

Weber State
College of Science
Physics
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Matters of Gravity
I am currently teaching:
College Physics II
Physics I
Lab
Astronomy
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CURRENT RESEARCH
- Considering what information about the structure of the galaxy is
embedded in the confusion background of low frequency G-waves (with
Taylor and Benacquista).
- Examining what astrophysical information can be extracted from the
gravitational wave ringdown phase after the coalesence of two supermassive
(e.g. 10^8 + 10^8 Msun) black holes (with Shoemaker).
- Considering influence of close encounters between a LISA spacecraft
and meteoric particulates in the solar system (with
Purdue).
- Full simulation of the "zero signal solution" using LISA simulators,
like Vallisneri and Armstrong's "Synthetic LISA" (with Tinto,
Vallisneri and Drasco).
- Extending, enhancing and applying the gCLEAN algorithm (for subtracting binary
gravitational wave sources from LISA data streams) to mock LISA data. (with
Cornish, and with Gair).
- Other interests include cosmological parameters, galactic dark matter
(MACHOs), primordial black holes, and sources of gravitational
radiation.
RECENTLY COMPLETED (past year)
- Extensive review paper of the LISA observatory: design,
interferometry, and astrophysics (paper to appear in
Proceedings of the 33rd SLAC Summer Institute).
- Estimated the contribution to the gravitational wave confusion
foreground from mass transferring binaries in the galaxy (paper submitted to
Astrophysical Journal, with
Benacquista, Belczynski and Ruiter).
- Estimated the effect of space weather on a LISA spacecraft from
existing solar data from the past solar cycle (paper submitted to
Classical and Quantum Gravity, with
Zaleski).
- Two papers on introducing gravitational wave astrophysics into physics
and astronomy classes (papers accepted in
The Physics Teacher, with
Rubbo, Zaleski and Larson).
- Computed gravitational radiation evolution and lifetime for small
particles in high eccentricity orbits around Schwarzschild black holes,
improving the classic estimate of Peters for Keplerian orbits (paper
accepted in Astrophysical Journal, with
Gair and Kennefick).
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