I am an Assistant Professor working in the field of cosmology, the study of how the universe began and evolved into what we see today.
My research , and that of the students working with me, focuses on cosmological theories and how we can constrain them using observations such as the cosmic microwave background "CMB" (radiation emitted at the earliest, directly-observable time in the universe's history), and large scale structure data (galaxies and clusters of galaxies).
My current research includes work to establish the nature of dark energy, the mysterious quantity responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe, and dark matter, and how can we use observations to distinguish between competing theories. I'm also interested in the application of string theory to understanding how initial conditions for seeding structure are established in the early universe.
My CV.
Some links:
Article for the Discovery Channel
On the implications for dark energy of the recent Chandra X-ray satellite results.
2008 Cottrell Scholar's Profile
A summary of my research, and teaching plan, along with the other 2008 Research Corporation Cottrell Scholars.
Online lecture
Check out my online study room, "The Puzzling Life of the Universe", giving an introduction to cosmology for non-scientists, as part of the Cornell Adult University Cybertower.
Contact:
612 Space Sciences Bldg
Department of Astronomy
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
607 254 4920
