Prof Anna Watts
@profannawatts.bsky.social
Professor of Astrophysics @ Univ. of Amsterdam. Neutron stars, pulsars, dense matter, X-ray astronomy. Mom, Migrant. "Particles in stars blah blah". Does science with NICER on the International Space Station and schemes for EVEN BIGGER SPACE TELESCOPES.
So fun times ahead! We are working on the next stage of our accretion disk modelling (analysis pipelines are churning) and we're really looking forward to (a) getting some good results from our current instruments, and (b) being fully ready for eXTP!!!
a cartoon of a man sitting in a chair with the words bring it on written below him
Alt: The elderly professor from Futurama (white labcoat, glasses.. so cliché...) is sitting in an armchair yelling "Bring it on"
media.tenor.com
November 11, 2025 at 9:05 AM
So fun times ahead! We are working on the next stage of our accretion disk modelling (analysis pipelines are churning) and we're really looking forward to (a) getting some good results from our current instruments, and (b) being fully ready for eXTP!!!
And that's exciting because we have IXPE, which has observed SAX J1808.4-3658 during its most recent outburst (and will hopefully observe the next one too if NASA don't do something stupid and cancel it...). And eXTP will have a larger polarimeter.
November 11, 2025 at 9:02 AM
And that's exciting because we have IXPE, which has observed SAX J1808.4-3658 during its most recent outburst (and will hopefully observe the next one too if NASA don't do something stupid and cancel it...). And eXTP will have a larger polarimeter.
In this study we've learned that very likely single hot spot models are not great, and that we need - ideally - to have a better idea of what the accretion disk is doing. The broader energy coverage of eXTP will help here. But so will X-ray polarimetry!
November 11, 2025 at 9:01 AM
In this study we've learned that very likely single hot spot models are not great, and that we need - ideally - to have a better idea of what the accretion disk is doing. The broader energy coverage of eXTP will help here. But so will X-ray polarimetry!
It's very important that we get the hang of this, because in 2030 eXTP will launch, and these types of stars are primary science targets for that mission!! So it would be nice if we knew how to handle them properly before then....
November 11, 2025 at 8:59 AM
It's very important that we get the hang of this, because in 2030 eXTP will launch, and these types of stars are primary science targets for that mission!! So it would be nice if we knew how to handle them properly before then....
Bas has been working hard with our collaborators to adapt our modeling pipeline to study these types of stars, and in this paper we apply the technique to NICER data from SAX J1808.4-3658, taken in 2019 and 2022.
November 11, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Bas has been working hard with our collaborators to adapt our modeling pipeline to study these types of stars, and in this paper we apply the technique to NICER data from SAX J1808.4-3658, taken in 2019 and 2022.
and there is an accretion disk. Which also has the temerity to glow in the X-ray. WE DO NOT LIKE THE ACCRETION DISK.
Well we do, but it would be nice if it was a little less mysterious.
Well we do, but it would be nice if it was a little less mysterious.
a scooby doo cartoon with the caption looks like we got ourselves a mystery !!
Alt: A scooby doo cartoon, the gang examining the ground next to a car for clues, with the caption "looks like we got ourselves a mystery !!"
media.tenor.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:51 AM
and there is an accretion disk. Which also has the temerity to glow in the X-ray. WE DO NOT LIKE THE ACCRETION DISK.
Well we do, but it would be nice if it was a little less mysterious.
Well we do, but it would be nice if it was a little less mysterious.
In this work we apply the pulse profile modeling technique that we've been using for rotation-powered millisecond pulsars to an accreting millisecond pulsar. There are lots of differences! The atmosphere is different (hotter), the hotspots come from channeled accretion (not magnetospheric currents)
November 11, 2025 at 8:49 AM
In this work we apply the pulse profile modeling technique that we've been using for rotation-powered millisecond pulsars to an accreting millisecond pulsar. There are lots of differences! The atmosphere is different (hotter), the hotspots come from channeled accretion (not magnetospheric currents)
We interviewed a second time this year. Last year, I was the only female candidate in the team waiting room for physical sciences. This year there was only one woman on our interview panel. It's a pretty hostile environment.
November 8, 2025 at 11:23 AM
We interviewed a second time this year. Last year, I was the only female candidate in the team waiting room for physical sciences. This year there was only one woman on our interview panel. It's a pretty hostile environment.
Dodelijke wapens! Zoveel huid en bloed verloren aan die stomme dingen...
November 6, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Dodelijke wapens! Zoveel huid en bloed verloren aan die stomme dingen...
NOT THIS MORNING WE DIDN'T
November 4, 2025 at 12:53 PM
NOT THIS MORNING WE DIDN'T