Dr Mark Norris
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Mark teaches on the on-campus undergraduate Physics with Astrophysics and Astrophysics degrees as well as on the BSc in Astronomy by distance learning degree. He also supervises Masters by Research and PhD students studying a range of topics in Astrophysics.
Mark's research focuses on the study of how star clusters and galaxies form and evolve. He uses some of the worlds most powerful telescopes in an attempt to work out when, where and how the stars found in current galaxies were formed, and how they made it to where we see them today.
In addition, Mark is responsible for the day to day operation of UCLan's Alston Observatory. He led the commissioning of the 0.7m Moses Holden Telescope, and the design, acquisition, and commissioning of the fully robotic 0.35m Isabella Holden Telescope.
After completing his PhD at the University of Durham in 2008, Mark moved to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to complete his first postdoctoral position. This involved helping to lead a large spectroscopic survey of over 2000 galaxies. While at UNC Mark won a NASA grant to fund research into how a class of compact stellar system called Ultra Compact Dwarfs were formed. This work led to the publication of more than a dozen papers and resulted in a consensus that the objects were a composite population of large star clusters as well as some formerly large galaxies which had been destroyed by tidal interactions with a larger galaxy.
After 4 years at UNC, Mark moved to the Max Plank Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg Germany where he continued his research into how compact stellar systems formed, as well as leading the science planning team for a large instrument project for the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona.
- PhD Astrophysics, Durham University, 2008
- MSci (Hons 1st Class) Physics, Durham University, 2004
- Galaxy Formation
- Stellar Populations
- Astronomical Surveys
- Astronomical Instrumentation
- Space Situational Awareness
- Lecturer for the DARA Project
- Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
- PI of the AIMSS Survey
- Co-I of the RESOLVE Survey
- Science Team Member of the LINC-NIRVANA Project
Mark has wide research interests in the general area of studying how galaxies form and evolve. His main area of research involves the observational study of compact stellar systems, these enigmatic small stellar systems lie in the transition region between large star clusters (like globular clusters) and true galaxies. His research has been pivotal at demonstrating that objects in this class comprise two distinct populations, a group of unusually massive star clusters unlike any found in our own galaxy, and a second population which are the remnant nuclei of dwarf galaxies which were tidally destroyed by large companion galaxies. Understanding this population fully provides many important clues to the nature of the galaxy formation process, not least allowing us to determine just how small a galaxy can be, or alternatively, just how massive a star cluster can grow.
Use the links below to view their profiles:
- RESOLVE Survey
- AIMSS Survey
- 4HS Survey
Telephone:01773 893548
Email: Email:Dr Mark Norris
Use the links below to view their profiles: