Dr. Churchill heads the NMSU Quasar Absorption Line Group. This
research group studies galaxy evolution in the inverse using the
technique of quasar absorption lines. The sightline along which light
travels to Earth from extremely distant, highly luminous quasars
serves as a core sample through the universe of both time and space. Take
a spectrum of the quasar and coded in the light are the fingerprint
patterns of the kinematic, ionization, and chemical conditions of
extended gaseous halos surrounding intervening galaxies. We use the
Keck, Subaru, and Very Large Telescopes to obtain the high resolution
spectra of the quasars. We decode the complex and beautiful patterns
of missing light (absorption lines) in these spectra and then go out
and find the galaxies hosting the absorbing gas. We then study the
morphology and sky orientations of these galaxies out to redshifts of
0.5-1.0 in detail with the Hubble Space Telescope. We are testing to
see if the large extended halos around galaxies, which can be 10 times
larger than the stellar disks, are dynamically coupled to the galaxies
or are an interface with the cosmic web structures of the
intergalactic medium.
Current Graduate Students
Jessica Evans (5th year)
Elizabeth Klimek (3rd year)
Teresa Ross (1st year)
Nikki Nielsen (1st year)
Graduated Students, Ph.D.
3. Dr. Glenn Kacprzak (7/2008) Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Swinburn
2. Dr. Brandon Lawton (7/2008) Postdoc, Space Telescope Science Intstitute
1. Dr. Don Lubowich (7/2006) Professor, University of Hofstra
Graduated Students, M.S.
2. Ms. Allison Widhalm (7/2008) Data Quality Management, NOAO, Chile
1. Ms. Sarah Giandoni (5/2005) Instrument Data Specialist, NASA @ Whitesands
I am looking for an additional graduate student who would be
interested in galaxy evolution form the perspective of gas kinematics,
chemical, and ionization conditions out of the cosmic web. The work
would involve analysis of some 200 HIRES/Keck and UVES/VLT spectra,
ground based imaging and analysis, galaxy spectroscopy and analsysis,
and HST imaging and analaysis. If you are an interested prospective
student, please email me and I would be happy to discuss the details
and opportunities for you.
Current Courses: Fall 2008
ASTR 305: Life in the Universe
ASTR 110: Introduction to Astronomy
Dr. Churchill specializes in observational spectroscopic techniques
and analysis, including long slit and echelle formats. He has taught
many introductory classes in Astronomy and Physics, including
Astrophotography. He is currently completing a book entitled Quasar
Absorption Line Spectroscopy to be published in the Astrophysics
Series of Cambridge University Press.
Dr. Churchill's favorite topics in the class room are "Life in the
Universe" and "Space Settlement", in which he exploits video
conferencing "lectures" and "interviews" with the leading experts in
these fields (commercial, academic, and government). Motivated by the
recent development with the X Prize and the X Cup Competition that is
to occur at the new Southwest Regional Spaceport just north of Las
Cruces, Dr. Churchill is developing an extended education course that
will use interactive TV technology to link branch campus, community
college, and high school classrooms in order to promote space related
careers.
Selected Publications...
Halo Gas Cross Sections And Covering Fractions of MgII Absorption Selected Galaxies
Kacprzak G. G., Churchill, Steidel, C. C., & Murphy, M. T. 2008, AJ, 135, 922
A Correlation Between Galaxy Morphology and MgII Halo Absorption Strenth" at z~0.7
Kacprzak G. G., Churchill, Steidel, C. C., Murphy, M. T., & Evans, J. L. 2007, ApJ, 662, 909
On the Heterogeneity of Metal-Line and Ly-Alpha Absorption in Galaxy "Halos" at z~0.7
Churchill, C. W., Kacprzak, G. G., Steidel, C. C., & Evans, J. L. 2007, ApJ, 661, 714
Detection of Diffuse Interstellar Bands in the z=0.5 Damped Lyalpha System toward AO 0235+164
York, B.A., Ellison, S.A. Lawton, B., Churchill, C.W., Snow, T.P., Johnson, R.A., & Ryan, S.G. 2006, ApJ, 647, 29
MgII Absorption through
Intermediate Redshift Galaxies
Churchill, C.W., Kacprzak,
G.G., & Steidel, C.C. 2005, Invited Talk, in Probing Galaxies through Quasar
Absorption Lines, IAU 199 (Cambridge University Press).
The Physical Conditions of Intermediate Redshift Mg II Absorbing Clouds from Voigt Profile Analysis
Churchill, C.W., Vogt, S.S, & Charlton, J.C. 2003, AJ, 125, 98
The Kinematic Connection Between Absorbing Gas Toward QSOs and Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift
Steidel, C.C., Kollmeier, J.A., Shapely, A.E., Churchill, C.W.,
Dickinson, M., & Pettini, M. 2002,
ApJ, 570, 526
