Seppo Mattila - UTU Research Portal

Seppo Mattila

- Professor,
Tuorla Observatory (Department of Physics and Astronomy)

Department of Physics and Astronomy

sepmat@utu.fi

+358 29 450 4518

+358 50 412 5859

Vesilinnantie 5

Turku

ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7497-2994

Biography

I received my PhD degree from Imperial College, Univ. of London in 2002. After this I held postdoctoral positions at Stockholm University, Helsinki University of Technology (now Aalto University) and Queen's University Belfast. I moved back to Finland in 2007 with an Academy of Finland Research Fellowship to work at Tuorla Observatory at University of Turku. Between 2012 and 2015 I worked at the Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA) as a University Researcher. I was appointed as a Professor of Astronomy at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at University of Turku in 2015. After 2010 I have made extended research visits to Stockholm University (18 months) and to University of Cambridge, UK (10 months). I have been the Finnish delegate in the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Council since 2020 and in the International Scientific Committee (CCI) of the Roque de los Muchachos and Teide observatories since 2019. Since 2022 I have also served as the President of the CCI. I am currently also the President of the Finnish National Committee for Astronomy and a member of the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) Council and the board of FINCA, and a vice member of the board of the Univ. of Turku Faculty of Science. In 2022 I was invited as a member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters.

Research

My main research interests focus on observational work on extragalactic astrophysical transients, including supernovae, tidal disruption events, and kilonovae. For more details on my research and information on the research group please see https://sites.utu.fi/sne/. For a complete list of my refereed journal papers see ADS (in chronological order) or ADS (ordered by number of citations).

Selected recent papers:

Kool et al. (incl. Mattila) 2023, Nature: A radio-detected type Ia supernova with helium-rich circumstellar material

Pasham et al. (incl. Mattila) 2023, Nature Astronomy: The Birth of a Relativistic Jet Following the Disruption of a Star by a Cosmological Black Hole

Nagao, Mattila et al. 2023, A&A: Spectropolarimetry of Type II supernovae. I. Sample, observational data, and interstellar polarization

Reynolds, Mattila et al. 2022, A&A: Energetic nuclear transients in luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies

Perez-Torres, Mattila et al. 2021, The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review: Star formation and nuclear activity in luminous infrared galaxies: An infrared through radio review

Kool, Reynolds, Mattila et al. 2020, MNRAS: AT2017gbl: a dust obscured TDE candidate in a luminous infrared galaxy

Ackley et al. (incl. Mattila) 2020, A&A: Observational constraints on the optical and near-infrared emission from the neutron star-black hole binary merger S190814bv

Reynolds, Fraser, Mattila et al. 2020, MNRAS: SN 2016gsd: An unusually luminous and linear type II supernova with high velocities

Mattila et al. 2018, Science: A dust-enshrouded tidal disruption event with a resolved radio jet in a galaxy merger

Smartt et al. (incl. Mattila) 2017, Nature: A kilonova as the electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational-wave source

Abbott et al. (imcl. Mattila) 2017, ApJ: Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger

Kankare, Kotak, Mattila et al. 2017, Nature Astronomy: A population of highly energetic transient events in the centres of active galaxies

Kangas, Blagorodnova, Mattila et al. 2017, MNRAS: Gaia 16apd - a link between fast- and slowly-declining superluminous supernovae

Kangas, Portinari, Mattila et al. 2017, A&A: Core-collapse supernova progenitor constraints using the spatial distribution of massive stars in local galaxies

Teaching

I have taught several courses in astronomy, astrophysics and signal and image processing at the Univ. of Turku. In particular, I initiated two new observational astronomy courses currently offered at national level for students from Turku, Helsinki, Oulu and the Aalto University. These courses offer hands-on experience on the use of the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) remotely from Univ. of Turku (Observational Techniques Using the Nordic Optical Telescope) and on the science exploitation of data from the European Southern Observatory (ESO; Data Processing Techniques for Astronomy with ESO Instrumentation). Currently I teach also the BSc course on observational astronomy and the MSc courses Spectroscopic Diagnostics in Astrophysics and Signal and Image Processing. In my teaching I always try to make use of examples from the latest research in order to offer a motivating learning experience for the students.

Publications

3 of 18

A long life of excess: The interacting transient SN 2017hcc (2023)
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
Moran S, Fraser M, Kotak R, Pastorello A, Benetti S, Brennan SJ, Gutierrez CP, Kankare E, Kuncarayakti H, Mattila S, Reynolds TM, Anderson JP, Brown PJ, Campana S, Chambers KC, Chen TW, Della Valle M, Dennefeld M, Elias-Rosa N, Galbany L, Galindo-Guil FJ, Gromadzki M, Hiramatsu D, Inserra C, Leloudas G, Muller-Bravo TE, Nicholl M, Reguitti A, Shahbandeh M, Smartt SJ, Tartaglia L, Young DR
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
A radio-detected type Ia supernova with helium-rich circumstellar material (2023)
- Nature
Kool Erik C., Johansson Joel, Sollerman Jesper, Moldón Javier, Moriya Takashi J., Mattila Seppo, Schulze Steve, Chomiuk Laura, Pérez-Torres Miguel, Harris Chelsea, Lundqvist Peter, Graham Matthew, Yang Sheng, Perley Daniel A., Strotjohann Nora Linn, Fremling Christoffer, Gal-Yam Avishay, Lezmy Jeremy, Maguire Kate, Omand Conor, Smith Mathew, Andreoni Igor, Bellm Eric C., Bloom Joshua S., De Kishalay, Groom Steven L., Kasliwal Mansi M., Masci Frank J., Medford Michael S., Park Sungmin, Purdum Josiah, Reynolds Thomas M., Riddle Reed, Robert Estelle, Ryder Stuart D., Sharma Yashvi, Stern Daniel
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Broad-emission-line dominated hydrogen-rich luminous supernovae (2023)
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pessi PJ, Anderson JP, Folatelli G, Dessart L, Gonzalez-Gaitan S, Moller A, Gutierrez CP, Mattila S, Reynolds TM, Charalampopoulos P, Filippenko AV, Galbany L, Gal-Yam A, Gromadzki M, Hiramatsu D, Howell DA, Inserra C, Kankare E, Lunnan R, Martinez L, McCully C, Meza N, Muller-Bravo TE, Nicholl M, Pellegrino C, Pignata G, Sollerman J, Tucker BE, Wang X, Young DR
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Delayed appearance and evolution of coronal lines in the TDE AT2019qiz (2023)
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Short P, Lawrence A, Nicholl M, Ward M, Reynolds TM, Mattila S, Yin C, Arcavi I, Carnall A, Charalampopoulos P, Gromadzki M, Jonker PG, Kim S, Leloudas G, Mandel I, Onori F, Pursiainen M, Schulze S, Villforth C, Wevers T
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Near-infrared evolution of the equatorial ring of SN 1987A (2023)
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
Kangas T, Ahola A, Fransson C, Larsson J, Lundqvist P, Mattila S, Leibundgut B
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
NOT spectroscopic observations of optical transients #2023-277 (2023) Transient Name Server: AstroNote Kankaanpää H, Kaseva M, Kelder K, Nitindala A, Ojanperä M, Charalampopoulos P, Humina C, Kangas T, Matilainen K, Gadeberg JT, Kankare E, Mattila S
(D2 Article in a professional compilation book)
NOT spectroscopic observations of optical transients #2023-281 (2023) Transient Name Server: AstroNote Bobrikova A, Bocharova A, Georgiou E, Hiltunen J, Kanto S, Charalampopoulos P, Humina C, Kangas T, Matilainen K, Gadeberg JT, Kankare E, Mattila S
(D2 Article in a professional compilation book)
NOT spectroscopic observations of optical transients #2023-282 (2023) Transient Name Server: AstroNote Ojanperä M, Kankaanpää H, Kaseva M, Kelder K, Nitindala A, Charalampopoulos P, Humina C, Kangas T, Matilainen K, Fedorets G, Koivisto N, Gadeberg JT, Kankare E, Mattila M
(D2 Article in a professional compilation book)
Panning for gold, but finding helium: Discovery of the ultra-stripped supernova SN 2019wxt from gravitational-wave follow-up observations (2023)
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
Agudo I, Amati L, An T, Bauer FE, Benetti S, Bernardini MG, Beswick R, Bhirombhakdi K, de Boer T, Branchesi M, Brennan SJ, Brocato E, Caballero-Garcia MD, Cappellaro E, Rodriguez NC, Castro-Tirado AJ, Chambers KC, Chassande-Mottin E, Chaty S, Chen TW, Coleiro A, Covino S, D'Ammando F, D'Avanzo P, D'Elia V, Fiore A, Flors A, Fraser M, Frey S, Frohmaier C, Fulton M, Galbany L, Gall C, Gao H, Garcia-Rojas J, Ghirlanda G, Giarratana S, Gillanders JH, Giroletti M, Gompertz BP, Gromadzki M, Heintz KE, Hjorth J, Hu YD, Huber ME, Inkenhaag A, Izzo L, Jin ZP, Jonker PG, Kann DA, Kool EC, Kotak R, Leloudas G, Levan AJ, Lin CC, Lyman JD, Magnier EA, Maguire K, Mandel I, Marcote B, Sanchez DM, Mattila S, Melandri A, Michalowski MJ, Moldon J, Nicholl M, Guelbenzu AN, Oates SR, Onori F, Orienti M, Paladino R, Paragi Z, Perez-Torres M, Pian E, Pignata G, Piranomonte S, Quirola-Vasquez J, Ragosta F, Rau A, Ronchini S, Rossi A, Sanchez-Ramirez R, Salafia OS, Schulze S, Smartt SJ, Smith KW, Sollerman J, Srivastav S, Starling RLC, Steeghs D, Stevance HF, Tanvir NR, Testa V, Torres MAP, Valeev A, Vergani SD, Vescovi D, Wainscost R, Watson D, Wiersema K, Wyrzykowski L, Yang J, Yang S, Young DR
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Photometry and spectroscopy of the Type Icn supernova 2021ckj. The diverse properties of the ejecta and circumstellar matter of Type Icn supernovae (2023)
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
Nagao T, Kuncarayakti H, Maeda K, Moore T, Pastorello A, Mattila S, Uno K, Smartt SJ, Sim SA, Ferrari L, Tomasella L, Anderson JP, Chen TW, Galbany L, Gao H, Gromadzki M, Gutiérrez CP, Inserra C, Kankare E, Magnier EA, Muller-Bravo TE, Reguitti A, Young DR
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Self-supervised clustering on image-subtracted data with deep-embedded self-organizing map (2023)
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mong Y-L, Ackley K, Killestein T L, Galloway D K, Vassallo C, Dyer M, Cutter R, Brown M J I, Lyman J, Ulaczyk K, Steeghs D, Dhillon V, O’Brien P, Ramsay G, Noysena K, Kotak R, Breton R, Nuttall L, Pallé E, Pollacco D, Thrane E, Awiphan S, Burhanudin U, Chote P, Chrimes A, Daw E, Duffy C, Eyles-Ferris R, Gompertz B P, Heikkilä T, Irawati P, Kennedy M, Levan A, Littlefair S, Makrygianni L, Marsh T, Mata Sánchez D, Mattila S, Maund J R, McCormac J, Mkrtichian D, Mullaney J, Rol E, Sawangwit U, Stanway E, Starling R, Strøm P, Tooke S, Wiersema K
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
SN 2017egm: A Helium-rich Superluminous Supernova with Multiple Bumps in the Light Curves (2023)
- Astrophysical Journal
Zhu Jiazheng, Jiang Ning, Dong Subo, Filippenko Alexei V, Rudy Richard J, Pastorello A, Ashall Christopher, Bose Subhash, Post RS, Bersier D, Benetti Stefano, Brink Thomas G, Chen Ping, Dou Liming, Elias-Rosa N, Lundqvist Peter, Mattila Seppo, Russell Ray W, Sitko Michael L, Somero Auni, Stritzinger MD, Wang Tinggui G, Brown Peter J, Cappellaro E, Fraser Morgan, Kankare Erkki, Moran S, Prentice Simon, Pursimo Tapio, Reynolds TM, Zheng WeiKang
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Spectropolarimetry of Type II supernovae: I. Sample, observational data, and interstellar polarization (2023)
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
Nagao Takashi, Mattila Seppo, Kotak Rubina, Kuncarayakti Hanindyo
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
The Birth of a Relativistic Jet Following the Disruption of a Star by a Cosmological Black Hole (2023)
- Nature Astronomy
Pasham Dheeraj R., Lucchini Matteo, Laskar Tanmoy, Gompertz Benjamin P., Srivastav Shubham, Nicholl Matt, Smartt Stephen J., Miller-Jones James C. A., Alexander Kate D., Fender Rob, Smith Graham P., Fulton M., Dewangan Gulab, Gendreau Keith, Coughlin Eric R., Rhodes Lauren, Horesh Assaf, van Velzen Sjoert, Sfaradi Itai, Guolo Muryel, Castro Segura Noel, Aamer Aysha, Anderson Joseph P., Arcavi Iair, Brennan Seán J., Chambers Kenneth, Charalampopoulos Panos, Chen Ting-Wan, Clocchiatti A., de Boer Thomas, Dennefeld Michel, Ferrara Elizabeth, Galbany Lluís, Gao Hua, Gillanders James H., Goodwin Adelle, Gromadzki Mariusz, Huber M., Jonker Peter G., Joshi Manasvita, Kara Erin, Killestein Thomas L., Kosec Peter, Kocevski Daniel, Leloudas Giorgos, Lin Chien-Cheng, Margutti Raffaella, Mattila Seppo, Moore Thomas, Müller-Bravo Tomás, Ngeow Chow-Choong, Oates Samantha, Onori Francesca, Pan Yen-Chen, Perez-Torres Miguel, Rani Priyanka, Remillard Ronald, Ridley Evan J., Schulze Steve, Sheng Xinyue, Shingles Luke, Smith Ken W., Steiner James F., Wainscoat Richard, Wevers Thomas, Yang Sheng
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
The broad-lined Type-Ic supernova SN 2022xxf and its extraordinary two-humped light curves: I. Signatures of H/He-free interaction in the first four months (2023)
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
Kuncarayakti H., Sollerman J., Izzo L., Maeda K., Yang S., Schulze S., Angus C.R., Aubert M., Auchettl K., Della Valle M., Dessart L., Hinds K., Kankare E., Kawabata M., Lundqvist P., Nakaoka T., Perley D., Raimundo S.I., Strotjohann N.L., Taguchi K., Cai Y.Z., Charalampopoulos P., Fang Q., Fraser M., Gutiérrez C.P., Imazawa R., Kangas T., Kawabata K.S., Kotak R., Kravtsov T., Matilainen K., Mattila S., Moran S., Murata I., Salmaso I., Anderson J.P., Ashall C., Bellm E.C., Benetti S., Chambers K.C., Chen T.W., Coughlin M., De Colle F., Fremling C., Galbany L., Gal-Yam A., Gromadzki M., Groom S.L., Hajela A., Inserra C., Kasliwal M.M., Mahabal A.A., Martin-Carrillo A., Moore T., Müller-Bravo T.E., Nicholl M., Ragosta F., Riddle R.L., Sharma Y., Srivastav S., Stritzinger M.D., Wold A., Young D.R.
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Transient Classification Report for 2023-10-25 #2023-2722 (2023) Transient Name Server Classification Report Bobrikova A, Bocharova A, Georgiou E, Hiltunen J, Kanto S, Charalampopoulos P, Humina C, Kangas T, Matilainen K, Gadeberg JT, Kankare E, Mattila S
(D2 Article in a professional compilation book)
Transient Classification Report for 2023-10-26 #2023-2736 (2023) Transient Name Server Classification Report Ojanperä M, Kankaanpää H, Kaseva M, Kelder K, Nitindala A, Charalampopoulos P, Humina C, Kangas T, Matilainen K, Fedorets G, Koivisto N, Gadeberg JT, Kankare E, Mattila S
(D2 Article in a professional compilation book)
Diversity of Dust Properties in External Galaxies Confirmed by Polarization Signals from Type II Supernovae (2022)
- Astrophysical Journal Letters
Nagao Takashi, Patat Ferdinando, Maeda Keiichi, Baade Dietrich, Mattila Seppo, Taubenberger Stefan, Kotak Rubina, Cikota Aleksandar, Kuncarayakti Hanindyo, Bulla Mattia, Maund Justyn
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Dynamic scheduling for SOXS instrument: environment, algorithms and development (2022)
- Proceedings of SPIE : the International Society for Optical Engineering
Proceedings of SPIE: Software and Cyberinfrastructure for Astronomy VII Asquini Laura, Landoni Marco, Young Dave, Marty Laurent, Smartt Stephen J., Campana Sergio, Claudi Riccardo, Schipani Pietro, Aliverti Matteo, Battaini Federico, Baruffolo Andrea, Ben-Ami Sagi, Bianco Andrea, Capasso Giulio, Cosentino Rosario, D'Alessio Francesco, d'Avanzo Paolo, Hershko Ofir, Kuncarayakti Hanindyo, Munari Matteo, Pignata Giuliano, Rubin Adam, Salvatore Scuderi, Vitali Fabrizio, Achrèn Jani, Araiza-Duràn Josè, Arcavi Iair, Brucalassi Anna, Bruch Rachel, Cappellaro Enrico, Colapietro Mirko, Della Valle Massimo, De Pascale Marco, Di Benedetto Rosario, D'Orsi Sergio, Gal-Yam Avishay, Genoni Matteo, Hernandez Díaz Marcos, Kotilainen Jari, Li Causi Gianluca, Mattila Seppo, Pariani Giorgio, Rappaport Micheal, Radhakrishnan Kalyan, Ricci Davide, Riva Marco, Salasnich Bernardo, Sanchez Ricardo Zanmar, Stritzinger Maximilian, Ventura Hector
(A4 Refereed article in a conference publication )
Energetic nuclear transients in luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies (2022)
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
Reynolds TM, Mattila S, Efstathiou A, Kankare E, Kool E, Ryder S, Pena-Monino L, Perez-Torres MA
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)