https://mattnicholl.net/publications/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2013-03-02-14-28-50.jpg2013-03-02 14.28.502025-08-26T09:30:48+00:00weekly0.6https://mattnicholl.net/contact/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ludo-1.jpegludohttps://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/ludo.jpegludohttps://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/img_1509.jpeg'Old Joe' clock tower at the University of Birminghamhttps://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/img_7162.jpgIMG_7162View of the city from Arthur's Seat, Edinburghhttps://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4721-1.jpgIMG_4721 (1)https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_4721.jpgIMG_4721https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/img_3158.jpgIMG_31582024-09-17T13:36:00+00:00weekly0.6https://mattnicholl.net/research/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/img_3599-e1652367051630.jpegIMG_3599The group at the University of Birmingham in 2022https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2015bn-hst2017-zoom.jpg2015bn-hst2017-zoomHubble Space Telescope image of a superluminous supernova 800 days after it exploded. The supernova is in a faint galaxy. at the right of the image. Shortly after explosion, SN 2015bn was even brighter than the giant spiral galaxy on the left! (Image from Nicholl et al 2018)https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/15bn1.jpg15bn2023-02-14T11:06:32+00:00weekly0.6https://mattnicholl.net/software/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/170817-lc-default.jpg170817-lc-defaultLight curve of the GW170817 kilonova fit with the MOSFiT BNS modelhttps://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/lsq12dlf_20170501_fit.jpgLSQ12dlf_20170501_fithttps://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/img_5181.jpgimg_5181New England in the Fall2022-05-16T09:41:36+00:00weekly0.6https://mattnicholl.net/2020/04/20/an-incredibly-bright-and-massive-supernova/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/shroudedsne_draft3-1.pngShroudedSNe_draft3https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/nicholl_fig1.jpgNicholl_Fig1Left: Image of the supernova SN2016aps about one year after peak brightness. Middle: optical image of the host galaxy obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope after the supernova had faded. Right: Ultraviolet image from Hubble obtained at the same time. The supernova exploded at a UV hotspot, suggesting it came from a very massive star.https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/shroudedsne_draft3.pngShroudedSNe_draft3Artist's impression of SN2016aps crashing into a surrounding shell of dense gas (credit Aaron Gellar, Northwestern University)2020-04-20T13:39:14+00:00monthlyhttps://mattnicholl.net/2019/08/02/a-tidal-disruption-event-changes-its-spots/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/tde.jpgtde2019-08-02T14:20:22+00:00monthlyhttps://mattnicholl.net/2018/11/30/old-supernovae-new-insights/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/sequence2.jpgsequence2https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/schematic.jpgschematichttps://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/phot.jpgphothttps://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hst.jpghst2018-11-30T14:56:35+00:00monthlyhttps://mattnicholl.net/2017/10/17/gravitational-waves-and-visible-light/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/spec_web.pngspec_webhttps://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/rf_spec_binned.pngrf_spec_binnedSpectra of the first 'kilonova' from a neutron star collision with a gravitational wave signal. The spectrum is dominated by heavy elements like silver, and the light is powered by radioactive decays.2017-10-17T15:14:13+00:00monthlyhttps://mattnicholl.net/2017/08/30/mcmcmcmcmc/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/l-props.jpgL-propshttps://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/full_dist.jpgfull_disthttps://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/ptf12dam_20170501_fit.jpgPTF12dam_20170501_fitFit to the light curve of PTF12dam using MOSFiT2017-08-30T20:23:22+00:00monthlyhttps://mattnicholl.net/2017/04/04/fast-radio-bursts-and-superluminous-supernovae-a-surprising-connection/2017-04-04T20:25:08+00:00monthlyhttps://mattnicholl.net/2017/03/24/a-star-is-ripped-apart-by-an-already-active-black-hole/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ps16dtm_lightcurve.jpgPS16dtm_lightcurveThe bright and long-lived optical and UV light emitted as the stellar debris is eaten by the supermassive black hole2017-03-24T16:12:22+00:00monthlyhttps://mattnicholl.net/2016/11/23/uv-bright-supernova-powered-by-internal-engine/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/16apd_lccomp.jpg16apd_lccompThe observed luminosity of Gaia16apd as seen through red (r) and ultraviolet (UVM2) colour filters. Compared to another nearby superluminous supernova, it shows the same brightness in the red but is initially much brighter in the ultraviolet!2016-11-23T19:27:53+00:00monthlyhttps://mattnicholl.net/2016/09/13/asassn-15lh-slsn-or-tde/2016-09-13T22:53:43+00:00monthlyhttps://mattnicholl.net/2016/08/31/slsn-nebular-grb/https://mattnicholl.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2015bn_spec_evol_neb1.jpg2015bn_spec_evol_nebThe evolution of supernova 2015bn, showing the decreasing temperature, emergence of forbidden lines, velocity profiles and similarity to lower-luminosity hypernovae2016-09-09T17:42:03+00:00monthlyhttps://mattnicholl.netdaily1.02025-08-26T09:30:48+00:00