Brian Fields Center for Theoretical Astrophysics Associate Professor of Astronomy and of Physics  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

EMail: bdfields@illinois.edu Address, Phone, etc.

Curriculum Vitae

• in pdf format

Research

• Cosmology at Illinois
• Research Interests
• 15 Minutes of Fame
  • When Stars Attack! How to use radioactive sea sludge as a telescope, dredging up the smoking gun of a near-Earth supernova explosion
  • How to take a picture of the Earth's interior--and recover a full 3-D map of the Earth's structure--using neutrinos!
  • A reckoning of the state of cosmology today: our theories of the Universe at 1 second vindicated, shedding light on dark matter and dark energy
  • A pretty picture and a summary of what we think could be the closest supernova remnant, found in the constellation Antlia
• Publications
• Recent Talks

Teaching

Spring 2010:

Astronomy 596/496 PC: Physical Cosmology

Fall 2009:

Astronomy 596/496 NPA: Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics

Astronomy 596/496 APA: The Art and Practice of Astronomy

Spring 2008:

Astronomy 596/496 PC: Physical Cosmology

Fall 2007:

Astronomy 406: Galaxies and the Universe

Spring 2007:

Astronomy 210: General Astronomy

Fall 2006:

Astronomy 350: Introduction to Cosmology

Spring 2006:

Astronomy 596 PC: Physical Cosmology

Fall 2005:

Astronomy 406: Galaxies and the Universe

Astronomy 401: Scientific Writing for Astronomers

Spring 2005:

Astronomy 596/496 NPA: Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics

Fall 2004:

Astronomy 210: General Astronomy

Spring 2004:

Astronomy 496 NPA: Nuclear and Particle Astrophysics

Fall 2003:

Astronomy 306: Galaxies and the Universe

Astronomy 301: Scientific Writing for Astronomers

Summer II 2003:

Astronomy 396AFT Astronomy for Teachers

Service/Outreach

• Astronomy buffet for Drake Elementary School
• Site for teachers in the AIMS program by MSTE
• Astronomy Buffet for the space cowgirls and cowboys at Olympia North Elementary
• When Stars Attack! In Search of Killer Supernovae, talk at the Saturday Astrophysics Honors Program
• Links for the young Astronomers in the SummerMath program by MSTE; check out their cool presentations
• Physics in the Early Universe: Ingredients of the Primordial Soup, talk at the Saturday Astrophysics Honors Program
• A modified version of same, given as part of PHYCS 199B: Physics Careers, Oct. 29, 2002 (powerpoint file)
• Introduction to Cosmology, a talk for the Astronomy Club at Parkland College, with emphasis on the new WMAP results.

The Chain of Command

• UofI departments of Astronomy and Physics
• University of Illinois
• The Great State of Illinois

AstroLinks & Worldline

Astrophysics Data Service, the font of all bibliographies

Particle Data Group

Nuclear and Particle Astro links from Spring 2004

Physics and Astronomy at U of Minnesota

Notre Dame Astrophysics Group

l'Institut d'Astrophysique 

U of Chicago Physics, Astronomy & Astrophysics

Williams College

My Cyberself

The lyrics to one of Zimmy's best (and another and another)

How bout em!

All about the Man

Last but not least: how to keep a Cubs fan busy

Acknowledgments & Fine Print

The work of BDF was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation and by NASA. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of either agency, the University of Illinois, the Departments of Astronomy or Physics, or my collaborators, students, or pets.