Dr Padric McGee
School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
College of Sciences
My background is in optical astronomy, with emphasis on small-telescope observations in collaborative observational programmes. This has included topics such as optical/gamma-ray monitoring of blazars and AGN, cataclysmic variable star photometry, exoplanet transit photometry, spectroscopic monitoring of eta Carinae and Be stars, and narrowband imaging of nebulae as applied to high-energy astrophysics. Other research involvement is assisting in the development of the SABRE South dark matter direct-detection experiment.I also provide broad IT support for various research activities, via A/V support and web-page development and maintenance, for local research groups within the Physics department, and for national and international conferences.I have been involved in the practical teaching of our undergraduate astronomy and astrophysics courses for nearly 40 years, in which time there have been pronounced changes in how these prac classes have operated.
I am involved in small-telescope, collaborative research programmes in optical astronomy.
Previously, this has involved CCD photometry of cataclysmic variable stars, active galactic nuclei and exoplanet host stars.
Recent work has included moderate-resolution spectroscopy of bright targets such as eta Carinae, and selected southern Be stars, using the university Observatory. This work, done in collaboration with overseas researchers and major facilities such as the Hubble Space Telescope, also feeds into development of research projects for students undertaking the Bachelor of Space Science and Astrophysics degree.
A program of narrowband imaging of emission nebulae in the Milky Way has commenced. The purpose of this is to help characterise some such regions as simple ionisation nebulae (not so interesting...) or as being due to interaction of the interstellar medium with high-energy sources such as gamma-ray/X-ray sources, pulsars, etc.; it also aims to help with optical identification of new supernova remnants found by radio surveys.
I also work as part of the SABRE South (Sodium iodide with Active Background Rejection Experiment) dark-matter detection experiment, providing IT support (development of website content), and assisting in its Engineering group.
I also provide broad IT, audio-visual and general research support for the Adelaide nodes of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Dark Matter Particle Physics, the long-established Centre for the Subatomic Structure of Matter, and the High-Energy Physics group (together, the Nuclear and Particle Physics group within the Physics department).
I also provide support to the local members of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) in web-related activities, as well as contributing to the development of site studies for an Australian location for a CTA-Ring installation. Other CTA-Australia-related work includes examining narrowband optical imaging as an aid to distinguishing shock-excited nebular emission from ionised nebular emission (mentioned above).
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| English | Can read, write, speak and understand spoken |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Barberio, E., Baroncelli, T., Bignell, L. J., Bolognino, I., Brooks, G., Dastgiri, F., . . . Zurowski, M. J. (2024). The SABRE South Experiment at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory. In Proceedings of the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2023), as puiblished in Proceedings of Science Vol. 444 (pp. 1370-1-1370-8). Nagoya, Japan: SISSA. DOI Scopus1 |
| 2022 | Barberio, E., Baroncelli, T., Bignell, L. J., Bolognino, I., Brooks, G., Dastgiri, F., . . . Zurowski, M. J. (2022). The SABRE South experiment at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory. In Proceedings of the 41st International Conference on High Energy physics (ICHEP 2022 ), as published in Proceedings of Science Vol. 414 (pp. 1127-1-1127-4). Bologna, Italy: SISSA. DOI |
| 2019 | D'Imperio, G., Antonello, M., Barberio, E., Baroncelli, T., Benziger, J., Bignell, L. J., . . . Zurowski, M. (2019). The SABRE experiment for dark matter search. In Proceedings of Science Vol. 340. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Navarete, F., Damineli, A., & McGee, P. (2020). Ground-based spectroscopic monitoring of the 2020 periastron in eta Carinae. |
| 2020 | Navarete, F., Damineli, A., & McGee, P. (2020). Ground-based spectroscopic monitoring of the 2020 periastron in eta Carinae. |
| 2020 | Damineli, A., Navarete, F., & McGee, P. (2020). A new absorption component in the H-alpha line profile of eta Carinae. |
| 2020 | Damineli, A., Navarete, F., & McGee, P. (2020). A new absorption component in the H-alpha line profile of eta Carinae. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Alsulami, R., Einecke, S., Rowell, G. P., McGee, P. K., Filipović, M. D., Seitenzahl, I. R., . . . Sano, H. (2024). Investigating Unusual H$α$ Features towards the Scutum Supershell. |
| 2022 | Bolognino, I. (2022). The SABRE South Experiment at the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory. |
2024 : Research Small Equipment Support Scheme - narrowband imaging system to support high-energy astrophysics ($13.7k)
2022 : Essential repairs to the university observatory dome (~$30k)
2022 : New equipment for undergraduate astronomy teaching (~$17k)
2021 : New imaging camera and filters for the university observatory (~$6.5k)
2018 : Spectrograph and cameras for the university observatory (~$10k)
I have been demonstrating Astronomy 1 since the late 1980's, and have seen the nature of activities change from predominantly hard-copy-based activities to software-based activities. Recently, effort has been put into using such computer-based resources as a means for demonstrating astronomical fundamentals to students, as well as some of the experimental techniques that astronomers use.
That said, there has always been an observational component to Astronomy pracs, and this continues- there is nothing quite like getting a direct, real-time view of the Moon and other objects with one's eye...
The University's Observatory is used by first-year and second-year Space Science and Astrophysics students for observing-based pracs, and in spite of occasional poor weather, these sessions represent a unique insight into methods of observational astronomy for these students, something that no other SA university provides.
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