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Teaching Staff

Professor PARKER, Quentin A

Professor PARKER, Quentin A

Faculty of Science, HKU

B.Sc.(Hons), PhD (St. Andrews); FASA; FRAS


  • 3962 1436

    Current Research

    • Astronomy Astrophysics & Space Science

      • Prof. Q.A. Parker arrived at HKU in March 2015 from the Australian Astronomical Observatory and Macquarie University, Sydney, where he was director of leading astrophysics and astrophotonics research centre. After spells as Head of Physics and Associate Dean (global) in the FoS he currently directs the Laboratory for Space Research (see www.lsr.hku.hk). Here he has established a world-leading group in late-stage stellar evolution that includes post-AGB stars, planetary nebulae and massive star ejecta. This task is greatly assisted by the appointment of several postdoctoral research fellows. These currently comprise Dr. Chih-hao Hsia, Dr. Partha Sarathi Pal, and Dr. Andreas Ritter, together with PhD, MPhil students and several RAs. Significant contributions to this research field and other LSR activities have been made by his group including seven HKU press releases and several papers in Nature and Nature Astronomy between 2018 and 2022. Exciting research opportunities exist for additional research postgraduate students to join the team. This group also has strong synergies to existing astrophysics and space science expertise elsewhere in the FoS.

     

    Research Interests

    • Astronomy, Astrophysics & Space Science
    • Planetary Nebulae
    • Supernova Remnants
    • Large Scale Widefield Surveys
    • Astronomical Instrumentation
    • Galactic Archaeology
    • Chinese Bronze and Antiquities
    • Science education pedagogy

     

      Representative recent Publications since 2015

      • V. Fragkou, Q.A. Parker, A.A. Zijlstra, R. Vasquez, L. Sabin & J. Rechy-Gaercia. Discovery of the oldest visible planetary nebula hosted by a 500 million year old galactic cluster. ApJ Letters, 935, 35, August 2022: https://www.scifac.hku.hk/news/discovery-of-the-oldest-visible-planetary-nebula-hosted-by-a-500-million-year-old-galactic-cluster
      • S. SeyedAbdolreza, Q.A. Parker, C-H. Hsia &  Z. Yong.  A Theoretical Study of Infrared Spectra of Highly Positively Charged C60 Fullerenes and Their Relevance to Observed UIE Features. ApJ, 934, 24, July 2022: https://www.hku.hk/press/press-releases/detail/24859.html
      • A. Ritter, A., Q.A. Parker,  F. Lykou, A.A. Zijlstra,  M.A.Guerrero & P. Le Du. The Remnant and Origin of the Historical Supernova 1181 AD. ApJ, 918, 33, September 2021: https://www.hku.hk/press/news_detail_23256.html
      • I.S. Bojičic, M.D. Filipovič, D. Urosevic, Q.A. Parker & T.J. Galvin. Determination of Planetary Nebulae angular diameters from radio continuum spectral energy distribution modeling. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 503, 2887, May 2021: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/503/2/2887/6166761
      • S. SeyedAbdolreza & Q.A. Parker. It Remains a Cage: Ionization Tolerance of C60 Fullerene in Planetary Nebulae. Fullerenes Nanotubes and Carbon Nanostructures, 29:8, 620-625, February 2021, DOI: 10.1080/1536383X.2021.1876677
      • V. Fragkou, Q.A. Parker, A.A. Zijlstra, L. Crause & H. Barker. A high-mass planetary nebula in a Galactic open cluster. Nature Astronomy, 3, 851-857, June 2019: https://www.hku.hk/press/news_detail_19632.html
      • V. Fragkou, Q.A. Parker,  A. Zijlstra, R.F. Shaw & F. Lykou. The central star of planetary nebula PHR 1315 - 6555 and its host Galactic open cluster AL 1.  Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 484, 3078-3092, April 2019, DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stz108
      • S. SeyedAbdolreza & Q.A.Parker. The Astrochemistry Implications of Quantum Chemical Normal Modes Vibrational Analysis. Galaxies, 6, 123-129, November 2018, DOI: 10.3390/galaxies6040123
      • Q.A. Parker, I. Bojcic & D.J. Frew. HASH: The Hong Kong/AAO/Strasbourg H-alpha planetary nebula database, 11th Pacific Rim Conference held in Hong-Kong in Dec 2015. JPhCS, Conference Series 728, no.3, 2016, DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/728/3/032008
      • D. J. Frew, Q. A. Parker & I. S. Bojicic. The Hα surface brightness- radius relation: a robust statistical distance indicator for planetary nebulae. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 455:1459–1488, January 2016, DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stv1516

       

      Fellowships & Other Asteem Factors

      • Vice Chairman (external) of the Orion Astropreneur Space Academy (2022 – )

      • Consultant CPPCC Hangzhou-Hong-Kong Friendship Association (2018 – )

      • Member of the Oriental Ceramics Society of Hong Kong (2015 - )

      • Member of the International Astronomical Union (1995 - )

      • Fellow of the Astronomical Society of Australia (1994 - )

      • Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (1988 - )

       

      Professional Prizes and Awards for Research, Teaching and Leadership ($4.65M HKD)

      2022

       

      International Gemini Prize for excellence in Pro-Am research $9K + medal

      2020

       

      HKU international travel fellowship $50K

      2018

       

      HKU Sino-British Fellowship $25K

      2015-2019

       

      Various HKU Knowledge Exchange & conference and travel grants $500K

      2014

       

      MQ University “Jim Piper” Award for Excellence in Research Leadership $120K

      2013

       

      Prestigious Gutenberg Professorial Chair, Strasbourg, France $3.2M

      2012

       

      MQ Vice Chancellors Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching $360K

      2011

       

      Australian “ALTC” Citation for Excellence in Undergraduate Learning $360K

      2011

       

      MQ Recipient of University Innovations awards for Excellence in Research $120K

      2010

       

      MQ Shortlisted for University Innovations Award in Research & Engineering

      2009

       

      MQ Highly Commended for University Innovations in Learning and Teaching

      2008

       

      MQ Vice Chancellors Award for Excellence in PhD Supervision $180K

      2007

       

      MQ Divisional Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching $180K

       

      Professional Grants

      Ten-year major grant External and Internal awards  track record: $HK105.8million in instrumentation, astrophysics research, science education and capacity building

      RGMS (HK) round 4&5:

      2020-2022

      CI Parker, Su $51.4M HKD

      RGMS (HK) rounds 1&2:

      2020-2022

      CI Parker, Su $28.5M HKD

      UGC T&L (HK):           

      2017-2020        

      CIs Parker, Knothe, Lee, $3.314M HKD

      RGC (HK) 17609318:

      2019-2020

      CIs Zhou, Parker $529K HKD

      RGC (HK) 17304018:

      2018-2021

      CIs Parker, Zijlstra, Gesicki, $520K HKD

      RGC (HK) 17300417:  

      2017-2020          

      CIs Parker, Zijlstra, Frew $520K HKD

      RGC (HK) 17326116:   

      2016-2018         

      CIs Parker, Frew, Bojicic  $540K HKD

      ARC LEI40100052:      

      2014                  

      CIs Colless, + Parker et al. $350K HKD

      ARC LE130100198:      

      2013                 

      CIs B-Hawthorn, Croom, Parker+ $2M HKD

      ARC DP120103751:      

      2012-2014

      CIs Ireland, Parker, Bedding $2.13M HKD

      ARC DP120104416:      

      2012-2013   

      CIs Freeman, Parker, B-Hawthorn $1.7M HKD

      ARC LE120100023:      

      2012     

      CIs Bessell, Dopita, Parker et al $1.1M HKD

      OLT Teaching grant:     

      2013-2016        

      CIs Mulligan, Parker, Hedberg, Cody $15M HKD

      MQAAAstro centre:      

      2011-2015

      CI Parker, $1.85M HKD 

      Guttenberg Chair:                       

      2013    

      CI Parker, $650K HKD (Strasbourg, France)

      BRC (HKU):

      2018-2020

      CIs Parker, Su, $10M HKD

      PDF award (HKU):  

      2016-2020         

      CIs Parker, Kwok and Wu $1M HKD

      PDF award (HKU):    

      2017-2021        

      CIs Lee, Parker, Knothe $1M HKD

      Travel/seed funding:

      2015-2020

      CI  Parker $575K HKD