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Dr Nick Cooper

Nick

Research Fellow

Email: n.cooper@qmul.ac.uk
Room Number: G. O. Jones Building, Room 227

Undergraduate Teaching

2016-17 : Tutorials for SPA 4101 Our Universe

Postgraduate Teaching

2017-18 : Teaching SPA7010 The Galaxy (MSc Astrophysics/MSci Physics)

2018-19 : Teaching SPA7010 The Galaxy (MSc Astrophysics/MSci Physics)

Research

Research Interests:

I have a broad interest ranging from planetary to galactic astronomy, with a particular interest in dynamics.  

Currently, my research is focused on studying the origin and dynamical evolution of the moons and rings of the giant planets in our solar system.

Since 2002, I have been a member of the research group headed by Prof. Carl Murray at QMUL. Our work has been centered around using the Cassini Spacecraft to image the rings and small inner satellites of Saturn in order to study their dynamical and physical evolution, with particular emphasis on Saturn's weird and wonderful F Ring. Having access to a spacecraft orbiting Saturn has given us an unprecedented opportunity to watch this system evolve in situ for almost 13 years - a sort of living laboratory. Here is a news report on some past work: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/news/newsreleases/newsrelease20140414/.

In addition to working as an associate on the Cassini Imaging Team, I work closely with colleagues at the IMCCE, based at both the Paris Observatory and the Lille Observatory, as well as JPL/Caltech. Together, we have an international group dedicated to using ground-based and spacecraft imaging data to constrain the dynamical timescale and internal processes of the Saturn system (http://www.issibern.ch/teams/saturnastrometry/).

Publications

First astrometric reduction of Cassini ISS images using an automatic procedure: application to Enceladus images 2013-2017, Zhang, Q.F., Lainey, V., Cooper, N.J., Vienne, A., Peng, Q.Y., Xiong, Y.Y., 2017, , MNRAS,  481, 98-104,  https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/sty2187 

The Caviar software package for the astrometric reduction of Cassini ISS images: description and examples, Cooper, N.J., Lainey, V., Meunier, L-E., Murray, C.D., Zhang, Q-F., Baillie, K., Evans, M.W., Thuillot, W., Vienne, A., 2017, A&A, v. 610, id.A2, https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201731713

New constraints on Saturn's interior from Cassini astrometric data, Lainey, V., Jacobson, R.A., Tajeddine, R., Cooper, N.J., Murray, C.D., Robert, V., Tobie, G.,  Guillot, T., Mathis, S., Remus, F. Desmars, J., Arlot, J-E., De Cuyper, J-P., Dehantt, V., Pascu, D., Thuillot, W., Le Poncin-Lafitte, C., Zahn, J-P., 2017, Icarus, 281, 286-296, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2016.07.014

Origin of the chaotic motion of the Saturnian satellite Atlas, Renner, S., Cooper, N.J., El Moutamid, M., Sicardy, B., Vienne, A., Murray, C.D., Sallinfest, M., 2016,  Astron. J., v. 151, No. 5, http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/0004-6256/151/5/122

Cassini ISS astrometry of the Saturnian satellites: Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Iapetus, and Phoebe 2004-2012, Tajeddine, R., Lainey, V., Cooper, N.J., Murray, C.D., 2015,  A&A, v. 575, id.A43, 8pp, http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201425605

Saturn's inner satellites: orbits, masses and the chaotic motion of Atlas from new Cassini imaging observations, Cooper, N.J., Renner, S., Murray, C.D., Evans, M.W., 2015,  Astron. J., v. 149, Issue 1, id. 27, 18pp, http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/149/1/27

Cassini ISS Mutual Event Astrometry of the Mid-sized Saturnian satellites 2005-2012, Cooper, N.J., Murray, C.D. Lainey, V., Tajeddine, R., Evans, M.W., Williams, G.A., 2014, A&A, v. 572, id.A73, 6pp, http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201424555

The discovery and dynamical evolution of an object at the outer edge of Saturn's A ring, Murray, C.D., Cooper, N.J., Williams, G.A., Attree, N.O., Boyer J.S., 2014, Icarus, v. 236, 165-168.

A Survey of Low-velocity collisional features in Saturn's F Ring, Attree, N.O., Murray, C.D., Williams, G.A., Cooper, N.J., 2013, Icarus, 227, 56-66.

Local Variability in the Orbit of Saturn's F Ring, Cooper, N.J., Murray, C.D., Williams, G.A., 2013, Astron. J., 145:161, doi:10.1088/0004-6256/145/6/161.

Astrometric reduction of Cassini ISS images of the Saturnian satellites Mimas and Enceladus, Tajeddine,R., Cooper,N.J., Lainey,V., Charnoz,S., Murray,C.D., 2013, A&A, v. 551, 11pp.

Detection of low-velocity collisions in Saturn's F ring, Attree, N.O., Murray,C.D., Cooper,N.J., Williams,G.A., 2012, Astrophys. J. Lett. 755, L27.

Migration of "propeller" moons embedded in Saturn's rings, Tiscareno, M.S., Burns, J.A., Sremcevic, M., Beurle, K., Hedman, M.M., Cooper, N.J., Milano, A.J., Evans, M.W., Porco, C.C., Spitale, J.N., Weiss, J.W. 2010, Astrophys. J. Lett. 718, L92-L96.

Direct evidence for gravitational instability and moonlet formation in Saturn's rings, Beurle, K., Murray, C.D., Williams, G.A., Evans, M.W., Cooper, N.J., Agnor, C.B., 2010, Astrophys. J. Lett. 718, L176-L180.

Aegaeon (Saturn LIII), a G-ring Object, Hedman, M.M., Cooper, N.J., Murray, C.D., Beurle, K., Evans, M.W., Tiscareno, M.S., Burns, J.A., 2010, Icarus, 207, 433-447.

Three tenuous rings/arcs for three tiny moons, Hedman, M.M., Murray, C.D., Cooper, N.J., Tiscareno, M.S., Beurle, K., Evans, M.W., Burns, J.A., 2008, Icarus, 199, 378-386

The determination of the structure of Saturn's F ring by nearby moonlets, Murray, C.D., Beurle, K., Cooper, N.J., Evans, M.W., Williams, G.A., Charnoz, S., 2008, Nature, 453, 739-744

Astrometry and Dynamics of Anthe (S/2007 S 4), A New Satellite of Saturn, Cooper, N.J., Murray, C.D., Beurle, K., Evans, M.W., Jacobson, R. A., Porco, C.C., 2008, Icarus, 195, 765-777

Revised Orbits of Saturn's Small Inner Satellites, Jacobson, R.A., Spitale, J., Porco C.C., Beurle, K., Cooper, N.J., Evans, M.W., Murray, C.D., 2008, Astron. J., 135, 261-263

Cassini ISS Astrometric Observation of the Inner Jovian Satellites, Amalthea and Thebe, Cooper, N. J., Murray, C. D., Porco, C. C., Spitale, J. N., 2006, Icarus, 181, 223-234.

How Prometheus creates structure in Saturn's F-ring, Murray, C.D., Chavez, C., Beurle, K., Cooper, N., Evans, M. W., Burns, J. A., Porco, C. C., 2005, Nature, 437, 1326.

S/2004 S5: A New Co-orbital Companion for Dione, Murray, C. D., Cooper, N. J., Evans, M. W., Beurle, K., 2005, Icarus, 179, 222.

Cassini imaging science: Initial results on Saturn's rings and small satellites, C.C. Porco, E. Baker, J. Barbara, K. Beurle, A. Brahic, J.A. Burns, S. Charnoz, N. Cooper, D.D. Dawson, A.D. Del Genio, T. Denk, L. Dones, U. Dyudina, M.W. Evans, B. Giese, K. Grazier, P. Helfenstein, A.P. Ingersoll, R.A. Jacobson, T.V. Johnson, A. McEwen, C.D. Murray, G. Neukum, W.M. Owen, J. Perry, T. Roatsch, J.Spitale, S. Squyres, P. Thomas, M. Tiscareno, E. Turtle, A.R. Vasavada, J. Veverka, R. Wagner, R. West, 2005, Science, 307, 1226.

Imaging of Titan from the Cassini spacecraft, C.C. Porco, E. Baker, J. Barbara, K. Beurle, A. Brahic, J.A. Burns, S. Charnoz, N. Cooper, D.D. Dawson, A.D. Del Genio, T. Denk, L. Dones, U. Dyudina, M.W. Evans, S. Fussner, B. Giese, K. Grazier, P. Helfenstein, A.P. Ingersoll, R.A. Jacobson, T.V. Johnson, A. McEwen, C.D. Murray, G. Neukum, W.M. Owen, J. Perry, T. Roatsch, J. Spitale, S. Squyres, P. Thomas, M. Tiscareno, E.P. Turtle, A.R. Vasavada, J. Veverka, R. Wagner, R. West, 2005, Nature, 434, 159

Cassini imaging science: Initial results on Phoebe and Iapetus, C.C. Porco, E. Baker, J. Barbara, K. Beurle, A. Brahic, J.A. Burns, S. Charnoz, N. Cooper, D.D. Dawson, A.D. Del Genio, T. Denk, L. Dones, U. Dyudina, M.W. Evans, B. Giese, K. Grazier, P. Helfenstein, A.P. Ingersoll, R.A. Jacobson, T.V. Johnson, A. McEwen, C.D. Murray, G. Neukum, W.M. Owen, J. Perry, T. Roatsch, J.Spitale, S. Squyres, P. Thomas, M. Tiscareno, E. Turtle, A.R. Vasavada, J. Veverka, R. Wagner, R. West, 2005, Science, 307, 1237

Cassini imaging science: Initial results on Saturn's atmosphere, C.C. Porco, E. Baker, J. Barbara, K. Beurle, A. Brahic, J.A. Burns, S. Charnoz, N. Cooper, D.D. Dawson, A.D. Del Genio, T. Denk, L. Dones, U. Dyudina, M.W. Evans, B. Giese, K. Grazier, P. Helfenstein, A.P. Ingersoll, R.A. Jacobson, T.V. Johnson, A. McEwen, C.D. Murray, G. Neukum, W.M. Owen, J. Perry, T. Roatsch, J.Spitale, S. Squyres, P. Thomas, M. Tiscareno, E. Turtle, A.R. Vasavada, J. Veverka, R. Wagner, R. West, 2005, Science, 307, 1243

Dynamical influences on the orbits of Prometheus and Pandora, Cooper, N.J. & Murray, C.D. 2004, Astron. J., 127, 1204-1217.