degree in physics and astronomy at UNSW in 2003, where I compiled two honours theses, one on extrasolar planet detection with John Webb and the second on terraforming Mars with Michael Box.

The main aim of my project is to create and validate a new method for obtaining measurements of the Martian atmosphere using ground-based telescopes. We hope to combine both observational data and computational models to enable the generation of surface pressure maps of Mars. Such maps are important for the correction and enhancement of existing numerical models of the Martian atmosphere; the failure of ESA's Beagle 2 lander due to inaccurate atmospheric calculations is just one reason why these maps are of extreme significance.

 

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Last Updated: Jan 30 2006