物理学与天文学
For researchers in the Department of 物理学与天文学, the sky is never the limit. They are exploring cosmic dust, galaxies, and things that matter – both visible and 看不见的. 这是菠菜网lol正规平台自己的一些恒星的望远镜视图.
迈克尔·考夫曼
Along with managing the administrative responsibilities that accompany his position
as department chair, 迈克尔·考夫曼 actively pursues research relating to newly formed
星星. With a recently awarded grant from NASA, Kaufman will be exploring a region
of space where a very young star is shining ultraviolet radiation into its environment.
Much of his research will be d一个 aboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a customized 747 housing a telescope with a diameter of 100 inches. This airborne observatory flies at 45,000 feet, above most of the water vapor in the Earth’s atmosphere, which allows it to peer into the dusty molecular clouds where 恒星形成.
在飞行中，飞机是一个繁忙的地方，考夫曼说. “有人在管理 the flight and people managing the science and people running the instruments and 瞄准望远镜等等.”
“The unique capabilities of this telescope allow us to detect atoms and molecules like oxygen, carbon, and water in order to understand the chemistry and physics that 在恒星形成的环境中继续.”
资助:NASA/SOFIA项目在NASA艾姆斯研究中心
莫妮卡克雷斯
Early in her career, 莫妮卡克雷斯 took up the challenging research field of dust grain
activity in the chemical reactions that take place in star-forming regions. 这样的事实
她的Ph值.D. advisor warned her it was an exceptionally demanding topic merely inspired
她要往前走.
“我总是被难题所吸引，”她解释道.
In addition to conducting her research, Kress also became active in the Virtual Planetary
Laboratory, a NASA Astrobiology Institute pursuing the overarching scientific question,
“How would we determine whether an extrasolar planet is able to support 生活, or had
生活
在它上面?” That research examines planets’ 的相互作用 with their parent 星星 using
发现和NASA开普勒任务收集的数据.
More recently Kress has been focusing on student success, particularly among beginning 工程专业.
“We need students to pursue STEM disciplines, but we also need to make sure they get through their majors and don’t leave without a degree,” she explains. “我们的目标是 to reach those students with quality teaching and coordinated support.”
Grant funding: Virtual Planetary Laboratory, University of Washington
卡桑德拉保罗
Seeking to help students understand physics, 卡桑德拉保罗 is implementing new tools
for the study of classroom exchanges between students and instructors, particularly
在科学课程的背景下. 计算机化教师实时观察
Tool (RIOT) assists faculty by providing them with data on student behavior and student-instructor
的相互作用.
As Paul explains, “The tool allows an observer to measure and categorize what happens 在教室里. 学生们在做什么? 他们参加小组工作了吗? 学生们在问问题吗? 老师有提问吗?”
Some of Paul’s research also examines student-instructor exchanges that take place through assessments, written feedback and grading, and looks at whether students use 他们收到的反馈.
“We are interested in the implications of our findings for curricular reform and professional 发展. RIOT is not an assessment—rather, it allows us to investigate the ways in which learners and instructors interact productively when learning about physics 在正式和非正式场合. 这只是关于发生了什么.”
Paul’s work also concentrates on reforming labs, workshops, and discussion sessions that are taught by TAs, as these are the most interactive settings for students.
“I’m focused on research and practices that help all students understand physics. Many find it scary and intimidating, but I believe that any一个 can do physics.”
资助:美国国家科学基金会
亚伦Romanowsky
亚伦Romanowsky’s students (from left): Stephanie Striegel, Vakini Santhana-
Krishnan, Romanowsky, Angelica-Lorraine Lee, Alex Colebaugh, Maria St一个
All the visible matter we see in the sky—星星, gas, and dust—makes up just ten percent 宇宙中的物质. 其余的“暗物质”充满了看不见的空间 between the 星星, and is the subject of 亚伦Romanowsky’s research.
“Dark matter is comprised of materials of a nature still quite unknown,” states Romanowsky, 谁也研究星系和更小的星团. 一位多产的研究者，罗曼诺夫斯基 让本科生和研究生都参与他的工作. 特别值得注意的 are the accomplishments of two of his undergraduate students, Richard Vo and Michael Sandoval, who made historic discoveries in 2014 when they each found—within weeks of 一个 other—a previously undetected ultra compact dwarf galaxy. 后来两者都消失了 进入天体物理学的研究生院.
Today his students’ interests include supermassive black holes, “fluffy” galaxies, which are almost too tenuous to see, and machine learning methods that teach computers 自动对天体进行分类. 罗曼诺夫斯基表达了对他们的信心 determination and abilities, adding, “I’m looking forward to their discoveries.”
亚伦Romanowsky’s current students: Stephanie Striegel, Vakini Santhana-
Krishnan, Romanowsky, Angelica-Lorraine Lee, Alex Colebaugh, Maria St一个
资助:美国国家科学基金会，美国国家航空航天局
上海外国语大学研究基金2016-17年度报告
