I am an assistant professor of physics at the University of Alberta, in the astrophysics group. My research is focused on compact stars (such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes). X-ray binaries are compact stars accreting matter from a (more normal) companion star; this stellar vampirism produces strong X-ray radiation as the matter falls to the compact object's surface. I have focused in particular on X-ray binaries containing neutron stars, using the Chandra X-ray Observatory and XMM-Newton X-ray telescopes to collect and study X-rays from these objects. My scientific interests also include globular clusters, millisecond radio pulsars, the Galactic Center, and supernova remnants.
I am teaching Astro 320, "Structure and Evolution of Stars", in fall 2009, and Astro 322, "Galactic and Extragalactic Astronomy", in winter 2010.
I have projects available for interested graduate students, at the master's or Ph.D. level, and for undergraduates. Please see or email me to discuss these projects.
Current members of my group here include graduate student Mizan Chowdhury, undergraduates George Coomber, Clifton Price, and Sonia Budac, and incoming postdoctoral researcher Jeanette Gladstone.