Dr Janet Bowey
Ernest Rutherford Fellow
Cardiff Hub for Astrophysics Research and Technology
- boweyj@cardiff.ac.uk
- Room N3.27, Queen's Buildings - North Building, 5 The Parade, Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 3AA
Overview
I am an astrophysicist who uses infrared spectroscopy to determine the chemical and physical properties of microscopic dust grains and the environments in which they exist: distant galaxies, newly-forming stars, evolved stars, the interstellar medium and our Solar System. Grains like these are thought to be the source of many of the atoms of which our everyday environment and life on Earth is made. My niche area is collaborating with Earth scientists and meteoriticists who study laboratory samples to produce data and interpretations which can be utilised by both research disciplines.
Biography
I began my STFC-funded Returner Fellowship at Cardiff University in October 2019.
My unintended extended career break (to raise a family) lasted between 2006 and 2019.
I was inspired to return to astronomical research after hearing about the planned launch of James Webb Space Telescope in 2020. I thought: I want to use that! and wrote a research proposal having not frequented astronomical circles for more than 10 years and having no access to university facilities.
PDRA in Evolved Stars at the Dept of Physics and Astronomy at University College London (2000-2006)
PDRA in Star Formation in the Dept of Physics at Queen Mary, University of London (1998-2000)
PhD thesis, "Interpreting the 10 micron Astronomical Silicate Feature", Department of Physics, Astronomy and Mathematics, University of Central Lancashire (1993-1998)
MSc in Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Department of Physics, Newcastle Upon Tyne (1992-1993); dissertation: "The History of the Earth/Moon System"
BSc (Hons) Physics, Victoria University of Manchester (1988-1992).
Publications
2023
- Bowey, J. E. 2023. Carbonates and ices in the z = 0.89 galaxy-absorber towards PKS 1830?211 and within star-forming regions of the Milky Way. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 524(2), pp. 2446–2459. (10.1093/mnras/stad1928)
2022
- Bowey, J. E. and Hofmeister, A. M. 2022. Sakurai's Object revisited: new laboratory data for carbonates and melilites suggest the carrier of 6.9-?m excess absorption is a carbonate. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 513(2), pp. 1774-1784. (10.1093/mnras/stac993)
2021
- Bowey, J. E. 2021. Dust changes in Sakurai’s Object: new PAHs and SiC with coagulation of submicron-sized silicate dust into 10 μm-sized melilite grains. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 505(1), pp. 568-581. (10.1093/mnras/stab1305)
2020
- Bowey, J. E., Hofmeister, A. M. and Keppel, E. 2020. Infrared spectra of pyroxenes (crystalline chain silicates) at room temperature. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 497(3), pp. 3658-3673.
2011
- Lagadec, E. et al. 2011. A mid-infrared imaging catalogue of post-asymptotic giant branch stars. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 417(1), pp. 32–92. (10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18557.x)
Current funding:
Ernest Rutherford (Returner) Fellowship, £240,138.00, Reference: ST/S004106/1, duration: 10/2019-10/2021
Title: "Towards an understanding of astronomical silicate dust based on mineralogy meteoritics and infrared spectroscopy"
Pre-2020 publications beginning in 1998 are listed in my ORCID profile but cover similar scientific areas.