Adrian Potter

Posted by Adrian on Feb. 3rd, 2012

I'm currently a final year PhD student at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge. I'm affiliated with Pembroke College.

I did my undergraduate degree in mathematics, also in Cambridge, followed by my masters specialising in fluid dynamics and astrophysics. I attained a first class in my degree and a pass with honours for my masters.

I'm now studying stellar evolution at the Institute of Astronomy under the supervision of Dr. Christopher Tout. Much of my second year was spent writing rose (Rotating Stellar Evolution), a modified version of the Cambridge stellar evolution code, stars, that includes the effects of rotation. I've used that code to look at the observational signatures of rotation predicted by a number of popular models in order to compare the differences. This has been aided by use of the stellar population synthesis code, starmaker, written by Ines Brott. More recently I have adapted the code to include the effects of magnetic fields with a new alpha-omega dynamo model coupled with magnetic braking.

Outside of work I tend to keep very active. In the past I've danced with and captained the Cambridge University Acrobatic Rock and Roll Team. I've run two marathons, the latest in Amsterdam in 2009. I finished in 3:49:55 and raised over £1600 for MIND. For the past two years I've been dancing Ballroom and Latin with Cambridge University Dancesport Team as an intermediate level dancer and have enjoyed a number of successes, notably sharing the Couple of the Year trophy with my partner last year at the 2011 Varsity match. I'm also the treasurer (and dancer) for XS Latin B formation team. The team was only set up in May but we've already successfully competed at a number of competitions, making the final of our first international competition in Vienna in December.