Physics and Astronomy Department
American Astronomical Society
Astronomical Society of New York
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
International Astronomy Union
Rebecca A. Koopmann '89
Job Title
Frank and Marie Louise Bailey Professor of Physics and Astronomy
Areas of expertise
Galaxy Evolution, Galaxies in Groups and Clusters, Star Formation and Gas Contents of Galaxies, Observational Astronomy
Research interests
My research seeks to understand the physical parameters and processes that most influence the evolution of galaxies. I examine the gas and star formation properties of nearby galaxies, focusing particularly on galaxies in groups and clusters where evolution is likely to be accelerated by environmental effects.
I am a member of the ALFALFA Team, led by Riccardo Giovanelli and Martha Haynes at Cornell University. The ALFALFA (Arecibo Legacy Fast ALFA) project used the Arecibo Observatory 305-m telescope near Arecibo, Puerto Rico, to search for emission from atomic hydrogen (HI) in galaxies.
I led the NSF-Funded Undergraduate ALFALFA Team, a consortium of 24 institutions participating in ALFALFA research from 2008-2022 and continue as senior personnel in the current NSF-supported program led by my colleague Dr. Joe Ribaudo (Providence College). The program includes an Annual Undergraduate ALFALFA Workshop at Green Bank Observatory. Read more about the grant in Ribaudo et al. 2023, Koopmann et al. 2020, Troischt et al. 2016, and Odekon 2015.
Teaching interests
Astronomy, Galaxies, Astrobiology, Introductory Physics
Publications
- Durbala, A., Finn, R. A., Odekon, M. C., Haynes, M. P., Koopmann, R. A., O'Donoghue, A. 2020, 'The ALFALFA-SDSS Galaxy Catalog', Astronomical Journal, 160, 271
- O'Donoghue, A. A., Haynes, M. P., Koopmann, R. A., et al. 2019, 'The Arecibo Pisces-Perseus Supercluster Survey. I. Harvesting ALFALFA', Astronomical Journal, 157, 81
- Koopmann, R. A. et al. 2019, 'Integrating Undergraduate Research and Faculty Development in a Legacy Astronomy Research Project', Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 51, 69
- Odekon, M. C., Hallenbeck, G., Haynes, M. P., Koopmann, R.A., Phi, A., Wolfe, P. 2019, 'The Effect of Filaments and Tendrils on the H I Content of Galaxies', Astrophysical Journal, 852, 142
- Hallenbeck, G., Koopmann, R. A. et al. 2017, 'HI in Virgo's "Red and Dead" Dwarf Ellipticals - A Tidal Tail and Central Star Formation', 2017, Astronomical Journal, 154, 58
See my Publication List for full list and links.
Additional media
Organizations
Academic credentials
B.S., Union College; M.S., Yale University; Ph.D., Yale University
Integrated Science and Engineering Complex (ISEC) 111
View in Google Maps
Fax:
(518) 388-6947