Dr Emma Whelan of Maynooth University is a member of the Mauve science programme along with Jamie Stewart and Patrick Flanagan. Dr Whelan specialises in high-angular-resolution optical and near-infrared observations, with particular expertise in spectroastrometry. In this member spotlight, she talks about her research and how she plans to use Mauve data.
Can you please introduce yourself?
“I am an observational astronomer specialising in star and planet formation. My research primarily relies on ground-based facilities such as the Very Large Telescope, with a strong emphasis on spectroscopic observations. I am particularly interested in the first million years in the formation of a new planet, a critical period when the processes that drive star and planet formation are intimately linked. Over the past decade, our understanding of planet formation has advanced dramatically, revealing that planets begin to assemble while their parent stars are still in the process of forming. This emerging picture has transformed our view of how planetary systems originate and evolve.”
What inspired you to pursue research in your field?
“As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by science. I always knew I would become a scientist, although as a child I frequently changed my mind about what kind of scientist I would be. At various times, I thought of being a palaeontologist, a geologist, or even a brain surgeon. Interestingly, astronomy was never high on that list, even though I always loved looking at the night sky.
I discovered my passion for astronomy during the third year of my undergraduate degree. In my final year, I had the opportunity to undertake a research project on star formation, and I have been captivated by the subject ever since. What draws me to this field is the chance to study the origins of planetary systems, including the earliest stages in the formation of our own Solar System.
The aspect of observational astronomy that I enjoy most is the element of discovery. You never know what unexpected or fascinating phenomena might be hidden within a new dataset. Every time fresh observations arrive, I experience the same sense of anticipation and excitement that I felt as a child opening a lucky-dip bag—never quite knowing what treasure I might uncover.”
Mauve offers a fundamentally different approach. Its long-term monitoring capabilities and flexible access to data will allow researchers to respond rapidly to unexpected phenomena, adjust observing strategies as new results emerge, and pursue exciting discoveries in real time.
Dr Emma Whelan
How does your involvement in Mauve align with your research interests?
“Mauve will provide the ideal dataset to investigate the relationship between stellar variability and planet formation. In recent years, my research interests have increasingly focused on the variability of young stars and the possibility that these variations may be linked to the processes that form planets.
Young stars grow through a process known as accretion, whereby they accumulate material from their surrounding discs. One explanation for the variability commonly observed in these systems is that the accretion rate itself changes over time, producing bursts of increased brightness. It is plausible that forming planets embedded within the disc could trigger or influence these accretion events. Conversely, young stars are also known to undergo dimming events caused by orbiting planets or by circumplanetary and disc material associated with planet formation.
By providing long-term, high-quality observations of young stellar systems, Mauve will enable me to explore these phenomena in detail and investigate how variability can be used as a tracer of the planet-formation process.”
Could you describe the science theme you are working on with Mauve?
“My Mauve science programme focuses on the variability of Herbig Ae/Be stars, a class of intermediate-mass young stars with masses greater than two solar masses. Much of our current understanding of star and planet formation has been derived from studies of young solar-mass stars. However, to develop a more complete picture of these processes, it is essential to extend our investigations across a broader range of stellar masses.
Mauve will provide a unique opportunity to do exactly this. By monitoring the brightness of Herbig Ae/Be stars over timescales of months, we will be able to characterise their variability and examine how it relates to accretion. In particular, we will search for and study “dipper” and “burster” behaviour—episodes of dimming and brightening that are commonly observed in young stars. These events offer valuable insights into the interactions between stars, their surrounding discs, and the planet-formation processes taking place within them.”
What aspect of Mauve are you particularly excited for?
“The aspect of Mauve that attracted me most is its ability to provide long-term, continuous monitoring of large numbers of stars. This represents a significant departure from the way I have typically collected data.
In the conventional model, astronomers submit observing proposals during fixed application cycles, specifying in advance exactly how much telescope time they require and what observations they intend to carry out. Competition for observing time is intense, and there is no guarantee that a proposal will be successful. Even when time is awarded, the observations are usually defined well in advance, leaving little flexibility to respond to unexpected discoveries or intriguing developments in the data.
If a particularly interesting result emerges and additional observations are needed, researchers often have to submit a new proposal and wait for the next allocation cycle. As a result, the process can be fragmented and slow, making it difficult to adapt quickly to new scientific opportunities.
Mauve offers a fundamentally different approach. Its long-term monitoring capabilities and flexible access to data will allow researchers to respond rapidly to unexpected phenomena, adjust observing strategies as new results emerge, and pursue exciting discoveries in real time. This ability to follow the science wherever it leads is one of the most compelling aspects of the mission and will open up new opportunities for exploring the dynamic nature of young stars and their environments.”
What synergies do you see between Mauve and other ground-based/space-based telescopes?
“I anticipate a strong synergy between Mauve and ground-based facilities capable of delivering high-resolution spectroscopic observations. High-resolution spectra provide a powerful means of precisely monitoring changes in emission lines that trace accretion and outflow activity in Herbig Ae/Be stars. By combining these spectroscopic diagnostics with the low-resolution spectra provided by Mauve, we will be able to investigate how changes in stellar brightness relate to the physical processes occurring in the star–disc system.”
How has your experience been working with the Mauve Science Collaboration?
“I am thoroughly enjoying being part of the Mauve science programme. The team at Blue Skies Space has been wonderful to work with, and both my research group and I have been made to feel extremely welcome from the outset.
This is my first experience being involved with a telescope mission before it becomes fully operational, which has made the journey particularly exciting. Witnessing the launch and following the early stages of the mission, while eagerly anticipating Mauve’s performance, has been a unique and rewarding experience.
I am confident that the coming years will bring many exciting discoveries and new scientific opportunities. I look forward to seeing the impact Mauve will have on our understanding of young stars and planet formation, and to being part of what promises to be a fascinating and enjoyable scientific adventure.”
Is there anything else you would like to add?
One of the aspects of this project that I find particularly exciting is its innovative approach to conducting science and accessing astronomical data through a subscription-based model. This represents a departure from the traditional framework of telescope access and has the potential to make scientific research more flexible, responsive, and accessible.
I believe that models like this are likely to become increasingly important in the future of astronomy. Being involved with Mauve provides a unique opportunity to experience this new approach firsthand and to see how it is adopted and embraced by the wider astronomical community. I am eager to explore the scientific opportunities it enables and to contribute to shaping new ways of carrying out astronomical research.
Learn more about Dr Whelan’s work: