Graduate Studies
Welcome to the informational pages on Graduate Studies in the Field of Astronomy and Space Sciences at Cornell University. My name is David Chernoff and I am the Director of Graduate Studies for the Field of Astronomy and Space Sciences. Our Graduate Program places strong emphasis on graduate teaching and in the participation of students in ongoing research projects. We foster an interdisciplinary approach to solving astronomical problems and maintain strong ties with other departments. These web pages provide information on our Graduate Program, including research and academic opportunities. Links to additional sources of information are also provided.
The Department of Astronomy is in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University and is associated with the Cornell Graduate School's Field of Astronomy & Space Sciences. We are also associated with the Center for Radiophysics and Space Research (CRSR). The Department and CRSR form one of the leading astronomy groups in the world. Traditional areas of excellence include infrared astronomy, theoretical astrophysics, radio and radar astronomy and planetary science. Cornell graduate students and astronomers play leading roles in NASA projects like the Mars rovers and Cassini, the Spitzer Space Telescope, SOFIA, and others.
Degrees Offered: Ph.D.
Concentrations:
Astronomy; Astrophysics; Cosmology; Infrared Astronomy; Planetary Studies; Radio Astronomy; Radiophysics; Space Sciences [general]; Theoretical Astrophysics
Astronomy and Space Sciences is a formal Field of Graduate Study for the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees within the Graduate School of Cornell University. Graduate study is guided by faculty members drawn from various departments, including astronomy, physics, applied physics, geological sciences, theoretical and applied mechanics, and electrical engineering. The field has about thirty graduate students, a comparable number of faculty members, and a comparable number of research associates and visiting scientists.
Applications
Students with undergraduate experience in astronomy, physics, mathematics, chemistry, geology, engineering physics, and electrical and aeronautical engineering are encouraged to apply. While specific training in astronomy is not a prerequisite, a strong background in the physical sciences (especially physics) and mathematics is required. Applicants are required to take the GRE general test and the GRE physics subject test; they are often of great help in admitting outstanding students from less well known institutions. The TOEFL test is also required for applicants whose native language is not English unless the student received a degree from a college or university in a country where both the language of instruction and the native language is English, or has studied for two or more years in an undergraduate or graduate program in a country where both the language of instruction and the native language is English.
Applications must be downloaded and completed online from http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu. For additional details and information, contact Prof. David Chernoff (Director of Graduate Studies; chernoff at astro.cornell.edu) or Ms. Monica Armstrong (Graduate Field Assistant; armstron@astro.cornell.edu; 607-255-3727).
Assistantships, Scholarships, and Fellowships
Financial support for graduate students is available through Cornell University fellowships (including the Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowships in Nonlinear Systems program), graduate research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and National Science Foundation, NASA, and other national fellowships. In addition, Cornell has been the recipient of a NASA Space Grant award with a fellowship program (six to eight fellowships per year) for graduate students in astronomy and related fields. The Department of Astronomy sometimes also awards internal Fellowships. Full-time research work in the summer is usually available for the Field's graduate students.
Research and Study Opportunities
Members of the staff are particularly interested in directing graduate research in the following subjects:
1. Astronomy and Astrophysics. Relativity and cosmology; dynamics of the interstellar gas; evolution of planetary systems; magnetohydrodynamics; nuclear astrophysics; gravittaional theory; X-ray sources; black holes; chemistry of interstellar medium; high energy astrophysics.
2. Atmospheric and ionospheric radio investigations. Dynamics of the atmospheres and ionosphere; incoherent electron scattering; refraction, scattering and attenuation due to the inhomogeneous nature of the troposphere and ionosphere; propagation of radio waves and ionized media.
3. Infrared and Optical Astronomy. Spectroscopic studies of the interstellar medium, external galaxies, Galactic Center, star formation; development of novel instrumentation; observations from ground-based and airborne telescopes.
4. Planetary Studies. Observational, theoretical, and laboratory studies of planetary atmospheres, surfaces, and interiors; origins of planetary systems; exoplanets; spacecraft investigations such as Galileo, Mars Surveyor Magellan, Cassini and MER; investigations of asteroids, comets, and ring systems; solar-system dynamics; dynamics of planetary atmospheres; exobiology and prebiological organic chemistry.
5. Radio Astronomy. Distribution and properties of galaxies; radar investigations of the planets and asteroids; solar radio observations; studies of gaseous nebulae; interstellar radio lines; radio galaxies, quasars, and pulsars; interstellar molecular clouds and star-forming regions.
6. Space Vehicle Instrumentation. Instrumentation relation to solar system exploration, including cameras and spectral mappers; infrared observations from airplanes and satellites.
Graduate students in this field may be connected with the Cornell University Center for Radiophysics and Space Research or the Cornell-operated National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, the site of the world's largest radar-radio telescope. Students often conduct thesis or dissertation research at Palomar or Arecibo, or at other major observatories. In addition, members of the department are PIs on the Mars Rover NASA mission and the Spitzer Infrared Telescope, which is the last of the four NASA great observatories (Hubble, Chandra and Crompton GRO were the first three). Additional details on these organizations and facilities are in brochures available from the respective organizations or the graduate field office. .
