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ResearchMy research involves multi-wavelength (primarily optical and X-ray) observations of various astrophysical sources.My graduate work at the University of Michigan involved the construction, installation, and science output from the ROTSE-III telescopes. The Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment is a global network of four 0.45 m (18 inch) telescopes designed for rapid (~ 7s) responses to Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) from satellites such as Swift. ROTSE responds rapidly enough that we are often observing a GRB contemporaneously with the gamma-ray emission. By combining prompt ROTSE-III optical observations with Swift/BAT and early Swift/XRT data we can look deep into the fireball to probe the emission of these enigmatic and energetic explosions. The wide-field ROTSE telescopes are also used for nearby supernova searches such as the Texas Supernova Search which as discovered 3 of the most luminous supernovae ever recorded. Recently, I have worked with the maxBCG galaxy cluster catalog. This volume limited catalog of over 13,000 optically selected clusters is the largest yet constructed. By cross-correlating the optical catalog with ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS) data, we can probe the typical X-ray emission from galaxy clusters and not just the most luminous X-ray clusters. We are currently investigating particular subsets of the optical catalog, including "fossil groups" that may be clusters that formed at a very early epoch. |