Francesca Fragkoudi
@astrofrancesca.bsky.social
Astrophysicist | Associate Professor & UKRI FLF at the Institute for Computational Cosmology, Durham | Interested in: galaxies; dynamics; bars; dark matter; science4peace; cats (not necessarily in that order) | Cypriot #κυπραία #kıbrıslı
Another proud supervisor moment today 🤩 Alex has their awesome paper out on the arXiv about what sets bar rotation in the cosmological context: arxiv.org/abs/2601.20941
Alex finds that galaxies with lower stellar mass and lower baryon-dominance have slower bars ✨ 🔭🧪 #astrosci #astro
Alex finds that galaxies with lower stellar mass and lower baryon-dominance have slower bars ✨ 🔭🧪 #astrosci #astro
January 30, 2026 at 10:05 AM
Another proud supervisor moment today 🤩 Alex has their awesome paper out on the arXiv about what sets bar rotation in the cosmological context: arxiv.org/abs/2601.20941
Alex finds that galaxies with lower stellar mass and lower baryon-dominance have slower bars ✨ 🔭🧪 #astrosci #astro
Alex finds that galaxies with lower stellar mass and lower baryon-dominance have slower bars ✨ 🔭🧪 #astrosci #astro
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
Our @durhamphysics.bsky.social astronomers have helped create the highest resolution map of the dark matter that threads through our Universe - showing the mysterious substance’s influence on the formation of stars, galaxies and planets. Discover more 👉 www.durham.ac.uk/news-events/...
Revealing dark matter’s influence on the Universe - Durham University
www.durham.ac.uk
January 26, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Our @durhamphysics.bsky.social astronomers have helped create the highest resolution map of the dark matter that threads through our Universe - showing the mysterious substance’s influence on the formation of stars, galaxies and planets. Discover more 👉 www.durham.ac.uk/news-events/...
Very proud of PhD student Thomas Tomlinson, who's awesome paper is out on the arXiv today, on bar-induced substructures in stellar haloes 🤩🔭 #astrosci
arxiv.org/abs/2601.14409
arxiv.org/abs/2601.14409
January 22, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Very proud of PhD student Thomas Tomlinson, who's awesome paper is out on the arXiv today, on bar-induced substructures in stellar haloes 🤩🔭 #astrosci
arxiv.org/abs/2601.14409
arxiv.org/abs/2601.14409
Cakes for Good: an initiative by Durham astronomy's wonderful PhD students reported on in Nature 🤩
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Cake to the rescue: how these PhD students are cooking up a sense of community
One treat at a time, these graduate students are helping to raise funds for charitable organizations.
www.nature.com
October 22, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Cakes for Good: an initiative by Durham astronomy's wonderful PhD students reported on in Nature 🤩
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
Astronomers have detected a dark blob of...something, billions of light years away. It's as massive as a million Suns & it emits no detectable radiation.
It might be a clump of dark matter, revealing new details about the structure of the invisible universe. 🧪🔭
www.ucdavis.edu/news/astrono...
It might be a clump of dark matter, revealing new details about the structure of the invisible universe. 🧪🔭
www.ucdavis.edu/news/astrono...
October 9, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Astronomers have detected a dark blob of...something, billions of light years away. It's as massive as a million Suns & it emits no detectable radiation.
It might be a clump of dark matter, revealing new details about the structure of the invisible universe. 🧪🔭
www.ucdavis.edu/news/astrono...
It might be a clump of dark matter, revealing new details about the structure of the invisible universe. 🧪🔭
www.ucdavis.edu/news/astrono...
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
Paper day! My PhD student Mariana Júlio, with @readdark.bsky.social, @pengfeili.bsky.social and others, studies the internal dynamics of dwarf galaxies and finds they don't agree with the Radial Acceleration Relation, challenging the dark matter alternative MOND.
arxiv.org/abs/2510.06905
🔭☄️🧪
1/7
arxiv.org/abs/2510.06905
🔭☄️🧪
1/7
The radial acceleration relation at the EDGE of galaxy formation: testing its universality in low-mass dwarf galaxies
A tight correlation between the baryonic and observed acceleration of galaxies has been reported over a wide range of mass ($10^8 < M_{\rm bar}/{\rm M}_\odot < 10^{11}$) - the Radial Acceleration Rela...
arxiv.org
October 9, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Paper day! My PhD student Mariana Júlio, with @readdark.bsky.social, @pengfeili.bsky.social and others, studies the internal dynamics of dwarf galaxies and finds they don't agree with the Radial Acceleration Relation, challenging the dark matter alternative MOND.
arxiv.org/abs/2510.06905
🔭☄️🧪
1/7
arxiv.org/abs/2510.06905
🔭☄️🧪
1/7
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
🌌 Yesterday, the Durham Advanced School on Astrophysical Simulations kicked off at Durham University! PhD students and researchers are diving into both theoretical and practical aspects of astrophysical simulations. Big thanks to the Institute of Computational Simulations for organizing! 🙏
September 16, 2025 at 11:57 AM
🌌 Yesterday, the Durham Advanced School on Astrophysical Simulations kicked off at Durham University! PhD students and researchers are diving into both theoretical and practical aspects of astrophysical simulations. Big thanks to the Institute of Computational Simulations for organizing! 🙏
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
The wait is over! Next week the Durham Advanced School on Astrophysical Simulations kicks off at @durhamuniversity.bsky.social We’re finalizing preparations for this international event with 50 students and ~12 lecturers 👩💻👨🏫 Big thanks to the DU-ICC for hosting!
📸 More updates and photos coming soon!
📸 More updates and photos coming soon!
September 11, 2025 at 2:22 PM
The wait is over! Next week the Durham Advanced School on Astrophysical Simulations kicks off at @durhamuniversity.bsky.social We’re finalizing preparations for this international event with 50 students and ~12 lecturers 👩💻👨🏫 Big thanks to the DU-ICC for hosting!
📸 More updates and photos coming soon!
📸 More updates and photos coming soon!
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
As a member of the Netherlands Royal Academy of Arts & Sciences (KNAW) I support our statement on the war in Gaza.
www.knaw.nl/en/news/stat...
www.knaw.nl/en/news/stat...
Statement by the KNAW Board on the situation in Gaza - KNAW
The KNAW Board calls on the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science to actively press for suspension of Israel’s participation in the EU’s Horizon Europe programme for scientific and scholarl...
www.knaw.nl
September 11, 2025 at 12:21 PM
As a member of the Netherlands Royal Academy of Arts & Sciences (KNAW) I support our statement on the war in Gaza.
www.knaw.nl/en/news/stat...
www.knaw.nl/en/news/stat...
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
From using Arduino to simulate exoplanet transits (perfect for older students fond of technology) to exploring lightning on other planets, and wrapping up with a tactile Jupiter experience designed for younger children: This is the astroEDU summer collection of activities 2025! 1/4 🔭 #astroedu
August 15, 2025 at 9:26 AM
From using Arduino to simulate exoplanet transits (perfect for older students fond of technology) to exploring lightning on other planets, and wrapping up with a tactile Jupiter experience designed for younger children: This is the astroEDU summer collection of activities 2025! 1/4 🔭 #astroedu
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
Great article about the importance of software engineering and open source code in astrophysics 🔭🧪 (and if anyone is keen to work with me on #BlackHoles lmk, I am planning to hire a software engineer soon!) 😊
www.simonsfoundation.org/2025/08/12/a...
www.simonsfoundation.org/2025/08/12/a...
A Stellar Revolution: How Open-Source Tool MESA Changed the Way We Study Stars
A Stellar Revolution: How Open-Source Tool MESA Changed the Way We Study Stars on Simons Foundation
www.simonsfoundation.org
August 14, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Great article about the importance of software engineering and open source code in astrophysics 🔭🧪 (and if anyone is keen to work with me on #BlackHoles lmk, I am planning to hire a software engineer soon!) 😊
www.simonsfoundation.org/2025/08/12/a...
www.simonsfoundation.org/2025/08/12/a...
Last month we had the privilege of having Durham U's Chancellor, Dr Fiona Hill, record the narration for a new VR movie we're developing about the life of our Milky Way, using the new Auriga Superstars simulations 🔭☄️✨
We're really excited to share this soon with you all 👀
#astronomy #astrosci
We're really excited to share this soon with you all 👀
#astronomy #astrosci
Our astronomers are developing a virtual reality movie to inspire children from North East England and beyond to be curious about science and the cosmos. Our Chancellor, Dr Fiona Hill, has recorded the voiceover for the movie which will premiere later this year! Watch this space…
#NAM2025
#NAM2025
August 13, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Last month we had the privilege of having Durham U's Chancellor, Dr Fiona Hill, record the narration for a new VR movie we're developing about the life of our Milky Way, using the new Auriga Superstars simulations 🔭☄️✨
We're really excited to share this soon with you all 👀
#astronomy #astrosci
We're really excited to share this soon with you all 👀
#astronomy #astrosci
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
Astrophysicist Margaret Burbidge FRS was born #OnThisDay in 1919. During her long career she helped originate the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis, discovered the most distant astronomical object known at the time, and helped develop instruments for the Hubble Space Telescope.
#WomenInSTEM #Space
#WomenInSTEM #Space
August 12, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Astrophysicist Margaret Burbidge FRS was born #OnThisDay in 1919. During her long career she helped originate the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis, discovered the most distant astronomical object known at the time, and helped develop instruments for the Hubble Space Telescope.
#WomenInSTEM #Space
#WomenInSTEM #Space
oh dear, scary, but good to know since I often use google for quick calculations and unit conversions 😱
PSA to scientists: Google calculator appears to no longer do basic unit conversion correctly!
n.b. the correct answer here is 223.4 Myr, a factor of about 60 larger than Google's answer.
🔭 🧪
n.b. the correct answer here is 223.4 Myr, a factor of about 60 larger than Google's answer.
🔭 🧪
August 6, 2025 at 12:25 AM
oh dear, scary, but good to know since I often use google for quick calculations and unit conversions 😱
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
We’ve got a new zooniverse program called Dwarf Quest! Help us find members of our Milky Way’s galactic entourage in data from the Dark Energy Camera
www.zooniverse.org/projects/ywy...
www.zooniverse.org/projects/ywy...
Zooniverse
The Zooniverse is the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research.
www.zooniverse.org
August 5, 2025 at 7:10 PM
We’ve got a new zooniverse program called Dwarf Quest! Help us find members of our Milky Way’s galactic entourage in data from the Dark Energy Camera
www.zooniverse.org/projects/ywy...
www.zooniverse.org/projects/ywy...
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
So something @stilgherrian.com shared earlier caught my eye and I did some reading.
Apparently, SpaceX is lodged a complaint with the FCC that another company, AST, is putting to many satellites into orbit.
First and foremost, let's get this out of the way ... fuckin lolz. They have no shame.
1/n
Apparently, SpaceX is lodged a complaint with the FCC that another company, AST, is putting to many satellites into orbit.
First and foremost, let's get this out of the way ... fuckin lolz. They have no shame.
1/n
August 3, 2025 at 12:10 PM
So something @stilgherrian.com shared earlier caught my eye and I did some reading.
Apparently, SpaceX is lodged a complaint with the FCC that another company, AST, is putting to many satellites into orbit.
First and foremost, let's get this out of the way ... fuckin lolz. They have no shame.
1/n
Apparently, SpaceX is lodged a complaint with the FCC that another company, AST, is putting to many satellites into orbit.
First and foremost, let's get this out of the way ... fuckin lolz. They have no shame.
1/n
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
🧪Physicists disagree wildly on what quantum mechanics says about reality, Nature survey shows
From nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
From nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Physicists disagree wildly on what quantum mechanics says about reality, Nature survey shows
First major attempt to chart researchers’ views finds interpretations in conflict.
www.nature.com
July 30, 2025 at 12:55 PM
🧪Physicists disagree wildly on what quantum mechanics says about reality, Nature survey shows
From nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
From nature.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
Big day for the matriarchy! 🥳 Huge congrats to the awesome Prof. Doughtery, lead on the Jupiter-bound ESA JUICE mission & STFC Exec Chair.
If anyone's confused on the astro royal hierarchy: Michele and I are the astro equivalents of 🇬🇧Westminster and 🏴Holyrood 🤗
ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 👩🔬🔭🧪
If anyone's confused on the astro royal hierarchy: Michele and I are the astro equivalents of 🇬🇧Westminster and 🏴Holyrood 🤗
ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 👩🔬🔭🧪
UK gets first female Astronomer Royal in 350 years
Prof Michele Dougherty is the first woman to be appointed to the influential post.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 30, 2025 at 5:22 AM
Big day for the matriarchy! 🥳 Huge congrats to the awesome Prof. Doughtery, lead on the Jupiter-bound ESA JUICE mission & STFC Exec Chair.
If anyone's confused on the astro royal hierarchy: Michele and I are the astro equivalents of 🇬🇧Westminster and 🏴Holyrood 🤗
ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 👩🔬🔭🧪
If anyone's confused on the astro royal hierarchy: Michele and I are the astro equivalents of 🇬🇧Westminster and 🏴Holyrood 🤗
ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 👩🔬🔭🧪
Our sister institute at Durham, the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, are advertising for a five year lectureship position 🔭☄️
Advertisement is here, have a look and come join us in pretty Durham: durham.taleo.net/careersectio...
#astrosci
Advertisement is here, have a look and come join us in pretty Durham: durham.taleo.net/careersectio...
#astrosci
Lecturer in Observational Astronomy (Research %26 Education)
Click the link provided to see the complete job description.
durham.taleo.net
July 21, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Our sister institute at Durham, the Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy, are advertising for a five year lectureship position 🔭☄️
Advertisement is here, have a look and come join us in pretty Durham: durham.taleo.net/careersectio...
#astrosci
Advertisement is here, have a look and come join us in pretty Durham: durham.taleo.net/careersectio...
#astrosci
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
I have a lot of thoughts here, but the most basic one is that it's insane that we've allowed people to get so rich that they can basically fund this with their own money while at the same time not providing any real mechanism for governmental oversight or regulation.
July 14, 2025 at 3:17 PM
I have a lot of thoughts here, but the most basic one is that it's insane that we've allowed people to get so rich that they can basically fund this with their own money while at the same time not providing any real mechanism for governmental oversight or regulation.
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
DAY 3 #NAM2025durham 🌟
Midweek at #NAM2025 brings one of our busiest days of sessions! Join us for these special events:
🎨 Artwork unveiling in OCW including dance and poetry performances
🎲 board games night in the TLC
And reminder to vote for most engaging exhibitor by 5pm!
Midweek at #NAM2025 brings one of our busiest days of sessions! Join us for these special events:
🎨 Artwork unveiling in OCW including dance and poetry performances
🎲 board games night in the TLC
And reminder to vote for most engaging exhibitor by 5pm!
July 9, 2025 at 8:14 AM
DAY 3 #NAM2025durham 🌟
Midweek at #NAM2025 brings one of our busiest days of sessions! Join us for these special events:
🎨 Artwork unveiling in OCW including dance and poetry performances
🎲 board games night in the TLC
And reminder to vote for most engaging exhibitor by 5pm!
Midweek at #NAM2025 brings one of our busiest days of sessions! Join us for these special events:
🎨 Artwork unveiling in OCW including dance and poetry performances
🎲 board games night in the TLC
And reminder to vote for most engaging exhibitor by 5pm!
My awesome PhD student 🤩
The @royalastrosoc.bsky.social @nam25-durham.bsky.social is a chance for our students to hear from leading astronomers and share their own research. PhD student Martyna Winiarska says that taking part in NAM is what being a researcher is all about 👉 durham-student.org/national-ast...
#NAM2025
#NAM2025
July 8, 2025 at 7:58 PM
My awesome PhD student 🤩
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
We're excited to be hosting almost 1,000 leading space scientists at the @royalastrosoc.bsky.social National Astronomy Meeting #NAM2025 next week, 7 to 11 July! Leading up to NAM, discover more about our amazing research into the mysteries of the Universe 👉 www.durham.ac.uk/news-events/...
July 2, 2025 at 9:05 AM
We're excited to be hosting almost 1,000 leading space scientists at the @royalastrosoc.bsky.social National Astronomy Meeting #NAM2025 next week, 7 to 11 July! Leading up to NAM, discover more about our amazing research into the mysteries of the Universe 👉 www.durham.ac.uk/news-events/...
Reposted by Francesca Fragkoudi
Still confused by all the fuss about our new interstellar visitor? check out this new explainer by @astrokirsten.bsky.social ☄️🔭🧪
theconversation.com/astronomers-...
theconversation.com/astronomers-...
Astronomers have spied an interstellar object zooming through the Solar System
An object dubbed 3I/ATLAS is only the third interloper from outside the Solar System seen in all of human history.
theconversation.com
July 4, 2025 at 4:22 AM
Still confused by all the fuss about our new interstellar visitor? check out this new explainer by @astrokirsten.bsky.social ☄️🔭🧪
theconversation.com/astronomers-...
theconversation.com/astronomers-...