Matt Godfrey
I am a second-year PhD student in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Group at the 神马福利影片, supervised by Professor Peter Wheatley. My research focuses on characterising the atmospheres and climates of transiting exoplanets using transmission spectroscopy.
I use both high- and low-resolution spectroscopy to investigate atmospheric winds, chemical composition, cloud and haze signatures, and atmospheric escape driven by intense stellar irradiation. My work combines observational data analysis, atmospheric modelling, and the development and application of specialist spectroscopy pipelines.
My PhD consists of three complementary projects investigating exoplanet atmospheres and planetary evolution:
The first uses high-resolution HARPS observations of the hot-Jupiter HD 189733b. With the custom terminator pipeline, I model sodium absorption and wind speeds across the planetary limb, comparing the morning and evening sides to investigate atmospheric asymmetries and circulation. This allows me to explore how heat and material are transported through the atmosphere
The second forms part of the survey, which measures optical transmission spectra for a large sample of gas giants to examine how atmospheric properties vary with temperature and mass. I use the pipeline to reduce time-series spectra, fit white and wavelength-binned transit light curves, model systematics, and construct transmission spectra. I then perform atmospheric retrievals to investigate molecular and atomic absorption, clouds, hazes, scattering slopes, and stellar contamination.
The third is part of the collaboration, which studies the formation and evolution of close-in Neptune-sized planets. I use the workflow to analyse high-resolution transit spectroscopy, separate stellar and planetary signals, and help constrain spin-orbit geometry, migration histories, and atmospheric erosion.
Before beginning my PhD, I completed an MSci in Physics with Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Nottingham. My undergraduate research included modelling neutron-star dynamics in modified gravity and applying machine-learning methods to collective and adversarial behaviour in active-matter systems.
After graduating, I worked as a Research Assistant in the at the University of Nottingham. I conducted laboratory studies of verbal communication, integrating audio, eye-tracking, and motion-tracking systems and analysing large behavioural datasets.
Research Interests
- Exoplanet atmospheres and climate systems
- High- and low-resolution transmission spectroscopy
- Atmospheric winds and spatially resolved spectroscopy
- Atmospheric composition, clouds, and hazes
- Atmospheric escape and planetary evolution
- Transit light-curve modelling
- Atmospheric retrievals
Teaching
I am a Senior Graduate Teaching Assistant at the 神马福利影片. I lead weekly undergraduate example classes in Classical Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Electromagnetism, and Quantum Mechanics.
My role includes supporting students with theoretical concepts and problem-solving methods, marking assessed work, and providing constructive feedback.
Conferences and Schools
2026
- National Astronomy Meeting 2026 — Birmingham, UK, 20–24 July 2026 — Poster presentation
- HoRS3S: High-Resolution Exoplanet and Stellar Characterization — Granada, Spain, 6–10 July 2026 — Poster presentation
- European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting 2026 — Lausanne, Switzerland, 29 June–3 July 2026 — Two poster presentations
- UK Exoplanet Meeting 2026 — Bristol, UK, 30 March–2 April 2026 — Poster presentation
2025
- The Fate of Neptunian Worlds: Demographics, Atmospheres and Evolution — Warwick, UK, 15–17 September 2025
- Sagan Summer Workshop: Demographics of Exoplanets — Pasadena, USA / Online, 21–25 July 2025 — Poster presentation
- European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting 2025 — Cork, Ireland / Online, 23–27 June 2025
- Summer School of the Young German Astronomical Society (jAG25) — Potsdam, Germany, 1–4 June 2025 — Oral presentation, supported by a Royal Astronomical Society Travel Grant
- UK Exoplanet Meeting 2025 — Leeds, UK, 31 March–3 April 2025 — Poster presentation
- Rencontres Exobiologiques pour Doctorants 2025 — Le Teich, France, 16–21 March 2025
2024
- STFC Introduction to Astronomy Summer School — Keele, UK, 1–6 September 2024