About Me
I am a data scientist, physicist and physical chemist, originally from the UK but now living in Vienna. From 2017 – 2025 I worked in the Nuclear Data Section of the International Atomic Energy Agency where I was responsible for the evaluation, curation and distributio of fundamental data for nuclear fusion energy research.
I am the co-Chair of the Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Consortium (VAMDC), an Associate Editor of the journal Atomic Data and Nuclear Data Tables and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at University College London.
I am the author of Learning Scientific Programming with Python, which was first published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in 2016, with a second edition in 2020. My second book, Python for Chemists was published, also by CUP, in October 2023.
Contact
I can be contacted by email at christian@scipython.com. There is also a website associated with my progamming books: scipython.com.
Projects
Some other projects and companies I have been involved in:
| PyValem | A Python package for parsing, validating, manipulating and interpreting the chemical formulas, quantum states and labels of atoms, ions and small molecules. |
| HITRAN | A spectroscopic database which is widely-used to model radiative transmission in the atmosphere. |
| ExoMol | A database of high-temperature molecular line lists for exoplanet and cool star spectroscopy. |
| CollisionDB | A database of plasma collisional processes with a focus on magnetic-confinement fusion energy research. |
| QuantemolDB | A database of plasma chemistries for industrial plasma research and development. |
Recent Publications
- Q. Ni, R. Wang, T. Xie, J. Zhang, C. Hill, S. N. Yurchenko, "ExoAtom: A Database of Atomic Spectra in ExoMol Format", RAS Techniques and Instruments, in preparation (2025).
- I. E. Gordon et al., "The HITRAN2024 molecular spectroscopic database", Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, in preparation (2025).
- Dipti, L. Marian, C. Hill, et al., "International database of reference gamma spectra for nuclear safeguards applications", Scientific Data, in press (2025).
- A. Owens, T. Chen, C. Hill, et al., LiDB: Database of atomic radiative lifetimes for plasma processes, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 330, 109242 (2025).
- D. Pandey, K. Heinola, C. Hill, N. Seriani, Synergistic Insights into the Tungsten-Tantalum-Vacancy System: A DFT-Cluster Expansion Study, Computational Materials Science 251, 113718 (2025).
- Q. Ni, C. Hill, S. N. Yurchenko, M. Pezella, A. Z. Fateev, Z. Qin, O. Venot, J. Tennyson, "ExoPhoto: A database of temperature dependent photodissociation cross sections", RAS Techniques and Instruments, in press (2025).
- J. Zhang, C. Hill, J. Tennyson, S. N. Yurchenko, "ExoMolHR: A relational database of empirical high-resolution molecular spectra", Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, in press (2024).
- J. Tennyson et al., The 2024 release of the ExoMol database: molecular line lists for exoplanet and other hot atmospheres, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 326, 109083 (2024).
- K. L. Chubb et al., Data availability and requirements relevant for the Ariel space mission and other exoplanet atmosphere applications, RAS Techniques and Instruments 3(1), 636-690 (2024).
- A. Laricchiuta, I. E. Gordon, C. Hill, G. Colonna, S. Ptasinska, Atomic and molecular data and their applications: ICAMDATA 2022 (Editorial), The European Physical Journal D 78, 49 (2024).
- C. Hill, Dipti, K. Heinola, M. Haničinec, CollisionDB: A new database of atomic and molecular collisional processes with an interactive API, Atoms 12(4), 20 (2024).
- M. L. Dubernet et al., Atomic and Molecular Databases Open Science for a sustainable world, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 18(S371), 72 (2024).
- Dipti, I. Bray, D. V. Fursa, C. Hill, Yu. Ralchenko, Recommended electron-impact excitation and ionization cross sections for Be II, Atomic Data and Nuclear Data Tables 156, 101634 (2024).
- C. Hill, Python for Chemists, Cambridge University Press (2023).
- C. Hill et al., Atomic collisional data for neutral beam modeling in fusion plasmas, Nuclear Fusion 63, 125001 (2023).
- A. Owens, T. He, M. Hanicinec, C. Hill, S. Mohr, J. Tennyson, LiDB: Database of molecular radiative lifetimes for plasma processes, Plasma Sources Science and Technology 32, 085015 (2023).
- R. Anirudh et al., 2022 Review of Data-Driven Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science 51, 1750-1838 (2023).
- I. E. Gordon et al. The HITRAN2020 molecular spectroscopic database, Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 277, 107949 (2022).
- V. Laporta, R. Agnello, G. Fubiani, I. Furno, C. Hill, D. Reiter, F. Taccogna, Vibrational excitation and dissociation of deuterium molecule by electron impact, Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion 63, 085006 (2021).
- G. De Temmerman et al. Data on erosion and hydrogen fuel retention in Beryllium plasma-facing materials, Nuclear Materials and Energy 27, 100994 (2021).
- C. Hill, Learning Scientific Programming with Python, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press (2020).
- J. Tennyson et al. The 2020 release of the ExoMol database: Molecular line lists for exoplanet and other hot atmospheres", Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 255, 107228 (2020).
- D. Albert et al. A Decade with VAMDC: Results and Ambitions, Atoms 8, 76 (2020).
- F. Skinner, I. Gordon, C. Hill, R. Hargreaves, K. Lockhart, L. Rothman, Referencing Sources of Molecular Spectroscopic Data in the Era of Data Science: Application to the HITRAN and AMBDAS Databases, Atoms 8, 16 (2020).
Other Scientific and Academic Activities
Honorary Senior Research Fellow
November 2024 – present
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London
Working Group Member
Ariel Space Mission Working Group on Spectroscopic Databases
2023 – present
A team of experts focussed on providing data and data infrastructure for the European Space Agency's Ariel Space Mission to characterise the chemical composition and thermal structure of exoplanets, to be launched in 2029.
Associate Editor
Atomic Data and Nuclear Data Tables
2022 – present
A journal, published by Elsevier, presenting compilations of experimental and theoretical information in atomic physics, nuclear physics, and closely related fields.
Co-Chair and CTO
Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Consortium (VAMDC)
2021 – present
A consortium of research institutions sharing a common technical and political framework for the distribution and curation of atomic and molecular data.
International Advisory Committee Member
HITRAN Molecular Spectroscopic Database
2014 – present
A compilation of spectroscopic parameters, maintained by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, that are used to predict and simulate the transmission and emission of light in the atmosphere.
Executive Committee Member
13th International International Conference on Atomic and Molecular Data and Their Applications (ICAMDATA)
Lanzhou, China, 22 – 26 September 2024
A continuing series of international conferences that promotes the use of atomic and molecular data in various fields of science and technology.
Director and Lecturer
Joint IAEA-ICTP Workshop on Data for Modelling Atomic and Molecular Processes in Plasmas
Trieste, Italy, 18 – 22 March 2024
A training Workshop for early-stage career researchers in plasma physics held at the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics.
Co-Director of the Organizing Committee and Lecturer
1st International School on Atomic and Molecular Data Evaluation and Curation
Valladolid, Spain, 22 – 25 October 2023
A training Workshop for early-stage career researchers organized by the University of Valladolid in cooperation with the IAEA.
Chair of the Organizing Committee
21st International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas
Vienna, Austria, 15 – 19 May 2023
Part of a biennial meeting series focusing on atomic processes that are involved in the study of various plasmas over a wide range of densities and temperatures (eV to a few keVs). This meeting was held at IAEA Headquarters with 127 participants.
Invited Speaker
75th Annual Gaseous Electronics Conference
Sendai, Japan, 3 – 7 October 2022
An annual meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics.
Guest Editor
Atomic and Molecular Data and Their Applications: ICAMDATA 2022
Topical Collection Issue, The European Physical Journal D.
International Programme Committee Member and Panellist
12th International International Conference on Atomic and Molecular Data and Their Applications (ICAMDATA)
Mola di Bari, Italy, 25 – 29 September 2022
Invited Speaker
Flagship Workshop on Multiscale modelling of irradiation-driven processes for emerging technologies
Centre Européen de Calcul Atomique et Moléculaire (CECAM), Lausanne, Switzerland, 16 – 18 March 2022.
Invited Speaker
MolSSI Workshop on Rovibrational Molecular Spectroscopy
Molecular Sciences Software Institute (MolSSI), Blacksburg VA, USA, 14 – 15 November 2019.
Invited Speaker
Open Data Libraries Workshop
Manchester, UK, 27 October 2019
Part of the IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium (NSS) and Medical Imaging Conference (MIC).
Director and Lecturer
Joint IAEA-ICTP Workshop on Atomic and Molecular Spectroscopy in Plasmas
Trieste, Italy, 6 – 10 May 2019
A 5-day series of lectures and computing practical exercises to help early-career plasma physicists develop an understanding of the techniques used to model and simulate radiative processes in plasmas.
Organizing Committee Member and Invited Speaker
20th International Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg MA, USA, 9 – 12 April 2019.
Organizing Committee Member and Invited Speaker
11th International International Conference on Atomic and Molecular Data and Their Applications (ICAMDATA)
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge MA, USA, 11 – 15 November 2018.
Director and Lecturer
Joint IAEA-ICTP Workshop on Fundamental Methods for Atomic, Molecular and Materials Properties in Plasma Environments
Trieste, Italy, 16 – 20 April 2018.