Dr Taïssa Danilovich

EMPLOYMENT

Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award Fellow (DECRA), Australia 2023 - present

Based at Monash University Project title: Understanding the birth of new elements by observing dying stars

Senior Postdoctoral Fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO), Flanders, Belgium 2019 – present

Based at KU Leuven, Belgium Project title: Winds of Change: The evolving winds of AGB stars

Postdoctoral Fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research (FWO), Flanders, Belgium 2016 – 2019

Based at KU Leuven, Belgium
Project title: Mapping the winds of evolved stars

Postdoctoral Fellow, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium 2016

April to September, employed under the ERC-CoG funded project: AEROSOL - Astrochemistry of old stars: direct probing of unique chemical laboratories, led by Leen Decin

EDUCATION

Onsala Space Observatory, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden 2011 – 2016

Doctor of Philosophy
Supervisors: Kay Justtanont and Hans Olofsson
Thesis title: Mass loss and molecules: Studies of galactic AGB stars

The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia 2009 – 2010

Master of Science (Physics)
Thesis title: The Physics of the Tully-Fisher Relation, Supervisor: Rachel Webster

The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia 2006 – 2008

Bachelor of Science
Major in Mathematics and Statistics (Pure Mathematics), Minor in Physics

REFEREED PUBLICATIONS

ADS list of papers

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

• February 2024, invited, “Beyond gravity: What can Phantom and MCFOST models tell us about observables in binary AGB systems”, Joint Franco-Australian 5th Phantom and MCFOST Users Workshop, Melbourne, Australia
• September 2023, “Isotopic ratios from (sub)millimetre observations of AGB stars”, Nuclei in the Cosmos XVII, Daejeon, South Korea
• July 2023, “Using astrochemistry to understand orbital properties of AGB stars”, Annual Scientific Meeting of the Astronomical Society of Australia, Sydney, Australia
• June 2023, “Using chemistry to constrain a (highly eccentric) binary orbit”, Seminar, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
• June 2023, “Chemical Tracers of an Eccentric Binary Orbit”, Seminar, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (video)
• February 2023, “Wind shaping and other observational tracers of binary companions to AGB stars”, Phantom and MCFOST Users Workshop, Melbourne, Australia
• November 2021, “The distribution of carbonaceous molecules and SiN around the S-type AGB star W Aql”, IAU Symposium 366: The origin of outflows in evolved stars, Online
• July 2021, invited, “Late Stellar Evolution”, The Future of Airborne Infrared/Submm Astronomy: Prospects and Opportunities, Online
• July 2021, “Halide molecules around the S-type AGB stars”, Astrochemical Frontiers – Quarantine Edition 2, Online
• June 2021, invited, “Circumstellar structure & dust formation”, GAPS 2021 – unsolved problems in red Giants And suPergiantS, Online
• April 2021, “Halide molecules around the S-type AGB star W Aquilae”, DELVE: Death-throes of EvoLved stars, a Virtual Encounter, Online
• March 2021, “Halide molecules around the S-type AGB star W Aquilae”, Seminar, KU Leuven, Belgium
• June 2020, “Measuring molecular and isotopologue abundances in the circumstellar envelopes of AGB stars”, European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting, Online
• June 2020, “Metal oxides around R Dor: a tale of dust precursors”, Astrochemical Frontiers — Quarantine Edition, Online
• January 2020, “The Circumstellar Chemistry of AGB Stars”, Seminar, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
• September 2019, “A Clearer Look At Evolved Stars”, Millimetron Workshop — Capability and Science Objectives of the Millimetron Space Observatory, Paris, France
• August 2019, “ATOMIUM: The morphology and chemistry of the stellar winds of AGB stars”, A star has evolved — A conference in the honour of Hans Olofsson, Smögen, Sweden
• June 2019, “The circumstellar sulphur chemistry of AGB stars”, Astrochemistry: From nanometers to megaparsecs — A symposium in honour of John H. Black, Gothenburg, Sweden
• March 2019, “The dependence of chemistry on circumstellar parameters”, Seminar, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels
• April 2018, “Modelling needs for warm molecular outflows”, European Week of Astronomy and Space Science, Liverpool, UK
• February 2017, “The occurrence of H2S in AGB stars”, Getting Ready for ALMA Band 5, Garching, Germany
• May 2016, “Sulphur-bearing molecules in the circumstellar envelopes of AGB stars”, Colloquium, University of Melbourne, Australia
• May 2016, “Sulphur-bearing molecules in the circumstellar envelopes of AGB stars”, Seminar, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
• October 2015, “Sulphur molecules in the AGB star R Doradus”, Astronomdagarna, Uppsala, Sweden
• October 2013, “Circumstellar envelopes of S type AGB stars”, Astronomdagarna, Lund, Sweden
• July 2013, “Mass-loss and the circumstellar environment of S type AGB stars”, 2013 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Astronomical Society of Australia, Melbourne, Australia
• December 2010, “The physical basis of the Tully-Fisher relation”, 19th Australian Institute of Physics Congress, Melbourne, Australia

POSTERS

• August 2018, “Unravelling the sulphur chemistry of AGB stars”, IAU Symposium 343: Why Galaxies Care About AGB Stars, Vienna, Austria
• July 2015, “Sulphur-bearing molecules in the AGB star R Doradus”, ESO STEPS Workshop, Garching, Germany
• July 2014, “Detailed modelling of the circumstellar line emission around the S star W Aquilae”, Why Galaxies Care About AGB Stars III, Vienna, Austria
• March 2013, “Chemical inventory of AGB star W Aquilae with Herschel HIFI”, SRS meeting (Svenska Rymdforskares Samarbetsgrupp), Kiruna, Sweden
• June 2012, “Modelling the AGB star W Aquilae”, Chemistry and Infrared Spectroscopy of Interstellar Dust Summer School, Cuijk, the Netherlands
• July 2011, “Is there a third parameter in the Tully-Fisher relation?”, 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Astronomical Society of Australia, Adelaide, Australia
• May 2011, “Do disk galaxies have different central velocity dispersions at a given rotational velocity?” 218th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, Boston, USA
• September 2010, “The importance of understanding the Tully-Fisher relation”, UpSkills GR Poster Competition, 2nd Place, the Melbourne School of Graduate Research

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

• ALMA explores the inner wind of evolved O-rich stars with two widespread vibrationally excited transitions of water
 Alain Baudry, Ka Tat Wong, Sandra Etoka, Anita M. S. Richards, Malcolm D. Gray, Fabrice Herpin, Taïssa Danilovich, Sofia Wallström, Leen Decin, Carl A. Gottlieb and the ATOMIUM Consortium “Cosmic Masers: Proper Motion toward the Next-Generation Large Projects”, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, (S380), 351-355, 2024

• The distribution of carbonaceous molecules and SiN around the S-type AGB star W Aquilae
  T. Danilovich, M. Van de Sande, A. M. S. Richards and the ATOMIUM Consortium “The Origin of Outflows in Evolved Stars”, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 16(S366), 178-183, 2020

• Unravelling the sulphur chemistry of AGB stars
  T. Danilovich
  “Why Galaxies Care About AGB Stars: A Continuing Challenge through Cosmic Time”, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 14(S343), 379-380, 2019

• ALMA spectrum of the extreme OH/IR star OH 26.5+0.6
  K. Justtanont, S. Muller, M.J. Barlow, D. Engels, D.A. García-Hernández, M.A.T. Groenewegen, M. Matsuura, H. Olofsson, D. Teyssier, I. Marti-Vidal, T. Khouri, M. Van de Sande, W. Homan, T. Danilovich, A. de Koter, L. Decin, L.B.F.M Waters, R. Stancliffe, W. Vlemmings, P. Royer, F. Kerschbaum, C. Paladini, J. Blommaert, and R. de Nutte
  “Why Galaxies Care About AGB Stars: A Continuing Challenge through Cosmic Time”, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 14(S343), 436-437, 2019

• AGB outflows as tests of chemical kinetics and radiative transfer models
  M. Van de Sande, T. Danilovich, and L. Decin “Laboratory Astrophysics: From Observations to Interpretation”, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, 15(S350), 2019

• Detailed Modelling of the Circumstellar Envelope of the S-type AGB Star W Aquilae
  T. Danilovich, P. Bergman, K. Justtanont, R. Lombaert M. Maercker, H. Olofsson, S. Ramstedt and P. Royer “Why Galaxies Care about AGB Stars III: A Closer Look in Space and Time”, Proceedings of a conference held 28 July – 1 August 2014, at University Campus, Vienna, Austria. Edited by F. Kerschbaum, R. F. Wing, and J. Hron. ASP Conference Series, Vol. 497. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2015

GRANTS AWARDED

• 2023–2026, Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) from the Australian Research Council (ARC)
• 2019–2022, Senior Postdoctoral Fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO)
• 2016–2019, Postdoctoral Fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO)
• 2014, “Forskningsstipendium” travel grant of 13 000 kr from The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA)
• 2013, “Chalmersska forskningsfonden” travel grant of 7000 kr from Chalmers University of Technology
• 2012, “Stiftelsen Hiera-Retzius stipendiefond” grant of 15 000 kr from The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA)

SUPERVISION

Masters Thesis Projects

• Arnout Coenegrachts, “Irregular seasoning: the clumps of salt around IK Tau”, 2021-2022, KU Leuven
• Nurul Husna Mohammad Bokhari, “Silicon monoxide in the winds of evolved stars”, 2021-2022, KU Leuven
• Lisa Decock, “In-depth comparison of two high mass-loss rate AGB stars”, 2020-2021, KU Leuven
• Ciara O’Sullivan (co-supervisor), “ATOMIUM: Tracing the origins of dust in evolved stars”, 2019–2021, KU Leuven
• Siemen Burssens, “Molecular analysis of the oxygen-rich AGB star V1300 Aql: CO, SiS and CS”, 2016-2017, KU Leuven

Honours Thesis Projects

• Nimantha Samaratunge Mudiyanselage, “Binary-enhanced dust production around CW Leo”, 2024, Monash University

Various undergraduate research projects at Monash University (2023–)

Various final year undergraduate research projects at KU Leuven (2018–2020)

TEACHING

• Lecturer, (Earth to cosmos - introductory astronomy), School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Australia 2024
• Examiner, School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Australia 2023
• Guest Lecturer, School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Australia 2023
• Course Co-coordinator, Research Projects in Theoretical Astrophysics (Masters level), Institute of Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium 2021 – 2022
• Tutor, Stellar Atmospheres and Stellar Winds (Masters level), Institute of Astronomy, KU Leuven, Belgium 2017 – 2022
• Teaching Assistant, Stellar Physics (Masters level), Dept of Earth and Space Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden 2014 – 2015
• Tutor, Space Science and Techniques (Masters level), Dept of Earth and Space Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden 2012 – 2016
• Exam Marker, first year undergraduate physics, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia 2009 – 2011
• Tutor, first year undergraduate physics, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia 2010 – 2011
• Laboratory Notes Revisor, first year undergraduate physics, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia 2010 – 2011
• Laboratory Demonstrator, first year undergraduate physics, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia 2009 – 2011
• Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Climate Change, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia 2010
• Private Tutor, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, Australia 2006 – 2010

OUTREACH

• Monash Faculty of Science Alumni event, Online, February 2024
• Presentation at Astronomical Society of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, January 2024
• Girls in Physics Breakfasts, Ballarat & Melbourne, Australia, 2023-24
• Work Experience, School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, Australia 2023
• Pint of Science, Melbourne, Australia, 2023-23
• ESO Messenger article 2022 ATOMIUM: ALMA Tracing the Origins of Molecules In dUst forming oxygen-rich M-type stars Decin, Gottlieb, Richards, Baudry, Danilovich, et al Messenger, issue 189 (December 2022), p3–8
• Astronomy on Tap, Bonn 2021
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiPoVfm9QhQ
• Jodcast Interview 2020
  http://www.jodcast.net/archive/202011/
• Pint of Science, Leuven, Belgium 2019
• School Visits and Ladies@Science, KU Leuven, Belgium 2019
• Day of Science (Dag van de Wetenschap), Leuven, Belgium 2018
• Open Door Day, Science Faculty, KU Leuven, Belgium 2017
• Observatory Tours, Educational display update, Onsala Space Observatory, Sweden 2011 – 2016
• Co-ran Work Experience for high school students, School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia 2010 – 2011
• Student Host at Orientation Week, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia 2008, 2010
• Open Day Guide, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia 2008 – 2009
• In-2-Science Mentor, Melbourne, Australia 2007

OTHER ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Member of the National Committee for Astronomy’s Working Groups for the Decadal Plan, 2024 – present
• Member of National Organising Committee for Astronomical Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting, 2024
• Chair of the SOC and LOC for the ACES conference, 2024
• Member of the SOC and LOC for the Joint Franco-Australian 5th Phantom and MCFOST Users Workshop, 2024
• Interview panels for Monash University postdoc hiring, 2023
• Member of the ASA Comms Working Group 2023 – present
• Member of the ASTRO 3D Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee 2023 – present
• Member of ADACS Time Allocation Committee 2023 – 2024
• Mentoring 2021 – present
• Member of educational review panel (COBRA) for Masters in Astronomy & Astrophysics 2022
• Member of the LOC for the IAU Symposium 366: The Origin of Outflows in Evolved Stars 2021
• Panel member of the European Southern Observatory Observing Programmes Committee 2021
• Chair of Scientific and “Local” Organising Committees for DELVE: Death-throes of EvoLved stars, a Virtual Encounter
  • Ran 12–16 April 2021 with 187 registered attendees.
  • Conference website:
    https://fys.kuleuven.be/ster/events/conferences/2021/delve/delve-the-death-throes-of-evolved-stars-a-virtual-encounter
  • Talks are available on YouTube:
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrGAIWCGSKlC9ja1CMZzzLWddWwbwwhty
• Refereeing 2018 - present
  • Grant Proposals
    • The Australian Research Council
    • The National Science Centre Poland
  • Journal Manuscripts
    • Astronomy & Astrophysics,
    • The National Science Centre Poland. • Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
    • The Astrophysical Journal,
    • The Astrophysical Journal Letters and
    • Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica.
• Research group organisational duties @ KU Leuven 2017 – 2022
• Astronomer on Duty, Mercator, La Palma, Spain 2017
• Astronomer on Duty, APEX, Chile 2012
• Member of the Women in Physics Committee, University of Melbourne, Parkville 2010 – 2011
• Graduate Transition Roles, University of Melbourne, Parkville 2010
• Member of Student-Staff Liaison Committee, University of Melbourne, Parkville 2007 – 2009

MEMBERSHIPS

• NESS: The Nearby Evolved Star Survey, 2023 – present
• SKA Observatory: Our Galaxy Science Working Group, 2023 – present
• Associate Investigator at the ASTRO3D Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence, 2023 – present
• Junior Member of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), 2020 – present
• ATOMIUM: ALMA Tracing the Origins of Molecules In dUst-forming oxygen-rich M-type stars, 2018 – present
• DEATHSTAR: DEtermining Accurate mass-loss rates of THermally pulsing AGB STARs, 2016 – present
• Member of the Astronomical Society of Australia (ASA), 2011 – present