Contact Information

Research Interests

My main research interest is in gamma-ray astronomy, see the gamma-ray astronomy group page. I am a member of the VERITAS Collaboration which operates an array of four atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes at the Whipple Observatory in Arizona. I have been a visiting scientist at Whipple on regular occasions including six-month sabbaticals in 2004 and 2007. I am also interested in industrial applications of computational physics, including radiation processing.

I am a member of the NUIG Centre for Astronomy, the Astronomical Science Group of Ireland and the International Astronomical Union.

I am a fellow of the Institute of Physics (NUIG physics students can join for free), a chartered physicist, and a member of the Committee for Chemical and Physical Sciences of the Royal Irish Academy.

Key/recent publications

For a complete list of my astronomy publications from the SAO/NASA ADS please click here

Selected Publications

Discovery of TeV gamma-ray emission from Tycho's supernova remnant, V.A.Acciari, E.Aliu, T.Arlen et al, ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS, Vol.730, p.L20, (2011)

A connection between star formation activity and cosmic rays in the starburst galaxy M82, V.A.Acciari, E.Aliu, T.Arlen et al, NATURE, Vol.462, p.770, (2009)

"Radio Imaging of the Very-High-Energy gamma-ray Emission Region in the Central Engine of a Radio Galaxy", V.A.Acciari, E.Aliu, T.Arlen et al, SCIENCE, Vol.325, p.444, (2009)

"The first VERITAS telescope", J.Holder, R.W.Atkins, H.M.Badran et al, ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS, Vol.25, p.391, (2006)

"The Spectrum of TeV gamma rays from the Crab Nebula", A.M.Hillas, C.W.Akerlof, S.D.Biller et al, ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, Vol.503, p.744, (1998)

Teaching responsibilities

My current teaching in mainly on the first year Physics course for Science and Medical students (PH101). (If you are registered for this course you will find more information by logging in to the Blackboard site.) I also supervise third year and fourth year laboratory work.

Administration

I was Head of the School of Physics for the period 2009-2013.