Thomas G. Barnes IIISenior Research Scientist, McDonald Observatory |
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Address: Senior Research Scientist, McDonald Observatory RLM 16.228 University of Texas Austin, TX 78712 512-471-1301 E-Mail: tgb@astro.as.utexas.edu Research Interests: observational aspects of variable stars; photometry and radial velocity
studies of Education: B.S., University of Rochester, 1966 M.A., University of Toronto, 1968 Ph.D., University of Toronto, 1970 Astronomy Courses Taught: AST 309L: Extraterrestrial Life AST 301: Introduction to Astronomy |
I came to the University of Texas in 1970 as the W.J. McDonald Postgraduate Fellow and have served in many capacities since then. My research interests are focused on the use of pulsating variable stars, particularly Cepheids and RR Lyrae variables, to refine Galactic and extragalactic distance scales. Currently I am working on improvements to the Galactic distance scale for Cepheid variables, on distances to M31 and M33 using Cepheids, and on improvement to Magellanic Cloud distances. In all of these I am fascinated by the use of an extension of the Baade-Wesslink method (called the surface brightness technique) to determine quasi-geometric distances to Cepheids.
While most of my time is devoted to research, whenever I can, I teach astronomy courses as well.
LINKS
INSTRUCTION
AST 301: Introduction to Astronomy
AST 309L: Extraterrestrial Life
Ast 1623: Solar System Astronomy
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