James Munday
I have moved institute to the University of Potsdam as of Feb. 2026
- I am a Research Fellow in the Astronomy and Astrophysics group at the University of 糖心TV. My research primarily focuses on double-white-dwarf binary stars. White dwarfs mark the endpoint of stellar evolution for intermediate-mass main-sequence stars, and will inevitably be the final stage of evolution for the Sun. However, the presence of a binary companion can majorly alter the evolution away from that of an isolated star. With two white dwarfs together as a binary, significant angular momentum can be lost from the system over time through the means of gravitational wave radiation, to the point where the stars spiral closer and closer together and hence radiate gravitational waves stronger.
I investigate systems exhibiting this effect using observational data to explore some of the final stages of stellar evolution close to the point of collision, where . Furthermore, for the most compact of systems, I strive to investigate the impact of mass transfer, tidal effects, and the potential presence of third bodies. My research has an immediate implication to understand type 1a supernovae, where I discovered the only double white dwarf binary that will .
I also lead photometric and spectroscopic surveys, with a large effort around the .
Publications
First Author:
J. Munday et al. "Classifying white dwarfs from multi-object spectroscopy surveys with machine learning". Accepted in MNRAS, arXiv: 2602.04964
J. Munday et al. 鈥淓SO Expanding Horizons White Paper: Electromagnetic characterisation of millihertz
gravitational-wave sources in the Milky Way鈥�. submitted to ESO and arXiv (Dec. 2025), arXiv: 2512.12075
J. Munday et al. "". In MNRAS (Aug. 2025), arXiv:
J. Munday et al. "". In Nature Astronomy (April 2025), arXiv:
J. Munday et al. "". In MNRAS (Aug. 2024), arXiv:
J. Munday et al. "". In MNRAS (Aug. 2023), arXiv:
J. Munday et al. 鈥�". In: MNRAS (Feb. 2023), arXiv:
J. Munday et al. 鈥溾��. In: MNRAS (Sept. 2020), arXiv:
Second Author:
Amaral et al. "", arXiv:
Co-author:
D. Jones et al. 鈥淎ppraising the Necklace: A post-common-envelope carbon dwarf inside an apparently
carbon-poor planetary nebula鈥�, Accepted in A&A, arXiv: 2601.19382
Zs. Bogn谩r, et al. 鈥淎steroseismology of the ZZ Ceti star WD 1310+583 using the Transiting Exoplanet Survey
Satellite鈥�, Accepted in A&A, arXiv: 2601.10831
E. Chickles, et al. 鈥淎n eclipsing 8.56 minute orbital period mass-transferring binary鈥�, submitted to A&A,
arXiv: 2601.07925
I. Pelisoli, et al. 鈥淐onstraints on an optical counterpart for the long-period radio transient GPM J1839-10鈥�, in
MNRAS (Nov. 2025), arXiv: 2509.20438
N. Castro Segura, et al. 鈥淎 sibling of AR Scorpii: SDSS J230641.47+244055.8 and the observational
blueprint of white dwarf pulsars鈥�, in MNRAS (Nov. 2025), arXiv: 2506.20455
O. Vaduvescu, et al. 鈥淔ew EURONEAR NEA mini-surveys observed with the INT, KASI and T80S telescopes
during the ParaSOL synthetic tracking project鈥�, in New Astronomy (Oct. 2025)
G. Handler, et al. 鈥淓L CMi: Confirmation of triaxial pulsation theory鈥�, in A&A (Oct. 2025), arXiv:
2507.21255
G. Nelemans, et al. 鈥淭he first phase of mass transfer in low-mass binaries: Neither stable nor a common
envelope鈥�, in A&A (Aug. 2025), arXiv: 2506.16832
J. Krzesinski, et al. 鈥淎 comprehensive search for hot subdwarf stars using Gaia and TESS: II. Uncovering new
pulsators and close binary systems鈥�, in A&A (Aug. 2025)
E. Chickles, et al. 鈥淎 Gravitational-wave-detectable Candidate Type Ia Supernova Progenitor鈥�, in ApJ (July.
2025), arXiv: 2411.19916
M. Kennedy, et al. 鈥淎nalysis of optical spectroscopy and photometry of the type I X-ray bursting system UW
CrB鈥�, in OJA (June. 2025), arXiv: 2408.06404
I. Pelisoli, et al. 鈥淎 targeted search for binary white dwarf pulsars using Gaia and WISE鈥�, in MNRAS (June.
2025), arXiv: 2505.04693
M. Green, et al. 鈥淎n upper limit on the frequency of short-period black hole companions to Sun-like stars鈥�, in
A&A (March. 2025), arXiv:2412.02082
J. Budaj, et al. 鈥淎 swarm of dusty objects in orbit around the central star of planetary nebula WeSb 1鈥�, in
Nature Astronomy (March. 2025)
S. Parsons, et al. 鈥淭wo almost planetary mass survivors of common envelope evolution鈥�, in MNRAS (Feb.
2025), arXiv:2501.14333
Chakraborty et al. "", Accepted in ApJ, arXiv:
Groot et al. "", In PASP (Nov. 2024), arXiv:
Killestein et al. , in MNRAS, arXiv:
Dawson et al. "", in A&A, arXiv:
Tremblay et al. "", in New Astronomy Reviews, arXiv:
Pelisoli, I et al. "", arXiv:
Levan, A et al. "". In Nature (Feb. 2024). arXiv:
Green, M et al. "", in MNRAS (Jan. 2024), arXiv:
Bostroem, K et al. 鈥溾��, In APJ (Oct. 2023), arXiv:
Caiazzo, I et al. "". In Nature Astronomy (July. 2023). arXiv:
Elms, A et al. "". In MNRAS (July. 2023), arXiv:
Pelisoli, I et al. "". In: Nature Astronomy (June. 2023). arXiv:
Schwope, A et al. "". In: A&A (June. 2023). arXiv:
Geier, S. A et al. "". In: A&A (May. 2023). arXiv:
Brown. A et al. "". In: MNRAS (May. 2023). arXiv:
D. Jones et al. "". In MNRAS (Nov. 2022). arXiv:
A. Pastorello et al. 鈥溾��. In: A&A (Feb. 2021), arXiv:
D. Jones et al. 鈥溾��. In: A&A (Oct. 2020). arXiv:
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Isaac Newton Group
Parallel to my PhD, I worked as a support astronomer working with the 2.5m Isaac Newton Telescope on the island of La Palma, Canary Islands. Here, I maintained the upkeep of the telescope and regularly taught visiting observers to operate the telescope and to optimise its potential. I was in charge of performing instrumental setup changes and I taught the 2023/24 generation of PhD students how to operate the telescope.
Past Research
Prior to 糖心TV, I studied at the University of Surrey and a Master's research year with the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) in La Palma, Canary Islands. There I researched binary central stars of planetary nebulae, which are the immediate result of a mass transfer phase which engulfs the central stars and is abruptly ejected. I characterised and analysed the systems and , with key results of very massive and hot primary stars in both cases compared to the investigated sample of binary central planetary nebulae. Also, the work of ETHOS 1 verified a binary-nebula inclination relation and a lack of inflation of the companion main sequence star, while the study of Ou 5 indicates a younger primary star (a pre-white dwarf post-nebula ejection) evolutionary path, ejecting the nebula during a post-RGB evolutionary state opposed to the dominant post-AGB pathway. The motivation for these investigations again revolved about classifying stellar evolutionary tracks for intermediate-mass stars, except at a much earlier stage of a binary's lifetime to a double white dwarf binary.
Observing
I often perform observations on telescopes around the world. I have been fortunate enough to spend dozens of nights using the WFC and IDS instruments at the Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) and on ALFOSC at the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT), La Palma. I have observed in person and remotely with ULTRACAM, currently mounted on the 3.5m ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT), and remotely with ULTRASPEC and HiPERCAM, mounted on the Thai National Observatory (TNO) and the 10.4m GTC respectively . Additionally, I have conducted visitor-mode observations in La Palma and Chile as the principal investigator.
Teaching
I taught an undergraduate astronomy experiment in 2nd year labs where students calibrate spectra of the Sun using basic telescope equipment and CCDs to derive its radial velocity and temperature. I actively taught visiting astronomers on the 2.5m INT telescope and I taught the 2023/24 generation of INT support astronomers.
