Personal profile
Biography
His early work on gravitational waves focused on modelling and simulation of gravitational wave background noise. This work evolved in new directions, including the development of a new data analysis algorithm that uses records of the temporal and spatial pattern of rare events in data to predict the occurrence of even rarer events. The methods found novel applications well beyond their original focus, such as predicting the occurrence of very bright gamma ray bursts.
Coward has received a broad mentorship that reflects his refusal to be restricted to a single research niche.
From 2008 - 2015 Coward worked on gamma ray burst afterglows as a tool for probing the early Universe and subsequently published works major on selection effects (18 1st Austhor publications).
In addition Coward published research into joint GRB and gravitational wave observations and contributed to the LIGO Scientific Community.
Since 2015, Coward has been leading the UWA team, to operate an international space surveillance hub at the UWA Zadko Observatory site. This was first enabled by the appointment as CI (2015-2023) on the ARC Centre of Excellence OzGrav (CE170100004).
From 2015, Coward has focussed on building new collaborations in space surveillance, resulting in a collaboration with major space industry company ArianeGroup, which funded a research training scheme. Other partnerships located at the hub include Numerica Inc. (space surveillance), POLSA-1 and a new partnership with the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA). Coward has built an expert local team to support the operation of a suite of space surveillance detectors and maximise the R&D via joint projects.
Roles and responsibilities
Research leader:
Funding overview
Current projects
Space Situational Awareness
The partnership with the Polish Space Agency has been recognised and supported by the Federal Government via an Australian Research Council Industry Linkage grant - Characterising satellites using un-resolved optical observations (LP210300698).
The SSA hub utilises state of the art space survey detectors to build a comprehensive catalogue of space object reflectance data, which includes parameters such as low-resolution spectra, colour-index, light-curve (time series), polarisation depth, solar phase angle, to name but a few. Importantly, any archive of GEO satellite (and debris) characteristics is longitude dependant, in terms of completeness. We will exploit our unique geographic location to obtain the most complete GEO satellite and debris photometric and spectroscopic survey at this longitude.
Planetary Defence
UWA is the western node of the Australian Consortium for Planetary Defence. The consortium consists of UNSW / CSIRO U. Tas. We track Near Earth asteroid close approaches and aim characetrise the asteroids with a focus on rotation identification.
Research interests
gamma ray bursts
gravitational waves
optical transients
planetary defence
space debris
Teaching overview
2019 (upcoming)
Course co-ordinator: SCIE1122_SUM_CR
https://www.facebook.com/UWAstudents/videos/2215664298706036
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMGwejnDfuQ
2018
Course co-ordinator: SCIE1122 Our Solar System
2015 -2018:
Electricity (first year)
Special Relativity (first year)
Research expertise keywords
- Astronomy
- Astrophysics
- Gamma ray bursts
- Data analysis
- Gravitational waves
- Seismic studies
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Research output
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Black Hole Spectroscopy and Tests of General Relativity with GW250114
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration, the Virgo Collaboration, and the KAGRA Collaboration, 29 Jan 2026, In: Physical Review Letters. 136, 4, 26 p., 041403.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access7 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Web of Science) -
GW250114: Testing Hawking's Area Law and the Kerr Nature of Black Holes
LIGO Scientific, Virgo, and KAGRA Collaborations, 12 Sept 2025, In: Physical Review Letters. 135, 11, 1 p., 111403.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access25 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
MANAGEMENT OF A MULTI-USER ROBOTIC OBSERVATORY
Moore, J., Gendre, B., Coward, D., Panther, F. & Moore, E., Jul 2025, In: Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica: Serie de Conferencias. 59, p. 77-80 4 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review
Open Access -
Search for Continuous Gravitational Waves from Known Pulsars in the First Part of the Fourth LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Observing Run
Abac, A. G., Abbott, R., Abouelfettouh, I., Acernese, F., Ackley, K., Adhicary, S., Adhikari, N., Adhikari, R. X., Adkins, V. K., Agarwal, D., Agathos, M., Aghaei Abchouyeh, M., Aguiar, O. D., Aguilar, I., Aiello, L., Ain, A., Ajith, P., Akutsu, T., Albanesi, S. & Alfaidi, R. A. & 1,796 others, , 20 Apr 2025, In: Astrophysical Journal. 983, 2, 99.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access15 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
Search for Gravitational Waves Emitted from SN2023ixf
LIGO Scientific Collaboration, The Virgo Collaboration, the KAGRA Collaboration, Al-Jodah, A., Banerjee, B., Beveridge, D., Blair, C. D., Blair, D. G., Choudhary, S., Coward, D. M., Di Fronzo, C., Gould, D. W., Guo, W., Howell, E. J., Ju, L., Liu, J., McLeod, A., Pan, J., Panther, F. H. & Slaven-Blair, T. J. & 2 others, , 1 Jun 2025, In: Astrophysical Journal. 985, 2, 183.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access10 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Web of Science)
Datasets
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GRB 220706A: Zadko observatory - Gingin optical observation
Gendre, B. (Creator), Moore, E. (Creator), Moore, J. (Creator), Panther, F. (Creator), Klotz, A. (Creator), Thierry, P. (Creator) & Coward, D. (Creator), The University of Western Australia, 6 Jul 2022
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/link_gateway/2022GCN.32331....1G/SIMBAD and one more link, https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022GCN.32331....1G/abstract (show fewer)
Dataset
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LIGO/Virgo S190910d : No significant candidates in TAROT-GRANDMA observations
Crisp, H. (Creator), Barynova, K. (Creator), Noysena, K. (Creator), Stachie, C. (Creator), Boer, M. (Creator), Christensen, J. N. (Creator), Eymar, L. (Creator), Klotz, A. (Creator), Antier, S. (Creator), Basa, S. (Creator), Corre, D. (Creator), Coughlin, M. (Creator), Coward, D. (Creator), Ducoin, J. G. (Creator), Gendre, B. (Creator), Hello, P. (Creator), Lachaud, C. (Creator), Leroy, N. (Creator), Turpin, D. (Creator) & Wang, X. (Creator), SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS), Sept 2019
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019GCN.25749....1C/abstract
Dataset
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CHARACTERISING SATELLITES USING UN-RESOLVED OPTICAL OBSERVATIONS
Coward, D. (Investigator 01), Karczewski, O. (Investigator 02), Mian, A. (Investigator 03), bykowski, W. (Investigator 04) & taberski, G. (Investigator 05)
ARC Australian Research Council
24/08/23 → 31/12/27
Project: Research
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JAXA research collaboration and hosting using a remotely-operated optical telescope at the Zadko Observatory
Coward, D. (Investigator 01), Gendre, B. (Investigator 02) & Moore, J. (Investigator 03)
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
1/06/21 → 1/08/26
Project: Research
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Characterising satellites and space debris using low resolution spectroscopy at the UWA Space Situational Awareness Hub
Coward, D. (Chief Investigator)
The University of Western Australia
20/01/23 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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Transforming the Zadko Observatory into a Space Surveillance Hub
Gendre, B. (Investigator 01), Coward, D. (Investigator 02), Panther, F. (Investigator 03) & Moore, J. (Investigator 04)
ARC Australian Research Council
1/01/23 → 28/02/24
Project: Research
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POLSA space survey
Coward, D. (Investigator 01), Gendre, B. (Investigator 02) & Moore, J. (Investigator 03)
14/01/21 → 14/01/25
Project: Research
Prizes
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France-Australia Science Innovation Collaboration
Coward, D. (Recipient), 2016
Prize: Other distinction
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Courses
Press/Media
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West Australians urged to watch rare blood moon
27/07/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Capturing the shadow of Saturn’s moon Titan from right here on Earth
27/07/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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UWA helps NASA observe eclipse of Saturn's moon
21/07/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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University of Western Australia telescope to capture the rare astronomical event of Saturn’s largest moon
17/07/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Cosmic ballet: UWA scientists join effort to capture rare astronomical event
16/07/18
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media