
Dr Judith Croston
Astrophysicist and Director of Teaching
Biography
Professional biography
I lead a research group in extragalactic astrophysics and contribute to physics and astronomy teaching, currently as Director of Teaching for the School of Physical Sciences. I was formerly a Principal Research Fellow at the University of Southampton (2015-2017), Academic Director for Physical Sciences at the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education (2014-2016), and Lecturer in Physics at the University of Southampton (2009-2015). I was a Research Fellow at the University of Hertfordshire (2005-2009), Associate Lecturer (part-time) with the Open University (2006-2008) and Postdoctoral researcher at the Service d'Astrophysique, Commission d'Energie Atomique (Saclay) (2004-2005).
I obtained my PhD, on the topic of jet/environment interactions of radio-loud active galaxies, from the University of Bristol in 2004, and my MSci (Physics with Astrophysics) also from the University of Bristol in 2001.
Research interests
My research interests include the physics of extragalactic jets, the physics of galaxy groups and clusters, high-energy astrophysics, the evolution of galaxy groups and large-scale structure, and next-generation X-ray and radio facilities, including Athena, LOFAR, and SKA. I'm an active member of the LOFAR Extragalactic Surveys team, and have previously served as a member of the ESA Science Study Team and as Topical Panel chair for the Athena next-generation X-ray observatory. I am currently a member of the ESA Astronomy Working Group and serve on UKRI STFC Science Board (PPAN).
Teaching interests
I have taught a variety of courses in physics and astronomy at undergraduate and postgraduate level, including core physics, stellar evolution, galaxies, high-energy astrophysics and cosmology.
I am currently the Director of Teaching for the School of Physical Sciences. My previous teaching activities at the Open University include serving as module chair for the production of S385 Cosmology and the distant Universe, chairing S282 Astronomy and making major contributions to the production of S284 Astronomy, and working on the module teams for SXPA288 Practical Science: Physics and Astronomy, S382 Astrophysics, and S383 The Relativistic Universe.
Projects
Publications
Journal Article
The low-frequency size distribution of radio sources in the Lockman Hole (2025)
Core prominence as a signature of restarted jet activity in the LOFAR radio-galaxy population (2024)
The LOFAR – eFEDS survey: The incidence of radio and X-ray AGN and the disk–jet connection (2024)
The nature of compact radio-loud AGN: a systematic look at the LOFAR AGN population (2024)
The Faraday Rotation Measure Grid of the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey: Data Release 2 (2023)
The LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (2023)
Accretion mode versus radio morphology in the LOFAR Deep Fields (2022)
The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey V. Second data release (2022)
Sub-arcsecond imaging with the International LOFAR Telescope (2022)
The application of ridgelines in extended radio source cross-identification (2022)
Investigating the spectra and physical nature of galaxy scale jets (2021)
A population of galaxy-scale jets discovered using LOFAR (2021)
The LOFAR Two-meter Sky Survey: Deep Fields Data Release 1 (2021)
Radio galaxies and feedback from AGN jets (2020)
Low-frequency observations of the Giant Radio Galaxy NGC 6251 (2020)
Investigating the spectral age problem with powerful radio galaxies (2020)
NGC 326: X-shaped no more (2019)
Mode of accretion in episodic radio galaxies and the dynamics of their outer relic lobes (2019)
The environments of radio-loud AGN from the LOFAR Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) (2019)
LoTSS DR1: Double-double radio galaxies in the HETDEX field (2019)
The LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey - II. First data release (2019)
The X-ray Ribs Within the Cocoon Shock of Cygnus A (2018)
Particle content, radio-galaxy morphology and jet power: all radio-loud AGN are not equal (2018)
Remnant radio-loud AGN in the Herschel-ATLAS field (2018)
Deep VLA Observations of the Cluster 1RXS J0603.3+4214 in the Frequency Range of 1–2 GHz (2018)
The Cocoon Shocks of Cygnus A: Pressures and Their Implications for the Jets and Lobes (2018)
A new method for finding and characterizing galaxy groups via low-frequency radio surveys (2017)
FR II radio galaxies at low frequencies – II. Spectral ageing and source dynamics (2017)
A representative survey of the dynamics and energetics of FRII radio galaxies (2017)
The LOFAR Multifrequency Snapshot Sky Survey (MSSS). I. Survey description and first results (2015)
Presentation / Conference
Online team work in space science and astronomy at the Open University (2020)