pdf version of my CV (4 pages) - ESO

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Date of Birth:! 08/12/1981
Place of Birth:!Berlin, Germany
Citizenship:! German
Gender:! Female
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Andrea Mehner
European Southern Observatory
Av. Alonso de Cordova 3107
Vitacura
Santiago, Chile
T +56 2 463 3068
amehner@eso.org
www.sc.eso.org/~amehner/
Stellar spectroscopy, massive star evolution, late stages of massive stars, variable massive stars,
supernova impostors, progenitor stars of supernovae
EMPLOYMENT
Postdoctoral Research Fellow European Southern Observatory, Santiago, Chile — 09/2011-
PRESENT
Day and night time duties on Paranal (80 days/year), Xshooter fellow.
Research Assistant, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA — 01/2008-06/2011
Spectroscopic analysis of high-excitation emission lines in the ejecta and wind of eta Carinae using
HST/STIS, GEMINI-S/GMOS, and VLT/UVES data. Modification and use of specific reduction and
analysis software for HST/STIS data developed by the Eta Carinae Treasury Project Team. Wrote
software to calculate effects of atmospheric differential refraction for Gemini-S/GMOS observations.
Photoionization modeling with CLOUDY.
Teaching Assistant, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA — 08/2007-12/2008
Taught and graded laboratory section of an introductory astronomy course.
Teaching Assistant, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany — 04/2003-03/2004
Graded coursework and exams of an experimental physics course.
Paid Internship, Fraunhofer IOF (Institute of Applied Optics and Precision Engineering), Jena,
Germany — 07/2002-01/2003
Experimentation in precision engineering, equipping an optical laboratory, and literature research.
EDUCATION
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA — Ph.D., Astrophysics, 08/2007-06/2011
Thesis advisor: Prof. Kris Davidson
Title: Exploring and Modeling High-excitation Emission in the Ejecta and the Wind of Eta Carinae
University of Granada, Granada, Spain — Physics, 09/2004-06/2005
Erasmus student.

Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany — Diploma in Physics (equiv. to M.Sc.),
10/2001-07/2007
Thesis advisor: Dr. Eike Guenther
Title: Multiplicity of Tight Ultra Low Mass Systems
HONORS
Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship awarded $22,500 by the Graduate School at The University of
Minnesota, USA, to support dissertation research, 2010-2011
Nagoya University Global COE Program in Physics Fellowship for a 3 weeks stay at Nagoya
University, Japan, January 2010
Sokrates/Erasmus Scholarship to study for one academic year at the University of Granada, Spain,
2004-2005
OTHER WORK & OUTREACH EXPERIENCE
Public Outreach, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, USA — 08/2007-06/2011
Oral presentations and night sky viewing events to audiences of all ages on a regular basis. Involved
with the NASA sponsored Universe in the Park program and with hosting public viewing nights at the
University of Minnesota Department of Astronomy.
Public Outreach, Karl Schwarzschild Observatory, Tautenburg, Germany — 07/2006-07/2007
Conducted public tours of the observatory on a weekly basis.
Internship, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany — 07/2004-08/2004
Spectroscopic analysis of data obtained during the 2004 Venus-Transit with the 0.9m telescope of the
University of Jena.
SKILLS
Languages: German (native), English (fluent), Spanish (good)
Computer: FORTRAN, C, AWK/SED, IRAF, CLOUDY, LaTeX, HTML/CSS, Microsoft Windows, Mac
OS X, Unix
TELESCOPE TIME AND OBSERVING EXPERIENCE
Monitoring of Eta Car and Galactic/LMC/SMC-LBVs/cLBVs with Pucheros on the ESO-50 cm
telescope at the Observatorio UC, Chile — 5 nights (2012)
Longterm monitoring project.
PI, VLT FORS2 090.D-009(A,B), PARANAL, CHILE — 11 h (2012)
Luminous Infrared Sources in nearby (Dwarf) Irregular Galaxies: Identifying the Missing Link in Massive
Star Evolution.
CoI, VLT XSHOOTER DDT 289.D-5040(A,B), PARANAL, CHILE — 1 h (2012)
An outburst with high legacy potential of the Luminous Blue Variable R71 in the LMC.
CoI, IRSF SIRIUS, SAAO, South Africa — 7 nights, visitor mode (2012)
JHK photometry of eta Car and of (c)LBVs.
PI, VLT UVES 089.D-0024(A), Paranal, Chile — 1.5 h (2012)
Secular Changes in Eta Carinaeʼs Wind.
CoI, Irénée du Pont B&C, Las Campanas, Chile — 6 nights (2011)

Eta Car.
CoI, NNT SOFI and 3.6m EFOSC2 078.C-0161(A,B), La Silla, Chile — 2 nights, visitor mode (2006)
The atmosphere of a highly active brown dwarf.
CoI, 2.2m Magic, Calar Alto, Spain — 3 nights, visitor mode (2006)
Surface structures of a brown dwarf with a strong magnetic field.
2m telescope at the Karl Schwarzschild Observatory, Tautenburg, Germany — several weeks
(2006/2007)
Observations conducted for the Tautenburg Extrasolar Planets Survey.
0.9m telescope of the University of Jena, Großschwabhausen, Germany — 1 day (2004)
Observed the Venus-Transit.
PUBLICATIONS
1. Galaxy counterparts of intervening high-z sub-DLAs/DLAs and MgII absorbers towards gamma-ray
bursts, S. Schulze, J. P. U. Fynbo, B. Milvang-Jensen, A. Rossi, P. Jakobsson, C. Ledoux, A.
De Cia, T. Kruehler, A. Mehner, G. Bjoernsson, and 12 coauthors 2012, accepted in A&A
2. Secular Changes in Eta Carinaeʼs Wind 1998-2011, A. Mehner, K. Davidson, R. M. Humphreys, K.
Ishibashi, J. C. Martin, M. T. Ruiz, F. M. Walter 2012, ApJ 751, 73
3. Critical Differences and Clues in Eta Carʼs 2009 Event, A. Mehner, K. Davidson, J. C. Martin, R. M.
Humphreys, K. Ishibashi, G. J. Ferland 2011, ApJ, 740, 80
4. N II λ5668-5712 Absorption, a New Class of Spectral Features in Eta Carinae, A. Mehner, K.
Davidson, G. J. Ferland 2011, ApJ, 737, 70
5. A Sea Change in Eta Carinae, A. Mehner, K. Davidson, R. M. Humphreys, J. C. Martin, K.
Ishibashi, G. J. Ferland, N. Walborn 2010, ApJL, 717, 22
6. Mid-cycle Changes in Eta Carinae, J. C. Martin, K. Davidson, R. M. Humphreys, A. Mehner 2010,
AJ, 139, 2056
7. High-excitation Emission in the Close Environment of Eta Carinae, A. Mehner, K. Davidson, G. J.
Ferland, R. M. Humphreys 2009, ApJ, 710,729
8. Short-term Spectroscopic Monitoring of Two Cool Dwarfs with Strong Magnetic Fields, E. W.
Guenther, M. R. Zapatero Osorio, A. Mehner, E. L. Martín 2009, A&A, 498, 281
CIRCULARS
1. IAU Circ., 9094, 1 (2009), Brightening of the central star in eta Carinae - star now accounts for half
of the light seen in the Homunculus nebulae compared to less then 10% before 1995, K. Davidson,
A. Mehner, J. C. Martin
2. IAU Circ., 9012, 1 (2009), High rate of decline in STMAG magnitudes at 250 nm during eta Carinaeʼs
2009 event, K. Davidson, J. C. Martin, R. M. Humphreys, A. Mehner
3. IAU Circ., 8961, 1 (2008), Appearance of He II 4687 in the spectrum of eta Carinae - the first definite
sign of the 2009 spectroscopic event, J. C. Martin, K. Davidson, R. M. Humphreys, A. Mehner, F.
Hamann, G. Ferland, K. Ishibashi
POSTER PRESENTATIONS

1. Monitoring the Outburst of the Luminous Blue Variable R71 with X-shooter, A. Mehner, D. Baade, O.
Stahl, T. Rivinius, C. Martayan, S. Stefl 2012, A Workshop on Outstanding Problems in Massive Star
Research - The Final Stages, St. Paul, MN, USA
2. JHK Photometry of Eta Carinae with IRSF/SIRIUS - Another Evidence for the Decreasing Wind
Hypothesis, A. Mehner, K. Ishibashi, T. Nagayama 2012, A Workshop on Outstanding Problems in
Massive Star Research - The Final Stages, St. Paul, MN, USA
3. High-excitation Emission in the Ejecta and Wind of Eta Carinae, A. Mehner 2011, Doctoral
Dissertation Fellowship Research Showcase, University of Minnesota, MN, USA
4. Tracking Eta Car Through the 2009.0 Event, J. C. Martin, A. Mehner, K. Davidson, R. M.
Humphreys, K. Ishibashi, G. Ferland 2011, American Astronomical Society Meeting 217, Seattle,
WA, #154.12
5. High Excitation Emission Lines in the Close Environment of Eta Carinae, A. Mehner, K. Davidson,
R. M. Humphreys 2009, American Astronomical Society Meeting 214, Pasadena, CA, #428.03
6. Fresh Clues in Eta Carinae's 2009.0 Event, K. Davidson, J. C. Martin, R. M. Humphreys, A. Mehner,
K. Ishibashi, G. Ferland, F. Hamann 2009, American Astronomical Society Meeting 214, Pasadena,
CA, #428.11
TALKS
1. Eta Carinae and Its Company, September 2012, Star Cluster Group Meeting, ESO Vitacura,
Santiago de Chile, Chile
2. Eta Carinae and the SN Impostors, August 2012, SN club, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile,
Chile
3. The Variability of Eta Carinae with Respect to its Companion, January 2012, ESO workshop
“Variability at different evolutionary stages of binary stars”, ESO Vitacura, Santiago de Chile, Chile
4. Eta Carinaeʼs Long-term Recovery from its Great Eruption in the 1850s, November 2011, ESO
Fellows Days, ESO Vitacura, Santiago de Chile, Chile
5. Eta Carinaeʼs Long-term Recovery from its Great Eruption and the 2009 Event, June 2011, IAA
Seminar, Athens, Greece
6. Exploring and Modeling the High-excitation Emission in the Ejecta and Wind of Eta Carinae, January
2011, American Astronomical Society Meeting 217, Seattle, WA, USA
7. Variations of High-excitation Emission Lines in Eta Carinae, January 2010, Global-COE Workshop
on Eta Carinae and its Surrounding Media, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
REFERENCE LIST
Kris Davidson (Ph. D. Advisor)
Professor
University of Minnesota, Department of Astronomy
116 Church ST. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
T (001)-612-624-5711
kd@astro.umn.edu

Roberta M. Humphreys
Professor
University of Minnesota, Department of Astronomy
116 Church ST. S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
T (001)-612-624-6530
roberta@aps.umn.edu
Gary Ferland
Professor
University of Kentucky, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Lexington, KY 40506-0055, USA
T (001)-859-257-8795
gary@uky.edu