Current Position (1994 - present): Senior Research Associate/ CASA Fellow, Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy; Lecturer, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder
PERSONAL DETAILS Address: Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy, University of Colorado, Campus Box 593, Boulder, CO 80309-0593, USA
E-MAIL: Alexander.Brown@colorado.edu
Nationality: US
Place of Birth: Workington, Cumbria, England
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS: Ph.D. in Astronomy, University of St. Andrews 1978; B.Sc. (1st Class Honours) in Astronomy, University of St. Andrews 1975
Professional Affiliations: Member - International Astronomical Union; Member - American Astronomical Society; Fellow - Royal Astronomical Society
Community Service Positions: Chair, Kepler Users Panel;
Chair, ASCA Users Group; Chair, Astro-E Users
group; Member, NASA X-ray Astrophysics Program Working Group
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
October 1985-September 1994: Senior Research Associate, JILA, Boulder, Colorado, USA
February 1992-February 1994: Consultant, Center for EUV Astrophysics, University of California Berkeley, USA
November 1990-February 1991, November 1991, April 1992, October 1992, July 1993: Visiting Scientist, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, England
October 1982-September 1985: Postdoctoral Research Associate, JILA, Boulder, Colorado, USA
October 1981-September 1982: Lecturer in Astrophysics, Department of Physics, Queen Mary College, London, England
October 1978-September 1981: Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Department of Theoretical Physics, Oxford, England
October 1975-September 1978: Ph.D. Student, Department of Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, Scotland (Supervisor - Dr. P.W. Hill)
October 1971-June 1975: Undergraduate, University of St Andrews
Publications: 119 refereed journal papers, 8 review papers, over 100 conference papers.
More detailed information can be found at http://casa.colorado.edu/~ ab
My research covers a wide range of stellar astrophysics, involving both the acquisition and interpretation of observational data from many different spectral regions and the associated atmospheric modelling. Much of my research is aimed at understanding the processes occurring in the outer atmospheres of cool stars and the underlying causes and evolution of their nonradiatively heated chromospheres and coronae. Presently my major fields of interest are:
A. STELLAR CHROMOSPHERES, CORONAE AND WINDS
Much of my research effort involves study of the chromospheric and coronal
structure of cool stars (spectral types A to M, including pre-main sequence,
main sequence and evolved stars) and the nonradiative heating processes
involved. Topics related to this basic aim are the evolution of stellar
atmospheres, atmospheric variability (long and short-term) and its
implications
for atmospheric properties, stellar winds and their driving mechanisms,
quantitative study of atmospheric inhomogeneity, the influence of binarity on
activity levels, and emission line excitation processes.
Both UV direct spectroscopy and eclipse absorption line studies are
used. For wind studies UV wind absorption profiles are modelled in
conjuction with radio continuum data.
Detailed spatial mapping of cool star chromospheres and winds is being
obtained from studies of the eclipses of
hot companions by the atmospheres of evolved cool stars using GHRS and
STIS data. So far we have observed eclipses of 
Aur, HR 2554, 32 Cyg,
and VV Cep for this type of study. By studying stars at different evolutionary
stages considerable advances in our understanding of the spatial structuring
of cool star atmospheres can be made.
B. X-RAY AND EUV STUDIES OF STELLAR CORONAE
I am deeply involved in the analysis of X-ray and EUV photometry and
spectroscopy from the Chandra, ASCA, RXTE, and EUVE satellites. Also
I have been awarded observations on XMM. We are currently at a major
turning point in observational capability; newly-available stellar
coronal spectroscopy is revolutionising the study of stellar outer
atmospheres. The spectral resolution of the new missions (Chandra,
XMM) is 500-1000, compared with the 200 of EUVE, and
is sufficient to allow detailed emission line work. Analysis of
our coordinated Chandra observatioons of the active binary HR1099
provide X-ray spectra showing not only transient high velocity emission
from flares but also the orbital motion (amplitude 50 km s-1)
of the X-ray dominant primary star. A number of flare-related projects
are on-going based on EUVE and ASCA data obtained over the last
few years. Extensive multi-spectral region observational studies have
and are currently
being undertaken to study the quiescent and flaring atmospheric properties
of active stars. The primary targets for recent campaigns has been the
active
RS CVn binaries HR1099, 
CrB, and UX Ari. Contemporaneous
observations with HST, Chandra, EUVE, ASCA, RXTE, VLA and AT plus
supporting optical spectroscopy and photometry are undertaken.
C. PRE-MAIN SEQUENCE (PMS) STARS AND STAR FORMATION In addition to modelling the atmospheric structure of PMS stars, I am studying topics such as their extended circumstellar environments, the role of the circumstellar environment on activity levels, populations of previously unknown PMS stars (such as the Naked T Tauri stars), atmospheric variability and inhomogeneity, the evolution of atmospheric properties and their relation to other fundamental properties (e.g. mass, rotation), changes in star formation rates and efficiencies within dark cloud complexes, and constraints on planetary system formation timescales. Extensive studies of pre-main sequence stellar properties are ongoing; in particular, we are investigating the properties of accretion disks and their dissipation by studies of molecular and dust emission. A major HST program to study remnant H2 gas disks is currently underway. The processes controlling how PMS atmospheres evolve and determining their activity levels are studied quantitatively. X-ray selected samples of Naked T Tauri stars in Taurus-Auriga, Scorpius, Corona Australis, Chamaeleon, and Orion are used to study the spatial structuring of low mass star formation and the Initial Mass Function of these regions. Members of the nearby ``Local Association'' are being used to study the properties controlling stellar activity on stars newly arrived on the Zero-Age Main sequence.
Astronomy holds a particular fascination for a large section of the general public. One only has to mention being an astronomer to someone sitting next to you on an aircraft to instigate a detailed hour-long question and answer session. Many students feel that astronomy is the only science accessible to them - the demand for general astronomy classes to cover core curriculum requirements is gratifying but out of all proportion to the small part of ``science'' that astronomy and astrophysics fills. Thus, astronomers have a somewhat unique duty to present their field to the general public and the university student population. My current outreach efforts are primarily focussed on high school students through the ``Research Seminar in Science'' program operated by the Boulder Valley School District. This two semester course for juniors and seniors gives students the opportunity to explore what it is really like to do science. I currently act as a mentor for three students out of an initial group of 8 that contacted me at the start of the school year. These students are working on projects related to the abundance and formation of light elements (D/H ratio), black holes, and the structure of the solar corona. We operate this program as a joint effort within our group (myself, Tom Ayres, and our graduate student Rachel Osten). My main instructional role is supervision of Rachel's research and ensuring that she not only survives graduate school, gets her doctorate, and matures to be a very good astrophysicist, but also enjoys doing so. Since she is an outstanding student our interaction is, I hope, mutually beneficial. I have earlier in my career had a full-time teaching position and have no doubt that I am capable of teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Prior teaching experience:
Oxford University -- Undergraduate tutorials in astronomy and atomic physics
Queen Mary College, London -- Full lecturing duties, including lectures, tutorials and practical class supervision for astrophysics and physics courses.
University of Colorado -- Participated in the supervision of graduate students and undergraduate summer students. Served on graduate student thesis committees.
I have considerable experience in using satellite and ground-based telescopes to obtain and analyse astronomical data in most spectral regions. The study of stellar outer atmospheres using ultraviolet spectra from HST is a major part of my research. I was part HST/Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph(GHRS) IDT team and am closely involved with the STIS team. The broad spectral coverage and high sensitivity of STIS is allowing us to make even greater and faster advances. My ground-based optical/IR/sub-mm observing has concentrated recently on samples of naked T Tauri stars and the accretion disk properties of pre-main sequence stars. I have conducted extensive stellar radio observations with the VLA and Australia Telescope Compact Array over the past 17 years, involving the award of over 1,000 hours of VLA time. This experience is summarised below:
A: Satellites
HST/STIS & GHRS (1984 - present) PI of 7 GO programs and Co-I on numerous other GO and GTO programs. Currently collaborator on two large Cycle 8 programs surveying stellar activity and PMS star H2 emission.
Chandra X-ray Observatory (2000) and XMM (2000) - I have an approved AO-1 proposal on each of these missions.
ASCA (1994-9) PI of 7 approved GO programs; RXTE (1996-8) PI of 2 programs.
EUVE (1992-2000) Participant in EUVE Survey analyis. PI of 7 approved GO spectroscopy programs. IUE (1978-96) Guest observer/PI (both NASA and ESA) - studying chromospheric and transition region emission lines of cool stars. PI/Lead I of 28 successful NASA IUE proposals.
Earlier Guest Observer programs used ROSAT(1990-5) [Participant in ROSAT WFC Survey analysis of coronal stars. PI of 4 accepted GO proposals], EXOSAT (1983,1985) [X-ray emissions of pre-main sequence and evolved cool stars], and EINSTEIN (1984-89) [Archival studies of X-ray emission from cool stars].
B:Optical/IR/Radio Telescopes
I have been used a range of optical/IR facilities as a Visiting Astronomer: Kitt Peak National Observatory (1984-9 Optical Photometry and Spectroscopy), National Solar Obsservatory - McMath Telescope (1986-9 - High Resolution Spectroscopy of Cool Stars), South African Astronomical Observatory (1975-8, Photometry and Spectroscopy), UKIRT, Mauna Kea (1980 - H2 Spectroscopy/Mapping), IRTF, Mauna Kea (1989-91 Near/mid-IR Photometry). My radio and sub-mm work has been done at the VLA (1983-99), AT (1991-99), and JCMT, Mauna Kea (1990, 1998).
International Astronomical Union - Member (since 1982) [Commissions 36 and 44]
Royal Astronomical Society - Fellow (since 1978), Honorary Auditor (1982) before moving to JILA.
American Astronomical Society - Member (since 1985)
NASA Group Acievment Award to Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph Team
Member, NASA X-ray Astrophysics Program Working Group (1999)
User Committees: Astro-E Users Group 1999 (Chair in 1999), ASCA Users Group 1995-1999 (Chair from 1996), EUVE Users Committee 1994-1996.
Proposal Peer Reviews: VLA Proposal Referee - 1992-93, 1997-8 (Two Year Appointments); NASA Peer Review Panelist for HST, IUE, Chandra, ASCA, EUVE, Astro-E, RXTE & ADP/LTSA.
Journal Referee: Refereed papers for ApJ, AJ, A&A, MNRAS, Science (typically 4-6 per year)