Dr. Miika Pursiainen

Biography

Miika Pursiainen is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Warwick, specializing in the understanding of peculiar extragalactic transients, particularly Supernovae (SNe). His work largely revolves around understanding how the interaction of Circumstellar Material (CSM) affects the observables of SNe. Pursiainen studies massive stars (greater than 8 solar masses) which exhibit elevated mass-loss over decades to centuries before exploding as SNe. He investigates how the ejecta from these explosions collides with the lost CSM, leading to a conversion of kinetic energy into radiation and resulting in a diverse array of SNe. Through detailed observations, he aims to decipher the mass lost before the explosion, illuminating the kind of star that exploded. His research includes specialties in optical polarimetry for studying extragalactic transients, where he utilizes polarized filters to determine the geometry of SN explosions. Pursiainen completed his PhD at the University of Southampton, where he uncovered a significant population of fast-evolving transients that exceed the typical evolution rates of standard SNe. His work has contributed to the prominence of fast transients in the field of transient astronomy, leading to notable publications on various topics, including disk-like geometries of relativistic outflows in exceptionally bright fast transients.

Research Interests

Experience