Supernovae within a distance of 300 light years (or 100 parsec) from the Earth are considered “nearby”, implicated with catastrophic impacts on life through gamma ray bursts and long-lasting, ionizing galactic radiation. Previous studies were inconclusive, in particular about the consequences on the stratospheric ozone layer through the generation of nitrogen and hydrogen oxides, and on the climate through new particle and cloud formation.

The CLOUD experiment at CERN and comprehensive atmospheric chemistry - climate modelling can be used to investigate if stabilizing feedbacks in the Earth system moderate the impacts, preventing cataclysms such as mass extinctions.

(Image: NASA/STScI)

Theodoros Christoudias is an Associate Professor at Cyprus Institute's Climate and Atmosphere Research Center, working on Earth System modelling using high-performance computing. He is also a Principal Investigator at the CERN CLOUD Experiment. Previously, he worked as an International Fellow at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in the USA.
He has graduated with a BSc and a PhD in Physics from Imperial College London, UK.