Dr. Mark B. Peacock

Dr. Mark B. Peacock
Contact
details
Work address:
Home address:
Dept. of Physics & Astronomy,
Michigan State University,
567 Wilson Road, Room 3255,
East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
East Lansing
MI 48823, USA
B : [email protected] – T : 001 517 884 5609 – m : http://www.pa.msu.edu/~mbp/
Current
position
Postdoctoral Research Associate
July 2010 – current
Michigan State University, Dept of Physics & Astronomy, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
Supervisors: Profs Steve Zepf and Jay Strader
Education
PhD in Astrophysics
October 2006 – May 2010
University of Southampton, Physics & Astronomy, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
Thesis title: A multiwavelength analysis of M31’s globular clusters and their low mass X-ray binaries (available at: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/161179/). Supervisor: Prof Tom Maccarone
MSci in Physics and Astronomy
October 2001 – July 2005
University of Bristol, H.H.Wills Physics Laboratory, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS81TL, UK
Final Year Dissertation: Low Surface Brightness Dwarf Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster
Dissertation supervisor: Prof Steven Phillipps
Research
interests
galaxy formation and evolution; stellar evolution; galactic and extragalactic star clusters; exotic
objects in globular clusters; observational astronomy; multi-wavelength astronomy
Research
Summary
I have a broad interest in galaxy formation/ evolution and stellar phenomena. My research focuses
on using observations of nearby galaxies and their star clusters to investigate these topics. To
do this, I’ve utilized multiwavelength photometry and spectroscopy from the X-ray through UV,
optical and NIR. Please see my publications and research statement for details of my work, which
includes studying: the stellar populations, haloes and IMFs of local galaxies; extragalactic globular
clusters; and the exotic objects they host, such as X-ray binaries and extreme horizontal branch
stars. My current projects have natural extensions that utilize the superb capabilities of upcoming
facilities such as the JWST, LSST and ELTs.
Research
grants
I have been successful in obtaining time and funding through HST and Chandra. My research lends
itself to proposals for new projects on these facilities and to larger projects through NSF/NASA
funding. I am PI of the following grants:
• HST Cycle 23 (2015) - 12 orbits - $72,690:
The spatial distribution of hot stellar populations in M31’s globular clusters:
Peacock M., Dieball A., Knigge C., Kundu A., Maccarone T., Strader J., Zepf Z.
• Chandra Cycle 16 (2014) - 100ks - $48,500:
Does the IMF vary with galaxy mass? The X-ray binary population of a key galaxy, NGC7457:
Peacock M., Zepf Z., Maccarone T., Kundu A., Gonzalez A., Lehmer B., Maraston C.
• HST Cycle 22 (2014) - 2 orbits - $13,500:
Does the IMF vary with galaxy mass? The X-ray binary population of a key galaxy, NGC7457:
Peacock M., Zepf Z., Maccarone T., Kundu A., Gonzalez A., Lehmer B., Maraston C.
CoI on the following grants:
• HST Cycle 22 (2014) - 18 orbits:
Testing Models of the Black-Hole X-ray Source in the NGC4472 Globular Cluster RZ2109 with
COS UV Spectroscopy
Zepf S., Peacock M., Kundu A, Maccarone T., Rhode K., Steele M.
• HST Cycle 22 (2014) Archival research grant:
Use of Wide-Field ACS Mosaics to Determine Total Properties of Globular Cluster Systems
Zepf S., Peacock M., Rhode K.
• Chandra Cycle 15 (2013) archival research grant:
X-Raying the IMF in Elliptical Galaxies:
Zepf S., Kundu A., Maccarone T., Peacock M.
• Chandra Cycle 15 (2013) - 112ks:
Testing the universality of the stellar IMF using Chandra:
Lehmer B., Maccarone T., Hornschemeier A., Gonzalez A., Kundu A., Zepf S., Peacock M.,
Maraston C.
• HST Cycle 21 (2013) Archival research grant:
A Multiwavelength Study of Recurrent Novae in the Bulge of M31
Shafter A., Bode M., Darnley M., Kundu A, Maccarone T., Maitra D., Peacock M., Sell P.
Teaching
summary
I enjoy passing on my knowledge to students and inspiring the next generation of researcher. Being married to an enthusiastic instructional designer, I have been able to explore the latest ideas
and innovations and I’m keen to design courses that are informative, enjoyable and provide the
best possible education for students of all learning styles. I have experience with running a large
undergraduate class, assisting small groups of students, and supervising student projects.
Teaching
experience
Lecturer, Michigan State University:
Instructor of record for a large undergrad class (152 students) with the aim of introducing nonscience majors to astronomy (and to scientific thinking in general). The class included extra-credit
and honors options to help engage the more enthusiastic students. I also encouraged lecture participation through the use of clickers, in-class group work and discussions. In official end of term
questionnaires, the course received very positive feedback from the students:
Visions of the Universe, ISP205 (3 credits, 44 lectures, 152 students)
Spring Semester, 2015
– official student feedback: overall instructor rating: excellent (74%), good (22%)
overall course rating: excellent (57%), good (36%)
Joint student project supervisor, Michigan State University:
Joint supervisor for a high school student project. The student undertook a research project to
investigate the ultraviolet properties of globular clusters. Based on this project, she was named
regional semifinalist in the ‘Siemens high school science competition’ and a refereed paper should
result from her work.
Teaching assistant, University of Southampton:
Teaching assistant for several undergraduate courses. This involved assisting groups of students
(∼20), helping in problem classes and grading for the following courses: 1st year Energy and Matter, PHYS1013 (2008, 2007); 1st year Astronomy for Poets, PHYS1009 (2007); 2nd year Classical
Mechanics, PHYS2006 (2007); 3rd year Nuclei and Particles, PHYS3002 (2006).
Outreach
Volunteered at MSU Science festival,
Showcased the SOAR telescope to the public as part of the MSU science festival.
2015
Stellar evolution workshop for MST@MSU Summer school,
2013, 2014, 2015
Ran a stellar evolution workshop. Through activities and discussion students learned about how
we study and classify stars, the nuclear processes that power them and their evolution.
Astronomical horizons talk, Abrams Planetarium, East Lansing MI
Public lecture and Q&A, title: “Unveiling the universe with clusters of stars”
22 March 2012
Aimhigher Easter School, University of Southampton
2007, 2008, 2009
Ran half day astronomy workshops for the Aimhigher Easter school for gifted teenagers from disadvantaged backgrounds. Activities included ‘toys in space’ and a bottle rocket competition.
ESF Higher Education Summer School, University of Southampton
2008, 2007
Ran half day astronomy workshops for 15-16 year olds. Students investigated physical concepts
with interactive workshops including ’toys in space’ and a bottle rocket competition.
Science and Engineering Open Days, University of Southampton
2007, 2008, 2009
Assisted with astronomy activities for family open days. Activities included ‘The Worldwide Telescope’, ‘Digital Universe’, build your own Integral satellite, 3D astronomical posters.
Professional
activities
Served as a panelist on a NASA-ADAP review panel (2015)
Served as a panelist on the TAC for Chandra (2015)
Refereed papers for the journals ApJ, MNRAS and PASP
Observing
experience
SOAR 4.1m telescope: many nights of remote observing to obtain spectra, optical photometry
and infrared photometry.
Small telescopes: used MSU campus observatory’s 2400 telescope.
Computing
skills
I am experienced with:
Data analysis/
astro. tools
Significant experience with reducing and analyzing data, including:
• Linux systems and commands incl. csh/bash, (g)awk and gnuplot
• programming in python (incl. scipy, numpy, pyfits and pyraf) and R
• writing papers, presentations and posters with LATEX, Keynote, Powerpoint, Word
• using general astronomy packages such as iraf, pyraf, ds9, topcat, wcstools
• reducing and analyzing photometric images from ground based telescopes and HST
• reducing and analyzing longslit and multiobject spectra.
• performing PSF/aperture photometry with daophot, dolphot, apphot & sextractor
• large datasets and writing pipelines to reduce data and perform photometry/ analysis
Presentations
(conferences,
workshops
and seminars)
• The stellar IMF at low masses,
STSci, Baltimore, USA
Talk: Constraining IMF Variations with X-ray Binary Populations
29 June - 01 July 2015
• Baryons at low densities: the stellar halos around galaxies,
23-27 February 2015
ESO HQ, Garching, Germany
Talk: Detection of a distinct metal-poor stellar halo in the early-type galaxy NGC 3115
• 14th Meeting of the High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD),
17-21 August 2014
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Poster: The LMXB population of local type galaxies and implications for a variable IMF
• Compact Objects in Michigan: 2nd Meeting,
25 April 2014
East Lansing, Michigan, United States
Talk: The LMXB population of local early type galaxies and implications for a variable IMF
• Unveiling the Formation of Massive Galaxies - Theoretical and Observational Challenges,
Aspen, Colorado, USA
2-7 February 2014
Poster: The IMF and halo population of local early-type galaxies
• 13th Meeting of the High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD),
Monterey, California, USA
Poster: The nature of the black hole in the globular cluster RZ2109
7-11 April 2013
• Compact Objects in Michigan: 1st Meeting,
29 March 2013
Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Talk: Properties of the ULX hosting globular cluster RZ2109 and the nature of its black hole
• Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
Invited seminar: The M31 globular cluster system
16 February 2013
• American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting 221,
6-10 January 2013
Long Beach, California, USA
Poster: Signatures of Multiple Stellar Populations in Unresolved Star Clusters
• Compact binaries in globular clusters,
Lorentz center, Leiden, Netherlands
Invited talk: Globular clusters and X-ray sources in M31
10-14 September 2012
• Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, USA
28 Sept. 2011
Invited OIR group talk: The M31 globular cluster system and its X-ray binaries
• Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
Invited seminar: The M31 globular cluster system
25 May 2011
• University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Invited seminar: The M31 globular cluster system and its X-ray binaries
7 April 2011
• American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting 217,
Seattle, Washington, USA
Talk: The M31 Globular Cluster System and its X-ray Binaries
10-14 January 2011
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
Invited seminar: The M31 globular cluster system and its X-ray binaries
22 September 2010
• SRON/ Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
Invited seminar: X-ray binaries and globular clusters
January 2010
• Formation and Evolution of Globular Clusters,
12-16 January 2009
Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, UC Santa Barbara, California, USA
Talk & poster: The relationship between LMXBs, mass and stellar collision rate
Mark Peacock: Refereed Publications
(submitted)
The X-ray luminosity function of low mass X-ray binaries in the field, meta-rich, and metal-poor
globular clusters, 2015, ApJ2 , submitted;
Peacock M.B., Zepf S.E.
2015
Detection of a Distinct Metal-poor Stellar Halo in the Early-type Galaxy NGC 3115, 2015, ApJ2 ,
800, 13;
Peacock M.B., Strader J., Romanowsky A.J., Brodie J.P.
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/800/1/13
Optical spectroscopy of the high-mass gamma-ray binary 1FGL J1018.6-5856: A probable neutron
star primary, 2015, ApJ2 L, in press;
Strader J., Chomiuk L., Cheung C. C., Salinas R., Peacock M.B.
http://arxiv.org/abs/1510.06031
A Comprehensive Archival Search for Counterparts to Ultra-Compact High Velocity Clouds: Five
Local Volume Dwarf Galaxies, 2015, ApJ2 , 806, 95;
Sand D.J., Crnojevic D., Bennet P., Willman B., Hargis J., Strader J., Olszewski E., Tollerud
E.J., Simon J.D., Caldwell N., Guhathakurta P., James B.L., Koposov S., McLeod B., Morrell N.,
Peacock M., Salinas R., Seth A.C., Stark D.P., Toloba E.
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/806/1/95
1FGL J1417.7-4407: A gamma-ray bright binary with a massive neutron star and a giant secondary, 2015, ApJ2 , 804L, 12;
Strader J., Chomiuk L., Cheung C.C., Sand D.J., Donato D., Corbet R., Koeppe D., Edwards
P.G., Stevens J., Petrov, L., Salinas R., Peacock M., Finzell T., Reichart D., Haislip J.
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2041-8205/804/1/L12
2014
Evidence for a constant IMF in early-type galaxies based on their X-ray binary populations, 2014,
ApJ2 , 784, 162;
Peacock M.B., Zepf S.E., Maccarone T.J., Kundu A., Gonzalez A., Lehmer B.D., Maraston C.
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/784/2/162
2013
Signatures of multiple stellar populations in unresolved extragalactic globular/ young massive star
clusters, 2013, ApJ2 , 769, 126;
Peacock M.B., Zepf S.E., Finzell T.
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/769/2/126
2012
Spatially resolved spectroscopy of the globular cluster RZ 2109 and the nature of its black hole,
2012, ApJ2 , 759, 126;
Peacock M.B., Zepf S.E., Kundu A., Maccarone T.J., Rhode K.L., Salzer J.J., Waters C.Z.,
Ciardullo R., Gronwall C., Stern D.
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/759/2/126
Limits on [OIII] 5007 emission from NGC4472’s globular clusters: constraints on planetary nebulae
and ultraluminous black hole X-ray binaries in globular clusters, 2012, ApJ2 , 752, 90;
Peacock M.B., Zepf S.E., Maccarone T.J.
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/752/2/90
2011
Testing stellar population synthesis models with Sloan Digital Sky Survey colors of M31’s globular
clusters, 2011, ApJ2 , 737, 1, 5;
Peacock M.B., Zepf S.E., Maccarone T.J., Kundu A.
http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0004-637X/737/1/5
The ultraviolet colour of globular clusters in M31: a core density effect?, 2011, MNRAS1 , 411, 1,
487-494;
Peacock M.B., Maccarone T.J., Dieball, A., Knigge, C.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17691.x/abstract
On the reliability of proxies for globular cluster collision rates 2011, MNRAS1 , 415, 2, 1875-1882;
Maccarone T.J., Peacock M.B.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18831.x/abstract
2010
A systematic study of low mass X-ray binaries in the M31 globular cluster system, 2010, MNRAS1 ,
407, 4, 2611-2624;
Peacock M.B., Maccarone T.J., Kundu A., Zepf S.E.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17119.x/abstract
The M31 globular cluster system: ugriz and K-band photometry and structural parameters, 2010,
MNRAS1 , 402, 2, 803-818;
Peacock M.B., Maccarone T.J., Knigge C., Kundu A., Waters C.Z., Zepf S.E., Zurek D.R.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15952.x/abstract
2009
Wide Field CAMera survey of M31 globular clusters: low mass X-ray binaries, 2009, MNRAS1 ,
392, 1, L55-L59;
Peacock M.B., Maccarone T.J., Waters C.Z., Kundu A., Zepf S.E., Knigge C., Zurek D.R.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-3933.2008.00588.x/abstract
1 MNRAS:
2 ApJ:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
The Astrophysical Journal