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Teaching 2007-2008
Last fall, I taught two classes, Astronomy 300 (Radiation), and a First Year Seminar entitled "The End of the World as We Know It". This spring I am teaching our second semester introductory astronomy course (Astronomy 121, Galaxies and Cosmology), the night lab associated with the course (Astronomy 121L), an introductory computing course (Physics 211, Introduction to Scientific Computing), and our senior seminar (Astronomy 400). The Astronomy 121L students recently made 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 spend some time studying the origin and evolution of jets in active galaxies. 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. Stay tuned!
Student-Faculty Research
I am currently working with Crystal Keddie-Hill on her senior thesis. If you are an ASC student interested in research on star formation, send me an email!
The following is a listing of some of my recently published papers:
1. VLA Observations of C91α Recombination Line Emission in W49A North, A. Roshi, C. G. De Pree, W. M. Goss, K. R. Anantharamaiah, 2006, 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, ApJ, 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, ApJ, 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, AJ, 130, 698
5. H2O Masers in W49 North and Sagittarius B2, E. J. McGrath, W. M. Goss, and C. G. De Pree, 2004, The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 155, 577
6. Broad Recombination Line Objects in W49N on 600 AU Scales, C. G. De Pree, D. J. Wilner, A. J. Mercer, L. E. Davis, W. M. Goss, and S. Kurtz, 2004, The Astrophysical Journal, 600, 286
Questions or comments? Send me an email .
Department of Physics and Astronomy