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Teaching 2008-2009
Last fall, I taught two classes, Astronomy 120 (The Solar System) and its night labs, and Astronomy 150, "The End of the World in Science & Religion", which I co-taught with Mark Douglas, a Professor of Ethics from Columbia Theological Seminary. This spring I am teaching Thermodynamics (Physics 331), Scientific Computing (Physics 211), and directing the senior thesis work of Allison Smith. Last fall, students in Astronomy 120 were able to make observations with the 0.9-m SARA telescope that we operate jointly with 9 other colleges and universities.
Research
Most of my astronomical research is focused on the early phases of massive star formation in the Milky Way Galaxy. I use radio telescopes like the Very Large Array in Socorro, NM to observe ionized gas that is lit up near young massive stars. The regions that I study are basically like "hidden" versions of the familiar Orion Nebula--hidden behind a veil of molecular gas that only very long wavelengths can penetrate. I also make observations with the Spitzer Telescope (an orbiting infrared telescope), the Gemini North telescope, and others. Some of my recent papers are given below.
One general characteristic of massive stars is that they have much shorter lifetimes than stars like the Sun. Solar type stars live for perhaps 10 billion years. Massive stars are lucky if they live 10 million years. As a result, the early stages of massive star formation are likewise short lived, and due to the location of young massive stars--often within dense molecular clouds--they are impossible to observe at optical wavelengths. I use the Very Large Array of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory to make most of my observations of massive star forming regions in our Galaxy.
Popular Science Writing
I am interested in conveying astronomical discoveries to a wide audience, which has led me to do some popular science writing. I am co-author of the Complete Idiot's Guide to Astronomy (now in its 4th edition), and also co-author of Recent Advances and Issues in Astronomy and Van Nostrand's Concise Encyclopedia of Science (Wiley, 2003). I am also the author of Physics Made Simple (Doubleday, 2004), and am working on a new book on astronomical disasters.
Student-Faculty Research
I am currently working with Allison Smith on her senior thesis. She is studying Broad Recombination Line Objects (BRLOs) in the K3-50 Galactic star forming region.
The following is a listing of some of my recently published papers:
1. Spitzer IRAC and MIPS Imaging of Clusters and Outflows in Nine High-Mass Star Forming Regions, K. Qiu, Q. Zhang, S.T. Megeath, R.A. Gutermuth, H. Beuther, D.S. Shepherd, T.K. Sridharan, L. Testi, C.G. De Pree, 2008, The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 685, Issue 2, pp. 1005-1025
2. VLA Observations of C91α Recombination Line Emission in W49A North, A. Roshi, C. G. De Pree, W. M. Goss, K. R. Anantharamaiah, 2006, The Astrophysical Journal, 644, 279
2. Morphologies of Ultracompact HII Regions in W49A and Sgr B2: Prevalence of Shells and a Modified Classification Scheme, 2005, C. G. De Pree, D. J. Wilner, J. DeBlasio, A.J. Mercer, L.E. Davis, The Astrophysical Journal, 624, 101
3. An 8.5 GHz Arecibo survey of Carbon Recombination Lines toward UC HII Regions: Physical properties of the dense molecular material, 2005, A. Roshi, D. Balser, T. Bania, M. Goss, and C. G. De Pree, The Astrophysical Journal, 625, 181
4. Spatial and Temporal Variations in Small-Scale Galactic HI Structure Toward 3C 138, 2005, C. L. Brogan, B. A. Zauderer, T. J. Lazio, W. M. Goss, C. G. De Pree and M. D. Faison, The Astronomical Journal, 130, 698
Questions or comments? Send me an email .
Department of Physics and Astronomy