Professor Isobel Hook

Web Links

My publications can be found on my public ORCID profile here:

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2960-978X

PhD Supervision Interests

Project Title: Distant Type Ia supernovae and dark energy. Dark energy is often invoked as the cause of the accelerating expansion of the universe, but its nature remains unknown. Several new telescopes and surveys will soon address this issue. This PhD project aims to advance the use of Type Ia supernovae as distance indicators for cosmology, using a combination of simulations and data from these new telescopes. Specifically, the student will work on surveys with the Rubin Observatory, ESA's Euclid mission and/or 4MOST (the 4meter Multi-Object Spectrograph Telescope). These surveys will detect tens of thousands of new supernovae and their host galaxies with a range of imaging and spectroscopic observations at optical and near-infrared wavelengths. The project will start by working with collaborators to prepare for and collect the new datasets. The first dataset available is from the Euclid mission, which was launched in July 2023 and is now producing spectacular images that will be used to search for supernovae. As the dataset increases in size, the project will move towards searching for statistical correlations among various properties of the supernovae and their environments. This information will be used to improve the accuracy of Type Ia supernova distance measurements, and hence ultimately improve constraints on the nature of Dark Energy. Please contact Prof Isobel Hook for further information. This PhD project represents just one component of the research performed by the wider Astrophysics group at Lancaster University. Our PhD projects are offered on a competitive basis and are subject to availability of funding.