I am researcher and software scientist at the ZWE Software Workshop. I am passionate about sciences (in particular computer science and physics) and solving problems.
I obtained an engineering diploma in fluid dynamics from the Grande École ENSTA in 2008 and a PhD in computational astrophysics from the University of Victoria in 2013. Afther that, I moved to Germany and worked for 4 years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Argelander-Institut für Astronomie in Bonn. During this time, I was funded by the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung through a Humboldt-Forschungsstipendium für Postdoktoranden for 2 years.
I joined the Software Workshop and the Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente Systeme in February 2017.
You can find my full CV here.
A probabilistic numerical solver for initial value problems on ordinary differential equations. GitLab repository.
A framework to analyze synchronously sensors data and video captures of the scene from robotic experiments. GitLab repository.
NuGrid is a scientific collaboration studying nucleosynthesis in stellar interiors. As a member of this collaboration, I am developing and maintaining part of their workflow, in particular a HDF5 framework used with the open-source code MESA for flexible data handling. GitHub repository
A comparative study of several CFD codes modeling the life of stars. The main goal of this project was to better understand the intrinsic uncertainties of such techniques (see this paper).
I developed and implemented a new algorithm to resolve gravitational effects more accurately in CFD simulations. The algorithm uses an adaptive particle-mesh technique (see this article).
A study on the survivability of planets engulfed by their host star. This project led to several publications in general press (see the Press page).
An investigation the capabilities of CFD codes to model Kelvin-Helmoltz instabilities (see this article).
A project aiming at understanding the physical mechanisms in play when two stars merge, and trying to predict the outcome of this violent interaction. For this purpose, I developed parts of several CFD codes and performed 3D simulations of stellar mergers. Then I validated the simulations with observational data.
Interview pour le dossier mensuel "Demain la Terre".
Science & Vie, October 2016.
Scientific American, October 2012.
LeMonde.fr, October 2012.
Iaconi, R., De Marco, O., Passy, J., Staff, J.
The effect of binding energy and resolution in numerical simulations of the common envelope binary interaction
ArXiv e-prints, 2017 (article)
Iaconi, R., Reichardt, T., Staff, J., De Marco, O., Passy, J., Price, D., Wurster, J., Herwig, F.
The effect of a wider initial separation on common envelope binary interaction simulations
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 464, pages: 4028-4044, 2017 (article)
Galaviz, P., De Marco, O., Passy, J., Staff, J., Iaconi, R.
Common Envelope Light Curves. I. Grid-code Module Calibration
Astrophysical Journal, Supplement, 229, pages: 36, 2017 (article)
Staff, J., De Marco, O., Wood, P., Galaviz, P., Passy, J.
Hydrodynamic simulations of the interaction between giant stars and planets
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 458, pages: 832-844, 2016 (article)
Staff, J., De Marco, O., Macdonald, D., Galaviz, P., Passy, J., Iaconi, R., Low, M.
Hydrodynamic simulations of the interaction between an AGB star and a main-sequence companion in eccentric orbits
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 455, pages: 3511-3525, 2016 (article)
Stancliffe, R., Fossati, L., Passy, J., Schneider, F.
Confronting uncertainties in stellar physics. II. Exploring differences in main-sequence stellar evolution tracks
Astronomy and Astrophysics , 586, pages: A119, 2016 (article)
Stancliffe, R., Fossati, L., Passy, J., Schneider, F.
Confronting uncertainties in stellar physics: calibrating convective overshooting with eclipsing binaries
Astronomy and Astrophysics , 575, pages: A117, 2015 (article)
Douchin, D., De Marco, O., Frew, D., Jacoby, G., Jasniewicz, G., Fitzgerald, M., Passy, J., Harmer, D., Hillwig, T., Moe, M.
The binary fraction of planetary nebula central stars - II. A larger sample and improved technique for the infrared excess search
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 448, pages: 3132-3155, 2015 (article)
Passy, J., Bryan, G.
An Adaptive Particle-mesh Gravity Solver for ENZO
Astrophysical Journal, Supplement, 215, pages: 8, 2014 (article)
Douchin, D., De Marco, O., Frew, D., Jacoby, G., Fitzgerald, M., Jasniewicz, G., Moe, M., Passy, J., Hillwig, T., Harmer, D.
Estimating the binary fraction of central stars of planetary nebulae using the infrared excess method
In Asymmetrical Planetary Nebulae VI Conference, pages: 18, 2014 (inproceedings)
Passy, J.
Modeling Close Stellar Interactions Using Numerical and Analytical Techniques
University of Victoria, Canada, 2013 (phdthesis)
De Marco, O., Passy, J., Frew, D., Moe, M., Jacoby, G.
The binary fraction of planetary nebula central stars - I. A high-precision, I-band excess search
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 428, pages: 2118-2140, 2013 (article)
Douchin, D., De Marco, O., Frew, D., Jacoby, G., Passy, J., Hillwig, T., Howell, S., Bond, H., Peyaud, A., Zijlstra, A., Napiwotzki, R., Jasniewicz, G., Parker, Q.
Estimating the binary fraction of planetary nebulae central stars
In IAU Symposium, 283, pages: 346-347, IAU Symposium, 2012 (inproceedings)
McNally, C., Lyra, W., Passy, J.
A Well-posed Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability Test and Comparison
Astrophysical Journal, Supplement, 201, pages: 18, 2012 (article)
De Marco, O., Passy, J., Herwig, F., Fryer, C., Mac Low, M., Oishi, J.
How Common Envelope Interactions Change the Lives of Stars and Planets
In From Interacting Binaries to Exoplanets: Essential Modeling Tools, 282, pages: 517-520, IAU Symposium, 2012 (inproceedings)
Passy, J., Herwig, F., Paxton, B.
The Response of Giant Stars to Dynamical-timescale Mass Loss
Astrophysical Journal , 760, pages: 90, 2012 (article)
Passy, J., De Marco, O., Fryer, C., Herwig, F., Diehl, S., Oishi, J., Mac Low, M., Bryan, G., Rockefeller, G.
Simulating the Common Envelope Phase of a Red Giant Using Smoothed-particle Hydrodynamics and Uniform-grid Codes
Astrophysical Journal , 744, pages: 52, 2012 (article)
Passy, J., Mac Low, M., De Marco, O.
On the Survival of Brown Dwarfs and Planets Engulfed by Their Giant Host Star
Astrophysical Journal, Letters , 759, pages: L30, 2012 (article)
De Marco, O., Passy, J., Moe, M., Herwig, F., Mac Low, M., Paxton, B.
On the α-formalism for the common envelope interaction
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 411, pages: 2277-2292, 2011 (article)
Passy, J., De Marco, O., Fryer, C., Herwig, F., Diehl, S., Oishi, J., Mac Low, M., Bryan, G., Rockefeller, G.
Simulations of the Common Envelope Interaction Between a Red Giant Branch Star and Low-Mass Companions
In Evolution of Compact Binaries, 447, pages: 107, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, 2011 (inproceedings)