ACTIVISM
I am running for the Chancellorship of Cambridge University. Lord Sainsbury of Turville has been an inspiring, bold and honest leader. Different times now warrant a different choice. The University's problems are mainly internal and an internal candidate is needed. My manifesto is simple. I want to return the University to the core values in its mission statement. Many of us are now seriously concerned about the direction of the University. I believe Universities should be self-governing communities of scholars. They have become administrative oligarchies.
Please read my platform here.
I am a member of the Board of Scrutiny, which holds the Executive to account. To avoid the appearance of conflict of interest, I am standing back for the period of campaigning for the Chancellorship (28th May to 18th July 2025). If you wish to raise an issue for the Board, please contact me by email and I will take it up after the election.
I lead the 21 Group which campaigns against bullying and harassment in academia. The webpages of the 21 Group contain information and resources. Our twitter/bluesky feed has up-to-date news on campaigns. If you wish to contact me about a bullying issue in Cambridge University, please use this (non University) email. All enquiries will be treated as strictly confidential.
Please see my personal homepage for press releases & campaigns. My writing for 'The Times Higher Educational Supplement' is under the Section 'Science & Society' below. The following description of my research interests is more technical & research-oriented.
RESEARCH
Galactic structure and dynamics. The bar, disk and halo of the Milky Way galaxy. The M31 galaxy and the Local Group.
The dark matter problem and astroparticle physics. Extremely dark matter dominated objects such as the dwarf spheroidal and dwarf irregular galaxies of the Local Group.
Survey science, the Sloan Digital sky survey, the GAIA satellite, transient astronomy, science alerts.
Theoretical galaxy models, self-consistent solutions of the Boltzmann equation. Galactic stability and spiral structure.
Gravitational lensing and microlensing. The mathematical structure of lensing.
Solar system dynamics, extra-solar planets, numerical integration methods.
Non-linear science, integrability and chaos. Super-integrability.
Astroparticle physics. Ultra-high energy cosmic rays.
Selected papers
GAIA and History of Milky Way:
Evans N.W 2020, The early merger that made the galaxy's stellar halo, IAU Symposium 353 (Invited Review)
Myeong G., Vasiliev E., Iorio G., Evans N.W., Belokurov V. 2019, Evidence for two early accretion events that built the Milky Way stellar halo, MNRAS, 488, 1235
Belokurov V, Erkal D, Evans N.W., Koposov S, Deason A. 2018, Coformation of the disc and stellar halo, MNRAS, 478, 611
Galactic Bulge & Bar:
Sanders J.L., Smith L., Evans N.W. 2019. The Pattern Speed of the Bar from Transverse Velocities, MNRAS, 488, 4552
Molloy M, Smith M.C., Evans N.W., Shen J. 2015, Resonant Orbits and High Velocity Peaks towards the Bulge, ApJ, 812, 146
Dwarf Galaxies:
Koposov, S., Belokurov V., Torrealba G., Evans N.W., 2015, Beasts of the Southern Wild : Discovery of Nine Ultra-Faint Satellites in the Vicinity of the Magellanic Clouds, ApJ, 805, 130
Amorisco N.C., Evans N.W., van de Ven G., 2014 The Remnant of a Merger between Two Dwarf Galaxies in Andromeda II, Nature, 507, 335
Belokurov V., Koposov S., Evans N.W., et al., 2014 Precession of the Sagittarius stream, MNRAS, 437, 116
Kleyna J.T., Wilkinson M.I., Evans N.W., Gilmore G., 2002 Dark matter in dwarf spheroidals - II. Observations and modelling of Draco, MNRAS, 330, 792
Stellar Dynamics:
An J., Evans N.W, 2006, A Cusp Slope-Central Anisotropy Theorem, ApJ, 642, 754
Evans, N.W., An J. 2005, Hypervirial Models of Stellar Systems, MNRAS, 360, 492
Wilkinson M.I., Evans N.W. 1999, The Present and Future Mass of the Milky Way, MNRAS, 310, 645
Evans N.W., Read J.C.A., 1998, Stability of the Power-Law Disks, MNRAS, 300, 106
Evans N.W., 1994, The Power-Law Galaxies, MNRAS, 267, 333
Lensing:
Belokurov V., Evans N.W., Hewett P. et al. 2009 Two new large-separation gravitational lenses from SDSS, 392, 104
Belokurov V., Evans N.W., Mooisev A., et al. 2007, The Cosmic Horseshoe: Discovery of an Einstein Ring around a Giant Luminous Red Galaxy, ApJ, 671, L9
Evans N.W, Hunter C., 2002, Lensing Properties of Cored Galaxy Models, ApJ, 575, 68
Dark Matter:
Gilmore G., Wilkinson M., Wyse R., Koch A., Evans N.W., Grebel G., 2007, The Observed Properties of Dark Matter on Small Spatial Scales, ApJ, 663, 948
Evans N.W, Ferrer F., Sarkar S. 2004, A Travel Guide to the Dark Matter Signal, Phys Rev D, 69, 123501
Sloan Discoveries:
Belokurov V., Zucker D., Evans N.W, et al., 2007, Cats and Dogs, Hair and a Hero: A Quintet of New Milky Way Companions, ApJ, 654, 897
Belokurov V.., Evans N.W., Bell E.T., et al. 2007, The Hercules-Aquila Cloud, ApJ, 657, L89
Belokurov V., Evans N.W., Irwin M.J., et al. 2007, An Orphan in the Field of Streams, ApJ, 658, 337
Belokurov V., Zucker D., Evans N.W., et al, 2006, The Field of Streams: Sagittarius and its Siblings, ApJ, 642, L137
Non-Linear Dynamics:
Verrier P., Evans N.W., 2008, A New Superintegrable Hamiltonian, JMP, 49, 2902
Evans N.W., 1990, Superintegrability in Classical and Quantum Mechanics,Phys Rev A, 41, 5666
Solar System Dynamics:
Horner J., Evans N.W., Bailey M.E., Asher D., 2003, The populations of Comet-like bodies in the Solar System, MNRAS, 343, 105
Evans N.W., Tabachnik S., 1999, Possible Long-lived Asteroid belts in the inner Solar System, Nature, 399, 41
Career
Professor of Astrophysics at the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge University
Formerly, Reader in Theoretical Physics, Oxford University and Lindemann Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Science and Society
Article in The Times Higher Educational Supplement: Justice delayed is justice denied for early career plagiarism victims
The 21 Percent Group Webpages on Anti-Bullying Resources and Twitter Feed
Article in The Times Higher Educational Supplement : Cambridge can and should open up more permanent positions without resorting to age discrimination
Article in The Times Higher Educational Supplement : Bullying is a Feature of UK Research Universities, not Bug
Article on Telescoper's blog: Bullying: How to Survive It in UK Universities
A Horrific Account of Bullying at a UK University: The Bullying of Hannelore
Article in The Times Higher Educational Supplement: Investigating Serious Abuses Must be Taken out of University's. Hands
Submission to the House of Commons Select Committee: The Culture in UK Astronomy
