Science
My work focuses on stellar and binary evolution, and what population-level modelling can tell us about real observed systems. I am interested in where models are robust, where they fail, and what observations can do to constrain the physics.
Research themes
- Binary evolution and interaction: mass transfer, common-envelope evolution, mergers and their observational signatures.
- Population synthesis: linking microphysics to distributions (periods, masses, yields, rates).
- Nucleosynthesis and chemical evolution: single and binary channels and their imprint on stellar populations.
The full publication list is on the publications page.
Selected research outputs
Methods and tools
Across projects, the common thread is turning physical assumptions into predictions that can be compared with data, then making that workflow reproducible.
- Modelling at scale: fast parameter studies and population synthesis to explore sensitivity to assumptions.
- Model–data comparison: quantitative comparison to survey constraints, with simple uncertainty checks and sanity tests.
- Research software: performance-critical C where needed, with Python interfaces and analysis tooling for iteration.
- Reproducible workflows: version control, automated runs, and lightweight scripts to make results traceable.
I am also interested in applying these methods in other domains (see Horizons).
Talks and posters
Recent talks
- Surviving Type Ia supernovaeJuly 2019UK-China stellar astrophysics meeting, University of Manchester
- Circumbinary post-AGB discsLeuven, January; Uppsala April; Kunming Observatory, June; 2019. Garching, Munich June; Barcelona May; Oxford April 2018; University of Surrey, October; Evolved Stars Nice July 2017; Armagh March 2017; Cambridge Planet Day
- Binary stars in the Galactic thick discFebruary 2019University of Birmingham
- Binary stars and nucleosynthesisOctober 2019Royal Astronomical Society meeting: Common Envelope Evolution
- Binary stars and nucleosynthesisOctober 2019Royal Astronomical Society meeting Common Envelope Evolution
- Us and beesJune 2018University of Surrey
All talks
2019
- Surviving Type Ia supernovaeJuly 2019UK-China stellar astrophysics meeting, University of Manchester
- Circumbinary post-AGB discsLeuven, January; Uppsala April; Kunming Observatory, June; 2019. Garching, Munich June; Barcelona May; Oxford April 2018; University of Surrey, October; Evolved Stars Nice July 2017; Armagh March 2017; Cambridge Planet Day
- Binary stars in the Galactic thick discFebruary 2019University of Birmingham
- Binary stars and nucleosynthesisOctober 2019Royal Astronomical Society meeting: Common Envelope Evolution
- Binary stars and nucleosynthesisOctober 2019Royal Astronomical Society meeting Common Envelope Evolution
2018
- Us and beesJune 2018University of Surrey
- Circumbinary post-AGB discsSeptember 2018Dunsink Observatory
2017
- Nucleosynthesis in PNe and discs in pre-PNeDecember 2017Asymmetry Planetary Nebulae 7
- Massive stars and (their) marriageNovember 2017Yunnan Observatories, Kunming
- Ex-binary stars in the Galactic thick discApril–May 2017Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge; University of Birmingham
- Ex-binary stars in the Galactic thick discApril 2017University of Birmingham, May; Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge
- Dissolution of massive binary starsJune 2017Dublin Institute of Advanced Science
- Binary stars: stellar merger factoriesNovember 2017University of Surrey
- Binary Population Synthesis (invited review)2017IMBASE 2017, ESO Garching
- Binary Population Synthesisinvited review at IMBASE 2017, ESO Garching.
2016
- Weird, massive thick disc starsJune 2016National Astronomy Meeting (Nottingham, UK)
- Weird, massive thick disc starsJune 2016National Astronomy Meeting, Nottingham, UK
- The origin of the elementsJune 2016Solarfest, Dunsink Observatory
- Massive stars and massive binary starsJune 2016Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies and Armagh Observatory
2015
- Single and Binary Stellar EvolutionSeptember 2015BRIDGCE annual meeting
- Massive stars and massive binary starsDecember 2015Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge (colloquium)
- Massive stars and massive binary starsDecember 2015Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, colloquium
- Introduction to the binary_c codeSeptember 2015binary_c days
2014
- The origin of the elements and the critical role of binary starsMay 2014University of Central Lancashire, Keele University and Warwick University
- The origin of the elements and the critical role of binary starsApril 2014TRIUMF, Vancouver, Canada
- Rotational mixing in binary starsFebruary 2014VLT-FLAMES meeting, Granada
- Invited SpeakerMarch 2014Stellar Tango at the Rockies 2014 , Alberta, Canada
- Invited ReviewSeptember 2014Binary systems, their evolution and environment , Ulaan Baatar, September 2014. (Also SOC member.)
- Invited ReviewJuly 2014Why Galaxies Care About AGB Stars III
- Binary systems, their evolution and environment (invited review)September 2014Ulaan Baatar
2013
- The origin of the elements and the critical role of binary starsUppsala and Monash Universities
- The origin of the elementsBonn Astroclub
- The Physics of the SunOctober 2013invited review at Japanese-German Frontiers of Science Symposium
- The J-type carbon stars: a solution in sight?Monash University
- Chemical Evolution of Binary StarsSeptember 2013invited review at Setting a new standard in the analysis of binary stars, Leuven
2012
- The stellar mass function: Binary stellar evolution and the most massive starscolloquium at Mt. Stromlo Observatory and Uppsala University
- The J-type Carbon StarsArmagh Observatory
- The Henyey SchemeTechnical Astrophysics Seminar, AIfA Bonn
- Scientific Writing for Astronomers and AstrophysicistsInvited talk at Armagh Observatory
- Massive Binary Stars and self-enrichment of globular clustersAt Reading the book of globular clusters with the lens of stellar evolution, Rome
- Lithium in the Cosmos: ReviewAstrophysics Seminar, AIfA Bonn
- An introduction to and tools for stellar population synthesisreview talk, AIfA Bonn
2011
- The Origin of the ElementsUniversity of Bonn Dies Academicus invited review talk
- The Mysterious Barium Stars (invited)2011UK National Astronomy Meeting, Llandudno
- The Mysterious Barium StarsUK National Astronomy meeting
- The Mysterious Barium StarsInvited talk at the UK National Astronomy Meeting 2011 , Llandudno, Wales
- J-type Carbon StarsAIfA review talk
- Common Envelopes (invited review)2011IAU symposium 283 Planetary Nebulae – An Eye to the Future
- Common EnvelopesInvited review at IAU symposium 283 Planetary Nebulae - An Eye to the Future
2010
- The Binary/CEMP connectionColloquium Mt. Stromlo observatory
- Mass Transfer In Binary StarsColloquium at Lund Observatory
- Chemically Peculiar Stars: The Binary/CEMP ConnectionJanuary 2010Colloquium at Mt. Stromlo Observatory
- Barium Stars Revisited10th Torino Workshop, Christchuch, NZ 2010; Asymmetric Plantary Nebulae V, Windermere UK
2009
- ULB Binary-star Modelling EffortContact group (Belgian astronomy) meeting
- Binary StarsReview talk, AIfA Bonn
2007
- Binary AGB NucleosynthesisPresented at Asymmetric Planetary Nebulae IV , La Palma
2006
- Binary Star NucleosynthesisColloquium talk in Nijmegen
Posters
Posters (copyright held by me).
2010
- The Ba Stars Mystery2010Tyl Dermine, Robert Izzard, Ross Church and Alain JorissenBinary Star Evolution: Mass Loss, Accretion and Mergers (Mikonos); Asymmetric Planetary Nebulae V (Windermere); Why Galaxies Care About AGB Stars II (Vienna)
2007
- What are the R stars?2007Robert Izzard, Simon Jeffery and John LattanzioNetherlands Astronomy Conference 2007 (poster prize runner-up)
2006
- Galactic Sodium from AGB Stars2006Robert Izzard, Brad Gibson and Richard StancliffeWhy Galaxies Care About AGB Stars I (Vienna 2006; poster prize winner)
- Window To The Stars2006Robert Izzard and Evert GlebbeekIAU General Assembly (Prague) and Netherlands Astronomy Conference (2006)
2001
- Metallicity Dependence of Gamma-Ray Burst Progenitors2001Robert Izzard, Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz and Christopher ToutCanary Islands Winter School: Cosmochemistry: The Melting Pot of the Elements (2001)