Duncan Galloway is visiting from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. His main research involves observational studies of thermonuclear explosions and merging compact objects, with the aim to understand extreme nuclear physics processes and the properties of ultra-dense matter.

Galloway is also co-PI of the Gravitational-wave Optical Transient Observatory (GOTO) project, which operates a global network of optical telescopes located in La Palma, Spain, and Sliding Springs, Australia. GOTO routinely responds autonomously within minutes to transient detections including gravitational-wave sources, the violent collision of black holes and neutron stars, by the Advanced Laser Interferometric Gravitational-wave Observatory (aLIGO), as well as to highly energetic explosions called gamma-ray bursts that are detected by NASA’s Fermi and Swift space satellites.

During his visiting professorship, Galloway will collaborate with several API and GRAPPA staff and their research groups to use thermonuclear explosions to constrain the equation of state of ultra-dense matter, and to optimize the GOTO observation design and strategy. Galloway will also deliver a mini lecture series for API and GRAPPA (PhD) students and postdocs, to inform them of current research activities, developments and opportunities in these two areas.