Research in the astrophysics group includes astrobiology and the chemistry of the interstellar medium, as well as many areas of galactic and extragalactic astronomy. Research in astrobiology and interstellar chemistry describes the evolution of interstellar clouds into new solar systems. Current interest focuses on spectroscopic detection of organic molecules in interstellar dust and gas, and their contribution to the organic inventory of protoplanetary disks. Theoretical projects include simulations of protostellar collapse, multifluid magnetohydrodynamic shock waves, and shock chemistry. Research in galactic and extragalactic astronomy includes the structure and formation of the galactic halo, metallicity gradients in the galactic thick disk, properties of stars with strong Balmer absorption, optical properties of quasars, and astronomical data mining.

The astrophysics group makes use of ground-based telescopes located at world class observing sites in Hawaii, Australia, Chile, and South Africa. We also have access to data from major satellite facilities, including the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra, and the Infrared Space Observatory; and large ground-based astronomy projects, including the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS).

Glenn Ciolek