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Evan Patrick O'Connor is an Associate Professor in the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University. His research focuses on computational astrophysics, particularly core-collapse supernovae, neutrino physics, and black hole formation. He leads research in the Computational Astrophysics group at the Department of Astronomy, where development of computational tools spans research areas from solar physics to cosmology. Dr. O'Connor received his Ph.D. from Caltech in the TAPIR group, following a bachelor's degree in Science (Physics, Honours, Co-op) from the University of Prince Edward Island. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Canadian Institute of Astrophysics from 2012-2014 and a Hubble Fellow at North Carolina State University from 2014-2017 before joining Stockholm University. His research interests span computational astrophysics with a focus on core-collapse supernovae mechanisms, black hole formation, neutrino physics, gravitational waves, and the nuclear equation of state. He develops and utilizes sophisticated computational models to study the dynamics of compact objects and their connection to detailed microphysics. His work often involves multimessenger approaches, connecting theoretical models with potential observational signatures across neutrino, electromagnetic, and gravitational wave channels. Dr. O'Connor has made significant contributions to open-source scientific software development, creating tools like NuLib, GR1D, and various equation of state resources that have become valuable community resources. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on understanding the complex interplay between stellar structure, nuclear physics, and explosion mechanisms in core-collapse supernovae. His research increasingly incorporates multi-dimensional effects, phase transitions in dense matter, and their observational consequences across multiple messenger channels. Recent work shows growing attention to data-driven approaches for connecting simulations with potential observations. Dr. O'Connor has received notable recognition including: Hubble Fellowship (2014-2017) He has developed and maintains several open-source tools including NuLib (neutrino interaction library), GR1D (spherically-symmetric general-relativistic hydrodynamics code), and various equation of state resources. His research group collaborates extensively with international teams studying supernova mechanisms and related phenomena, contributing to projects like SNEWS (Supernova Early Warning System). Dr. O'Connor leads the Computational Astrophysics group at Stockholm University's Department of Astronomy, which develops computational tools spanning research areas from solar physics to cosmology. The group maintains strong connections with international supernova research communities and contributes to global efforts in multi-messenger astronomy.

• Computational Astrophysics
• Core-collapse Supernovae
• Neutrino Physics
• +4 more

Ragnhild Lunnan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University since April 2021. She leads the supernova research group which is funded by an ERC starting grant called TransPIre starting in 2023. She is also a member of the Young Academy of Sweden for the period 2024-2029. Dr. Lunnan earned her PhD from Harvard University in 2015 under the supervision of Prof. Edo Berger, focusing on the properties and environments of superluminous supernovae from the Pan-STARRS1 Medium Deep Survey. Prior to her current position, she held a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship at Stockholm University and the Oskar Klein Centre, and was a postdoctoral scholar working with Prof. Claes Fransson and the Zwicky Transient Facility group. This position was joint with the Caltech Astronomy department where she worked from September 2015 to March 2017 with Prof. Mansi Kasliwal. She completed her undergraduate studies at Princeton University in Astrophysical Sciences with a certificate in Applied and Computational Mathematics as a Davis United World College Scholar. Her research focuses on unusual transients, particularly superluminous supernovae, which are 10-100 times brighter than ordinary core-collapse and Type Ia supernovae. She investigates what these extreme events reveal about massive star evolution and star formation in extreme environments. Her work explores possible mechanisms powering these luminous events, including magnetar spin-down, pair-instability explosions, and interaction with circumstellar material. She is an observational astronomer who utilizes data from multiple ground-based telescopes (VLT, Magellan, MMT, Gemini, Keck) and space-based observatories (Hubble, Spitzer, Swift). Analysis of her publication record reveals a strong focus on characterizing the diversity of superluminous supernovae through detailed light curve and spectral analysis. Her work with the Zwicky Transient Facility has been particularly productive, leading to discoveries about eruptive mass loss before explosion, host galaxy environments, and the physics behind light curve undulations. She has also made significant contributions to understanding calcium-rich gap transients and has earlier work in near-field cosmology. ERC starting grant TransPIre (2023) Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship Davis United World College Scholar Dr. Lunnan currently teaches the undergraduate Cosmology course (AS5003) at Stockholm University and actively mentors students working on supernovae research projects. She supervises the supernova research group which utilizes data from the Zwicky Transient Facility to discover and characterize rare cosmic explosions. Her group is particularly focused on understanding the progenitor systems of superluminous supernovae through detailed observations of their properties, environments, and evolution.

• Supernovae
• Superluminous Supernovae
• Massive Star Evolution
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Seán Brennan is a Researcher at the Department of Astronomy , Stockholm University. His work focuses on identifying pre-supernova outbursts in massive stars through real-time transient astronomy. Research Interests : • Progenitor activity of core-collapse supernovae • Spectroscopic analysis of Type Ibn supernovae • Transient astronomy and stellar instability Contact : • Email: sean.brennan@astro.su.se • ORCID: 0000-0003-1325-6235

• Supernovae
• Massive Stars
• Transient Astronomy
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