Curriculum Vitae

 

Prof Raphael Hirschi

Born in Switzerland (CH)

Education

2000 - 2004

PhD: 'Massive rotating stars: the road to supernova explosion', University of Geneva Observatory, (CH): I gained insight into stellar evolution and in particular the modelling of massive rotating stars until the pre-supernova stage, working under the supervision of world leaders in the field, Profs Maeder and Meynet

1998 - 1999

Masters: 'Oxygen burning in massive stars', EPFL, Lausanne, CH

1994 - 1998

Diplome d'Ingenieur Physicien (4-year bachelor), EPFL, Lausanne, CH

1996 - 1997

Erasmus Exchange Student, University of Nottingham (UK): I discovered a new educational system and gained insight into the synergy that can be obtained by combining the strengths of the two different approaches to education (UK & CH)

1991 - 1994

Maturite Federale, Gymnase du Bugnon, Lausanne, CH

 

Experience

Since Sept 2022

Inaugural Director of Digital Society Institute, Keele University

Sept 18 - Sept 22

Director of Research, School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Keele University

Since Jan 2018

Professor of Stellar Hydrodynamics and Nuclear Astrophysics, Keele University

Mar 13 - Dec 17

Reader in Astrophysics, Keele University (UK)

Since Nov 10

Lecturer in Astrophysics, Keele University (UK)

Since 2008

Visiting Scientist at Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, Japan. Collaborations with Prof K. Nomoto (APS Bethe Prize, 2019)

May 07 - Oct 09

RCUK Academic Fellow, Keele University, UK: I gained key insights into 3D hydrodynamics simulations of convective boundary mixing and the evolution of AGB stars by working with Falk Herwig (now Prof Ass. at Uni Victoria, Canada)

2004-2007

Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Basel, CH: I gained key insight into nuclear physics and supernovae explosions by working in the group of Prof F.-K. Thielemann (APS Bethe Prize, 2008), expert in nuclear physics and supernova simulations and in particular creator of the world leading 'REACLIB' reaction rate database.

1999 - 2000

Industrial Trainee: 'Satellite motion control', Mitsubishi R&D center, Osaka, Japan: I gained insight into different culture and approaches used in the industry (vs academia).

Summer 1998

Industrial Project: 'Wire saw technology', HCT SA, Cheseaux, CH

 

Major Collaborations (follow website link on left for full details)

ChETEC-INFRA

Keele representative of European Union's Horizon 2020 Infrastructure project with 32 partners.

IReNA

Steering Committee member of the International Research Network for Nuclear Astrophysics (IReNA, NSF AccelNet Network of Networks)

ChETEC

Chair of COST Action: 'Chemical Elements as Tracers of the Evolution of the Cosmos' (Network of 200+ scientists from 30 European countries)

SHYNE

 

PI of this ERC starting grant project, Stellar HYdrodynamics Nucleosynthesis and Evolution (2012-2017; collaborators in 9 institutions still active)

NUGRID

 

Co-founder and PI for several years in the past, Nuclear Astrophysics collaboration, (20+ institutions world-wide)

BRIDGCE

 

 

Co-Founder, past chair and current steering committee member of BRIDGCE: UK-wide network established to BRIdge the Disciplines related to the Galactic Chemical Evolution (13 UK institutions).

 

PhD Supervision

2011-2018

Research institute postgraduate committee member representing Physics/Astrophysics

Since 2008

 

Lead Supervisor for PhD Students: Emily Whitehead (2023-2026), Federico Rizzuti (2020-2023), Etienne Kaiser (2017-2021), Laura Scott (2016-2021), Jacqueline den Hartogh (2014-2017), Andrea Cristini (2013-2017), Samuel Jones (2010-2013), Michael Bennett (2008-2011)

Since 2007

Keele supervisor for PhD Student Norhasliza binti Yusof (Keele/UM, Malaysia, 2007-2011), Urs Frischknecht (Keele/Basel, CH, Profs Thielemann and Rauscher being the Basel supervisors, 2007-2011)

 

Teaching & Outreach

(post-graduate lectures are listed in the talks section below)

Since 2014/19

 

Module leader for Physics of Fluids (PHY-30030, 2014-): module that I designed. Module leader for Applied Physics and Emerging Technologies (PHY-20033, 2019-), module that I co-designed.

2011

Post-graduate diploma: 'Teaching and Learning in Higher Education'

Since 2010

Module leader: Particle Physics and Accelerators (PHY-30033, 2019-), Nuclear and Particle Physics (PHY-20009, 2011-2013, 2018-), Electricity and Magnetism (PHY10021/10023, 2010-2012), Nature of Matter (PHY-10024, 2011-2015)

2009-2014

Delivery of lectures on 'stars' and 'planets' at Science Learning Centre's weekend training events for school teachers.

2008-2011

Module leader for school teachers enhancement programmes (SASP, SKE): Mechanics (SASP and SKE) + delivery of lectures for Molecular Theory module (SASP).

Since 2000

Various outreach talks at work and schools, including stardome sessions.

 

Membership

International Astronomical Union (IAU), Royal Astronomical Society (RAS), Institute of Physics (IoP), Swiss Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics, IAU Working Group on Massive Stars (Division IV: Stars)

Fellowships & Prizes

2007

RCUK Academic Fellowship, Keele University, UK

2005

Plantamour-Prevost Prize, University of Geneva, CH

1994

Mathematics Prize, Gymnase du Bugnon, CH

Skills

Languages:

French (mother tongue), English (fluent), German (advanced), Japanese (average)

Computing:

UNIX/Linux (system administration), Fortran, Python (advanced user), etc.

 

FUNDING ID

 

 

2024-2027

PI of BRIDGCE STFC consortium grant project on: '123D Modelling of SN, NS and BH Progenitor Structures': 1 PDRA and 10% of personal time awarded (GBP 400k). 5% of personal time also awarded on 'Feedback And Yields From Very Massive Stars' project (PI Jorick Vink, Armagh)

2021-2023

PI of grant from Wolfson foundation for Keele s new GPU-accelerated HPC facility (GBP 330k awarded from Wolfson foundation)

2021-2025

Keele representative of ChETEC-INFRA European Union s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 101008324). PI D. Bemmerer, HZDR (D). Total value Euro 5 million.

2021-2024

PI of BRIDGCE STFC consortium grant project on: 'Synergetic 321D Modelling of SN, NS and BH Progenitors': 1 PDRA and 20% of personal time awarded (GBP 388k).

2018-2021

PI of BRIDGCE STFC consortium grant: 'Cosmic Impact of Massive Stars: Convective Mixing and Mass Loss'. 1 PDRA and 10% of personal time awarded as co-I of PI Vink's 'Mass Loss in Very Massive Stars' project.

2017-2021

Chair (and main proposer) of ChETEC COST Action (Euro 576k for 4 years for networking activities). 4-year programme to boost cooperation of research in Nuclear Astrophysics

2016-2018

Host for SNF Early Postdoc Mobility Fellowship: 18 months funding for Postdoc Dr Umberto Battino (value around GBP 80k)

2012-2017

PI of ERC starting grant for SHYNE project (Euro 1.4 million for 2 Postdoc +2PhD+1000-cpu cluster). 5-year project to develop a software tool suite that will efficiently connect nuclear, astrophysics and hydrodynamics.

2010-2012

Eurogenenesis Eurocore (ESF) programme: Associate Partner in MASCHE CRP (first UK partner): 'Origin of the elements' (funding for networking events)

2009-2011

PI of International Joint Project with Prof Thomas Rauscher, Basel, on comprehensive uncertainty studies of reaction rates (GBP 10k)

2008-2010

Scientist in Charge for Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship Awarded to Dr Takuma Suda, Japan (GBP 118k): 'OBSI-FSU: Joining worlds apart: Observations and Simulations of the First Stars in the Universe'

2009-2012

Theme PI in Astrophysics Group Rolling Grant (Total 1.5 million for group, 25% of personal time awarded for my theme) to work on project 'SENF: Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis in the First stars'

Since 2008

Co-I of Astrophysics STFC Doctoral Training Grant (Total GBP 200-300k per two year period)

 

HPC Computing Time Awards

(The cost of a core-hour is about 1 penny = GBP 0.01)

2024

PI of DIRAC project ID 13916 (SHYNE), 40 million core-hours on Cosma8, Durham, UK and 170 kGPU-card-hours on Tursa, Edinburgh, UK)

2021

 

PI of DIRAC project ID ACTP235, 48.99 million core-hours on Cosma, Durham, UK; (+27 kGPU-h on CSD3 GPU-system in Cambridge)

2018

PI of DIRAC project ID ACTP145, 14 million core-hours on Cosma, Durham, UK

2018

Co-I of PRACE project ID 2017174145, 42 million core-hours on MareNostrum, Barcelona, Spain

2016

Co-I of PRACE project ID 2016143263, 13.3 million core-hours on MareNostrum, Barcelona, Spain

2015

PI of DIRAC project ID ACLP53, 9.7 million core-hours awarded mainly on Cosma, Durham, UK

 

Service

2025

International Advisory Committee member, Nuclei in the Cosmos XVIII, Girona, Spain, 16-20 June

2024

Scientific Advisory Board member of Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics XI, Dresden, Germany, 15-20 Sept.

2023-

DiRAC Cosma Memory Intensive Service Management Board (SMB) at Durham University.

2023

STFC Astronomy grant panel member

2020-23

Panel member for INCITE US supercomputing Astrophysics panel

2015-2018

RAC member for the Nuclear & Particle Physics panel of DiRAC.

May 2015

LOC member, Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics VII, York, UK

June 2014

SOC member, IAU symposium 307, 'New windows on massive stars', Geneva (CH)

June 2013

SOC member, Massive Stars: From Alpha to Omega, Rhodes, Greece

Since 2013

Referee for grant proposals in UK, France, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Canada.

March 2009

Organiser & Editor 39th Saas-Fee Advanced course: "Magnetic Fields of Stars: from the Sun to Compact Objects", Les Diablerets, CH

Since 2008

Referee for Peer Reviewed Journals (e.g. Astrophysical Journal, MNRAS, A&A)

Since 2008

Referee for Observing Proposals (e.g. ESO observing panel D, Gemini Telescope) and grant proposals (e.g. STFC/UK, DFG/Germany)

2005-2015

 

Webmaster + newsletter co-editor, Working Group on Massive Stars: http://www.astroscu.unam.mx/massive_stars/

 

 

SEMINARS AT INSITUTIONS:

2024: Konkoly Obs. (Hungary) 2023: Trieste Observatory (I), Flatiron Institute, NY (US), Uni Malaya, KL (Malaysia) 2022: ICG Portsmouth (UK) 2021: KU Leuven (B) 2020: Armagh (NI), Heidelberg Astronomy colloquium (D) 2018: Obs. Geneva (CH), IPMU (Japan), Keele (Maths dept.); 2017: Liverpool (LJMU, UK), KITP (US), Uni Edinburgh (UK); 2016: Los Alamos National Lab (US); 2015: Uni York, Uni Birmingham, Uni Exeter, MSSL/UCL (UK), Uni Malaya, Malaysia; 2014: Uni Southampton (UK), Uni Malaya, Malaysia; 2013: ICG-Portsmouth, IoA, Cambridge (UK); 2012: Uni Darmstadt (D), IPMU (Japan), Uni Mainz (D), Mount Stromlo Obs (Australia); 2011: Uni Sheffield (UK); 2010: Uni Montpellier (F), Uni Liverpool (UK), Max-Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Munich (D), Uni York (UK); 2009: Uni Bonn (D), Uni Tokyo (J), IPMU (J), Queen's Uni Belfast (NI), Armagh Obs (NI); 2008: Uni Central Lancashire (UK); 2007: Uni Bologna (Italy); 2006: Paris-Meudon Obs (France); 2005: Uni Tokyo (Japan); 2004: Uni Basel (CH), Uni Utrecht (N).

 

INVITED Talks & Lectures at Conferences & Institutions

I am regularly invited to give talks at conferences and institutions (total of over 60 including seminars and all invited talks, and in particular 7 invited review/keynote talks). Here is a selection of the invited talks/lectures I have given:

 

 

2024

keynote at EAS Annual Meeting 'Supernovae: now in 3D!' Symposium

2023

Panel discussion on international cooperation hosted by COST and NSF at Science

Summit at United Nations General Assembly 78 (UNGA78), NYC, 15 September

2023

Review at Nuclei in the Cosmos conference, Deajeon, Republic of Korea, Sept. 17-22

2022

Talk at IAU 361 Symposium, Ireland, May 2020 (postponed to May 2022),

2019

Talk at CEMP stars conference, Geneva (CH), September 9-13,

Plenary talk at 30th Texas symp. on Relativistic Astrophysics, Portsmouth, Dec. 15-20

2018

1-week graduate topical lecture series at TU Darmstadt, Germany on

'From Stars to Elements: Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis' (10 lectures)

2017

Talks at IAU Symp 331, Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics 8, Omeg2017

2016

Talk at Bridging the gap: from massive stars to supernovae,, UK, June 1-2

2014 (July)

Review at Nuclei in the Cosmos XIII, Debrecen, Hungary, 7-11 July

2014 (July)

Lecturer at Nuclei in the Cosmos XIII summer school, Hungary

2013 (May)

Keynote review talk at Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics VI international conf., Lisbon, Portugal, May 19-24

2013 (May)

Review at international workshop: Fifty-one-erg, Raleigh, USA, May 13-17

2012 (Sep)

Review at international SN conference, Munich, 10-14 Sep.

2008 (Nov)

Review talk at conference "Hot And Cool: Bridging Gaps in Massive Star Evolution", Caltech, Pasadena, USA

2007 (Dec)

Review talk at IAU Symposium 250, 'Massive Stars as Cosmic Engines', Hawaii, USA

2006 (June)

Review talk at workshop on 'Clumping in hot star winds', Potsdam, Germany

 

Publications

My career (with first publication in 2003) publication total is 200+ (31 as first author), including 90+ published refereed publications (>20 with me or my team members as first author), 6 book chapters (see below) and 100+ conference proceedings. My publications have been cited a total of 8667 times with more than thousand (1463) normalised citations (number of citations normalised by number of authors on paper), and my h-index =44 (statistics gathered with the reference Astronomy Database System in March 2024; search using 'Hirschi, Raphael', including physics).

 

Selected Key Publications

My name and that of my PhD students are highlighted.

 

 

'3D stellar evolution: hydrodynamic simulations of a complete burning phase in a massive star', Rizzuti, F., Hirschi, R., Arnett, W. D., Georgy, C., Meakin, C., Murphy, A. StJ, Rauscher, T., Varma, V., MNRAS, 2023, 523, 2317, arXiv.2305.13912 (5 citations)

 

'3D Hydrodynamic Simulations of Carbon Burning in Massive Stars', Cristini, A., Meakin, C., Hirschi, R., Arnett, D., Georgy, C., Viallet, M., MNRAS, 2017, 471, 279, arXiv:1610.05173 (68 citations)

 

'Testing a one-dimensional prescription of dynamical shear mixing with a two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation', Edelmann, P., Roepke, F. K., Hirschi, R., Georgy, C., Jones, S., accepted for publications in A&A, 2017, 604, A25, arXiv:1704.06261 (17 citations)

 

'Uncertainties in s-process nucleosynthesis in massive stars determined by Monte Carlo Variations', Nishimura, N.; Hirschi, R.; Rauscher, T.; Murphy, A. St. J.; Cescutti, G., MNRAS, 2017, Vol. 469, Issue 2, p.1752-1767 (36 citations)

 

's-process production in rotating massive stars at solar and low metallicities', Frischknecht, U., Hirschi, R., Pignatari, M., Maeder, A., Meynet, G., Chiappini, C., Thielemann, F-K., Rauscher, T., Georgy, C., Ekstr m, S., MNRAS, 2016, 456 (2): 1803-1825 (167 citations)

 

'NuGrid Stellar Data Set. I.Stellar Yields from H to Bi for Stars with Metallicities Z = 0.02 and Z = 0.01', Pignatari, M.; Herwig, F.; Hirschi, R.; Bennett, M.; Rockefeller, G.; Fryer, C.; Timmes, F. X.; Ritter, C.; Heger, A.; Jones, S.; Battino, U.; Dotter, A.; Trappitsch, R.; Diehl, S.; Frischknecht, U.; Hungerford, A.; Magkotsios, G.; Travaglio, C.; Young, P., ApJS, 2016, Vol. 225, Issue 2, article id. 24, 54 pp. (203 citations)

 

'Advanced Burning Stages and Fate of 8-10 Solar Mass Stars', Jones, S., Hirschi, R., Nomoto, K., Fischer, T., Timmes, F. X., Herwig, F., Paxton, B., Toki, H., Suzuki, T., Mart nez-Pinedo, G., Lam, Y. H., Bertolli, M. G., ApJ, 2013, 772, 150 (155 citations)

 

'Grids of stellar models with rotation. I. Models from 0.8 to 120 M⊙ at solar metallicity (Z = 0.014) ', Ekstr m, S.; Georgy, C.; Eggenberger, P.; Meynet, G.; Mowlavi, N.; Wyttenbach, A.; Granada, A.; Decressin, T.; Hirschi, R.; Frischknecht, U.; Charbonnel, C.; Maeder, A., A&A, 2012, 537, 146 (1429 citations)

 

'Imprints of fast-rotating massive stars in the Galactic Bulge', Chiappini, C., Frischknecht, U., Meynet, G., Hirschi, R., Barbuy, B., Pignatari, M., Decressin, T., Maeder, A., Nature, 2011, 472, 454 (101 citations)

 

'The R136 star cluster hosts several stars whose individual masses greatly exceed the accepted 150Msolar stellar mass limit', Crowther, P. A.; Schnurr, O.; Hirschi, R.; Yusof, Norhasliza; Parker, R. J.; Goodwin, S. P.; Kassim, H., Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2010, 408, 731 (461 cits.)

 

'Very low-metallicity massive stars:. Pre-SN evolution models and primary nitrogen production',

Hirschi, R., Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2007, 461, 571 (240 citations)

 

'Stellar evolution with rotation. XIII. Predicted GRB rates at various Z',

Hirschi, R.; Meynet, G.; Maeder, A., Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2005, 443,581 (170 citations)

 

'Stellar evolution with rotation. XII. Pre-supernova models',

Hirschi, R.; Meynet, G.; Maeder, A., Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2004, 425, 649 (263 citations)

 

Invited contributions to chapters in specialised books:

 

1. 'Slow Neutron-Capture Process in Evolved Stars', R. Hirschi, chapter in: Tanihata, I., Toki, H., Kajino, T. (eds) Handbook of Nuclear Physics, 2023, 35 pages. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8818-1_118-1

 

2. 'Pre-supernova Evolution and Nucleosynthesis in Massive Stars and Their Stellar Wind Contribution', R. Hirschi, chapter in 'Handbook of Supernovae', 2017, Springer International Publishing, ISBN 978-3-319-20794-0, 51 pages, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20794-0_82-1

 

3. 'Very Massive and Supermassive Stars: Evolution and Fate', R. Hirschi, chapter in 'Handbook of Supernovae', 2017, Springer International Publishing, ISBN 978-3-319-20794-0, 34 pages, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20794-0_120-1

 

4. 'Evolution and Nucleosynthesis of Very Massive Stars', R. Hirschi, chapter in 'Very Massive Stars in the Local Universe', Astrophysics and Space Science Library, Volume 412. ISBN 978-3-319-09595-0. Springer International Publishing Switzerland, 2015, p. 157

 

5. 'Massive star evolution' section of chapter 'Massive Stars and Their Supernovae',

Thielemann, F.-K.; Hirschi, R.; Liebend rfer, M.; Diehl, R.

chapter in book 'Astronomy with Radioactivities', Edited by Roland Diehl, Dieter H. Hartmann, and Nikos Prantzos. Lecture Notes in Physics, Vol. 812. Berlin: Springer, 2011, p. 153-232 ISBN: 978-3-642-12697-05

 

6. Section entitled: 'Contemporary Calculations of Evolutionary Tracks' (massive star evolution chapter) in Planets, Stars and Stellar Systems Vol. 4, by Oswalt, Terry D., Barstow, Martin A., ISBN 978-94-007-5614-4. Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht, 2013, p. 447