Research in galaxy formation, evolution, activity cycles and related topics. Observational astrophysics, using multi-wavelength techniques with a large variety of telescopes and instruments. Science operations, data processing, and community support for connected and non-connected radio interferometers (VLA,WSRT, VLBI networks), and Ultraviolet imaging missions (UIT /ASTRO - shuttle-based, and GALEX - free-flying satellite). Development work on lightweight UV capable optics, concept developments for several missions. Branch head for UV/Optical Astronomy 1992-2000.
Research
Galaxy formation, galaxy evolution, activity in galaxies, how does environment and hhistory affect each of these and how do they affect galaxy development and appearance.
Projects
Centaurus A: GALEX, FUSE, SIRTF, HST VLA, VLT observations of the jet-cloud interactions and resultant star formation. Identification and characterization of shock regions and star-forming regions.
Extending this to other galaxies, to study as a class.
Star formation in merging galaxies: GALEX, VLA, HST, FUSE, VLBA observations of classic mergers and resulting star-formation / supernova clusters / shocked gas / hidden star clusters resulting from the interactions.
Low-luminosity AGN: VLA, VLBI, x-ray observations of compact sources that are probably low-luminosity (?lower mass?) counterparts of classical Active Galactic Nuclei.
Star formation in very low-mass galaxies - GALEX part of collaboration with ALFALFA project (Arecibo Legacy program to find and charactarize the "missing" low-mass galaxies in the nearby universe.
Star formation in outer reaches of nearby normal galaxies - GALEX observations of outer 20-50kpc disks of galaxies, where star formation
"shouldn't" be happening.
Radio emission from Ultra-luminous X-ray sources - Are they intermediate-mass black holes or are they some sort of beamed "normal"
compact object?
Education
Ph.D., Astronomy, University of Virginia / NRAO, 1982, "Radio Observation of Luminosity- and Flux-Matched Samples of Quasi Stellar Objects"
M. S., Astronomy, University of Virginia, 1979
A. B., Physics, Vanderbilt University, 1976
