I am Conaire Deagan

An astrophysics PhD candidate interested in solar-like stellar activity, Wolf-Rayet stars, exoplanets, and optical physics. I am a member of the NEarby Worlds and Their Stars (NEWTS research group), and a science member on the TOLIMAN project. Additionally, while I don't actively research SETI, it is a research interest of mine and something I like to talk about. I am always open to collaboration, email me if you would like to collaborate. Click on the icons on the left to find my BlueSky, Github, LinkedIn, and Email. Find my full email address at the bottom of this page.

Email Me Download My CV UNSW AstroStats Club

Research Interests

Anomaly Detection with Machine Learning

Analysing the many terrabytes of TESS lightcurves to find anomalous signals using modern deep learning techniques.

Stellar Activity

Investigating techniques to map large scale magnetic surface features of unresolved stars using high-precision astrometry. Inferring what information is recoverable from stellar surface mapping.

Exoplanets

I am particularly interested the "Earth-twin/analogue" class of exoplanets. I want to help understand their local environments in terms of stellar activity, space weather, and habitability.

Latest Publications

Greetings Earthlings Surface Recovery

Inferring hemispheric asymmetries of stellar active regions through the information content of astrometric signals

Deagan, C., et al.

Submitted to MNRAS (2026)

We demonstrate how high-precision astrometry can be used to recover information about stellar surface features that are otherwise unresolved.

Solar Astrometric Jitter by Wavelength

Astrometric exoplanet detection survives solar-like stellar contamination

Deagan, C., et al.

Submitted to MNRAS (2026)

An investigation into the limits of planet detection in the presence of stellar noise, confirming the robustness of future astrometric missions.

Talks

By default, please assume all figures and results in these presentations are unpublished, and thus please don't share them without my permission, unless they also appear in a publication.

The surface of unresolved Sun-like stars

Presented at the Stars in Brisbane / Australian Exoplanet Worshop 10, 2024

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Star-Planet Interactions: How tracking star-spots can give insights into planetary architecture, atmospheric composition, and habitability

Presented at the Australian Centre for Astrobiology Seminar, 2024

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The place of Astrometry in SETI / High Precision Astrometry: Not just for exoplanets

Presented at Interstellar Frontiers: Bridging SETI, Astrobiology, and the SKA, 2024

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Star-spots, stellar dynamos and habitable exoplanet astrometry

Presented at Australian Exoplanet Workshop 9, 2023

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Conference Posters

Cool Stars 22, 2024 Poster

Towards Stellar Obliquities: Recovering Stellar Inclinations via High Precision Astrometric Monitering

Presented at Cool Stars 22, 2024

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Extreme Solar Systems V, 2024 Poster

Recovering Stellar Inclinatiopn with High Precision Astrometry

Presented at Extreme Solar Systems V, 2024

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ASA 2023 Poster

Inferring properties of stellar systems via astrometric monitoring

Presented at ASA 2023

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Teaching Experience

Feedback for Teachers (FFT) Report

  • Overall Positive Response Rate: 91.85%
  • Number of Responses: 30

Courses Taught

  • QBUS3600: Business Analytics in Practice (Head Tutor) @ USYD
  • QBUS6600: Data Analytics for Business Capstone (Tutor) @ USYD
  • BUSS6002: Data Science in Business (Tutor) @ USYD
  • PHYS4016: Bayesian Data Inference and Machine Learning (Marker) @ USYD

A challenge

Below is a link to a message. If you can work out what the message says, please contact me. If you correctly work it out, I'll buy you a beer/coffee/chocolate if we ever meet. There are no red herrings or tricks in the message. The message is not encrypted - you don't need to know any cryptography. Good Luck!

Accept Challenge? Post Challenge Survey

Get In Touch

I'm always happy to collaborate on new projects or discuss my research so feel free to reach out. If you are a student of mine, please contact me via official channels. These are likely listed on the Canvas page.