Dr George Dransfield

Background

I joined Magdalen College as a Fellow by Examination in Physics in January 2025. Prior to that, I was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Birmingham, where I also completed my PhD in Astrophysics and my MSc by Research in Astrophysics. I came to research slightly later in life, having previously gained my BSc in Astrophysics, followed by a PGCE in Physics and an MA in Science Education, which led to a joyful career teaching secondary school physics in London. Alongside my career in research, I am also a presenter on BBC’s The Sky at Night.

Research

I am an astrophysicist in the field of Exoplanetology, with a particular focus on the detection and characterisation of new planets using the transit method. Exoplanetology is in its infancy when compared with the whole of Astronomy, but in its 30+ year history we’ve detected over 5800 planets orbiting stars other than the sun. We’ve also shown that planets are the norm, and we expect the majority of average stars to host at least one planet.

Planets are incredibly diverse, even more so than the eight planets of the solar system would have you believe. Within my research, I am interested in a type of planet not present in the solar system: Warm Jupiters. These are gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn, but significantly closer to their parent stars, giving them toasty temperatures at least twice that of Earth. By searching for Warm Jupiters that transit the disc of their stars from our line of sight, I’m hoping to improve our theories of how giant planets form and evolve. Given the leading role Jupiter played in shaping the solar system, the history of giant planets might also improve our understanding of how conditions to support life on terrestrial planets can arise.