Prof. Moira Jardine

Position:
Professor
Research Theme:
Astronomy
Institution:
St. Andrews
Email address:
mmj@st-andrews.ac.uk
Website:
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~mmj/
Address:
School of Physics & Astronomy, Physical Science Building, North Haugh, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, United Kingdom

Research interests

I am a professor of Astronomy at the University of St Andrews. I was appointed to a personal chair in 2010 when I became the first female professor of physics at this University. The aim of my research is to understand the evolutionary history of our own solar system and the fundamental physics that governs planet habitability. To achieve this, I study the magnetic activity of a range of stars. This activity drives both the stellar wind and the coronal X-ray emission that can erode and irradiate planetary atmospheres. This has a long-term impact on the ability of the planet to harbour complex life.

Magnetic activity is also a major barrier to exoplanet detection, so this work is of strategic importance for future exoplanet studies with NIR instruments such as SPIROU and CARMENES and also for missions such as MEarth, JWST, EChO, GAIA and WFIRST. In the longer term, it also underpins all astrobiology initiatives aimed at understanding the development of life, since planets and their host stars are interdependent and so their evolution must be considered together.

Although I am primarily a theorist, my work involves a very integral relationship with large international observing teams. I mainly achieve this through several consortia: MagIcS (PI: Donati - includes over 100 scientists from over 10 countries) and Bcool (PI Petit - a large-scale survey of the magnetic activity of solar-like stars).

Teaching

I have taught students at all levels, from first year undergraduates to post-graduates. I currently teach 3 courses:

Subhonours: 

  • AS1001 - the Solar System component

Honours:

  • PH4031: Fluids
  • AS5002: Magnetofluids and space Plasmas

I also contribute towards the SUPA graduate school course on Astrophysical Plasmas.

Other teaching-related activity:

I coordinate the astronomy first year modules and tutor the "Transferable Skills" module (PH3014).

Research outputs

  1. Magnetic support of stellar slingshot prominences DOI
    Rose F. P. Waugh and Moira M. Jardine, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 483, 2 , p. 1513-1522 (2019)
  2. Slingshot prominences DOI
    Moira Jardine and Andrew Collier Cameron, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 482, 3 , p. 2853-2860 (2019)
  3. Observing the simulations DOI
    L. T. Lehmann, G. A. J. Hussain, M. M. Jardine, D. H. Mackay and A. A. Vidotto, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 483, 4 , p. 5246-5266 (2018)
  4. The magnetic field vector of the Sun-as-a-star – II. Evolution of the large-scale vector field through activity cycle 24 DOI
    A. A. Vidotto, L. T. Lehmann, M. Jardine and A. A. Pevtsov, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 480, 1 , p. 477-487 (2018)
  5. The relation between stellar magnetic field geometry and chromospheric activity cycles - II The rapid 120-day magnetic cycle of τ Bootis DOI
    S. V. Jeffers, M. Mengel, C. Moutou, S. C. Marsden, J. R. Barnes, M. M. Jardine, P. Petit, J. H. M. M. Schmitt, V. See, A. A. Vidotto et al., Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 479, 4 , p. 5266-5271 (2018)
  6. Connecting the large- and the small-scale magnetic fields of solar-like stars DOI
    L. T. Lehmann, M. M. Jardine, D. H. Mackay and A. A. Vidotto, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 478, 4 , p. 4390-4409 (2018)
  7. Hierarchical Bayesian calibration of tidal orbit decay rates among hot Jupiters DOI
    Andrew Collier Cameron and Moira Jardine, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 476, 2 , p. 2542-2555 (2018)
  8. Prominence formation and ejection in cool stars DOI
    Carolina Susana Villarreal D'Angelo, Moira Mary Jardine and Wyke Chun Victor See, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, 475, 1 , p. 25-29 (2018)
  9. The open flux evolution of a solar-mass star on the main sequence DOI
    V. See, M. Jardine, A. A. Vidotto, J. -F. Donati, S. Boro Saikia, R. Fares, C. P. Folsom, S. V. Jeffers, S. C. Marsden, J. Morin et al., Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 474, 1 , p. 536-546 (2018)
  10. Simulating radio emission from low-mass stars DOI
    Joe Llama, Moira M. Jardine, Kenneth Wood, Gregg Hallinan and Julien Morin, Astrophysical Journal, 854, 1 (2018)
Show all 159 research outputs
Last updated: 06 Mar 2019 at 10:14