Brief Bio
Tod was born and raised in New York (Long Island to be precise), where during his formative years he developed a keen interest in science and hockey, but not necessarily in that order. In 1985 he graduated with a degree in Physics (BS) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and then moved West to the University of Rochester (NY) to do graduate work in astrophysics. Under the supervision of Hugh van Horn his PhD, "On Observing Neutron Star Oscillations", was completed in 1991. After that he continued to drift westward, landing at Los Alamos National Lab, where he worked with Ed Fenimore on coded mask imaging, gamma-ray bursts and assorted neutron star physics. He came back East to Goddard in Summer 1994 to work on the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) Proportional Counter Array (PCA) science team led by Jean Swank. He carries out a diverse research program focused primarily on the physics of compact stellar remnants, and tries to play a game of soccer now and again.
Research Interests
Physics of Compact Stellar Remnants
Tod's research focuses on the physics of compact stellar remnants: neutron stars, black holes and white dwarfs. Specific areas of study include, X-ray Binaries; Neutron Stars; Black Holes; Compact White Dwarf Binaries; Soft Gamma Repeaters; Gamma-Ray Bursts.
Current Projects
Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX (GEMS)
GEMS will carry out the first sensitive survey of the X-ray polarization properties of many classes of X-ray sources, including accreting black holes, neutron stars, pulsars and AGN. Tod is a GEMS co-Investigator and a member of the science team. He is primarily working on data analysis and interpretation for GEMS.
Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE)
Tod is the current Project Scientist for RXTE. The mission recently completed 16 years of science operations and is now in its close-out phase.
NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer)
Tod is a co-Investigator of NICER and member of the NICER Science Team.
Positions/Employment
Education
- 1992 - PhD (physics), "On Observing Neutron Star Oscillations", University of Rochester (NY), Rochester, NY
- 1988 - MA physics, University of Rochester (NY), Rochester, NY
- 1985 - BS Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Professional Societies
Awards
- 2006 Bruno Rossi Prize in High Energy Astrophysics, American Astronomical Society
- For X-ray studies that revealed the millisecond spin periods of accreting neutron stars.
- 2006 NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal
- For development of probes of fundamental physics using X-ray studies of compact stars.
- 2005 NASA/GSFC Space Science Achievement Award
- Awarded for X-ray studies to probe the structure of matter at extreme densities.
- 2002 NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal
- Awarded for X-ray Timing studies of Black Holes.
- 2001 NASA/GSFC Honor Award
- Awarded for the discovery of 450 Hz QPO in black hole transient and microquasar GRO J1655-40, and its implications for black hole spin.
- 2000 NASA/GSFC John C. Lindsay Memorial Award
- Awarded for the discovery of the spin periods of bursting neutron stars and new methods to study the masses and radii of neutron stars.
- 1997 USRA High Energy Astrophysics Program Excellence in Research Award
- Awarded for recent studies of X-ray bursts with RXTE
Publications
HEINKE, C. O., D. ALTAMIRANO, H. N. COHN, P. M. LUGGER, S. A. BUDAC, M. SERVILLAT, M. LINARES, T. E. STROHMAYER, C. B. MARKWARDT, R. WIJNANDS, J. H. SWANK, C. KNIGGE, C. BAILYN, and J. E. GRINDLAY. 2010. Discovery of a Second Transient Low-Mass X-ray Binary in the Globular Cluster Ngc 6440. The Astrophysical Journal. 714 894. [10.1088/0004-637X/714/1/894]
ALTAMIRANO, D., A. PATRUNO, C. O. HEINKE, C. MARKWARDT, T. E. STROHMAYER, M. LINARES, R. WIJNANDS, M. VAN DER KLIS, and J. H. SWANK. 2010. Discovery of a 20589 Hz Accreting Millisecond X-ray Pulsar in the Globular Cluster NGC 6440. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 712 L58. [10.1088/2041-8205/712/1/L58]
ALTAMIRANO, D., A. WATTS, M. LINARES, C. B. MARKWARDT, T. STROHMAYER, and A. PATRUNO. 2010. Type I X-ray bursts and burst oscillations in the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J17511?3057. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 409 1136. [10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17369.x]
MARKWARDT, C. B., and T. E. STROHMAYER. 2010. Discovery of Eclipses from the Accreting Millisecond X-ray Pulsar SWIFT J17494-2807. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 717 L149. [10.1088/2041-8205/717/2/L149]
KUULKERS, E., J. J. IN'T ZAND, J. ATTEIA, A. M. LEVINE, S. BRANDT, D. A. SMITH, M. LINARES, M. FALANGA, C. SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ, C. B. MARKWARDT, T. E. STROHMAYER, A. CUMMING, and M. SUZUKI. 2010. What ignites on the neutron star of 4U 0614+091?. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 514 65. [10.1051/0004-6361/200913210]
MILLER, J. M., A. D'AÌ, M. W. BAUTZ, S. BHATTACHARYYA, D. N. BURROWS, E. M. CACKETT, A. C. FABIAN, M. J. FREYBERG, F. HABERL, J. KENNEA, M. A. NOWAK, R. C. REIS, T. E. STROHMAYER, and M. TSUJIMOTO. 2010. On Relativistic Disk Spectroscopy in Compact Objects with X-ray CCD Cameras. The Astrophysical Journal. 724 1441. [10.1088/0004-637X/724/2/1441]
CACKETT, E. M., J. M. MILLER, D. R. BALLANTYNE, D. BARRET, S. BHATTACHARYYA, M. BOUTELIER, M. C. MILLER, T. E. STROHMAYER, and R. WIJNANDS. 2010. Relativistic Lines and Reflection from the Inner Accretion Disks Around Neutron Stars. The Astrophysical Journal. 720 205. [10.1088/0004-637X/720/1/205]
STROHMAYER, T. E., and R. F. MUSHOTZKY. 2009. Evidence for an Intermediate-mass Black Hole in NGC 5408 X-1. The Astrophysical Journal. 703 1386. [10.1088/0004-637X/703/2/1386]
STROHMAYER, T. E. 2008. High-Resolution X-Ray Spectroscopy of RX J08063+1527 with Chandra. The Astrophysical Journal. 679 L109. [10.1086/589439]
STROHMAYER, T. E., C. B. MARKWARDT, and E. KUULKERS. 2008. Discovery of the Spin Frequency of 4U 0614+09 with the Swift Burst Alert Telescope. The Astrophysical Journal. 672 L37. [10.1086/526546]
STROHMAYER, T. E., R. F. MUSHOTZKY, L. WINTER, R. SORIA, P. UTTLEY, and M. CROPPER. 2007. Quasi-periodic Variability in NGC 5408 X-1. The Astrophysical Journal. 660 580. [10.1086/512723]
STROHMAYER, T. E., and A. L. WATTS. 2006. The 2004 Hyperflare from SGR 1806-20: Further Evidence for Global Torsional Vibrations. The Astrophysical Journal. 653 593. [10.1086/508703]
Brief Bio
Tod was born and raised in New York (Long Island to be precise), where during his formative years he developed a keen interest in science and hockey, but not necessarily in that order. In 1985 he graduated with a degree in Physics (BS) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and then moved West to the University of Rochester (NY) to do graduate work in astrophysics. Under the supervision of Hugh van Horn his PhD, "On Observing Neutron Star Oscillations", was completed in 1991. After that he continued to drift westward, landing at Los Alamos National Lab, where he worked with Ed Fenimore on coded mask imaging, gamma-ray bursts and assorted neutron star physics. He came back East to Goddard in Summer 1994 to work on the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) Proportional Counter Array (PCA) science team led by Jean Swank. He carries out a diverse research program focused primarily on the physics of compact stellar remnants, and tries to play a game of soccer now and again.
ALTAMIRANO, D., A. PATRUNO, C. O. HEINKE, C. MARKWARDT, T. E. STROHMAYER, M. LINARES, R. WIJNANDS, M. VAN DER KLIS, and J. H. SWANK. 2010. Discovery of a 20589 Hz Accreting Millisecond X-ray Pulsar in the Globular Cluster NGC 6440. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 712 L58. [10.1088/2041-8205/712/1/L58]
ALTAMIRANO, D., A. WATTS, M. LINARES, C. B. MARKWARDT, T. STROHMAYER, and A. PATRUNO. 2010. Type I X-ray bursts and burst oscillations in the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J17511?3057. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 409 1136. [10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17369.x]
MARKWARDT, C. B., and T. E. STROHMAYER. 2010. Discovery of Eclipses from the Accreting Millisecond X-ray Pulsar SWIFT J17494-2807. The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 717 L149. [10.1088/2041-8205/717/2/L149]
KUULKERS, E., J. J. IN'T ZAND, J. ATTEIA, A. M. LEVINE, S. BRANDT, D. A. SMITH, M. LINARES, M. FALANGA, C. SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ, C. B. MARKWARDT, T. E. STROHMAYER, A. CUMMING, and M. SUZUKI. 2010. What ignites on the neutron star of 4U 0614+091?. Astronomy and Astrophysics. 514 65. [10.1051/0004-6361/200913210]
MILLER, J. M., A. D'AÌ, M. W. BAUTZ, S. BHATTACHARYYA, D. N. BURROWS, E. M. CACKETT, A. C. FABIAN, M. J. FREYBERG, F. HABERL, J. KENNEA, M. A. NOWAK, R. C. REIS, T. E. STROHMAYER, and M. TSUJIMOTO. 2010. On Relativistic Disk Spectroscopy in Compact Objects with X-ray CCD Cameras. The Astrophysical Journal. 724 1441. [10.1088/0004-637X/724/2/1441]
CACKETT, E. M., J. M. MILLER, D. R. BALLANTYNE, D. BARRET, S. BHATTACHARYYA, M. BOUTELIER, M. C. MILLER, T. E. STROHMAYER, and R. WIJNANDS. 2010. Relativistic Lines and Reflection from the Inner Accretion Disks Around Neutron Stars. The Astrophysical Journal. 720 205. [10.1088/0004-637X/720/1/205]
STROHMAYER, T. E., and R. F. MUSHOTZKY. 2009. Evidence for an Intermediate-mass Black Hole in NGC 5408 X-1. The Astrophysical Journal. 703 1386. [10.1088/0004-637X/703/2/1386]
STROHMAYER, T. E. 2008. High-Resolution X-Ray Spectroscopy of RX J08063+1527 with Chandra. The Astrophysical Journal. 679 L109. [10.1086/589439]
STROHMAYER, T. E., C. B. MARKWARDT, and E. KUULKERS. 2008. Discovery of the Spin Frequency of 4U 0614+09 with the Swift Burst Alert Telescope. The Astrophysical Journal. 672 L37. [10.1086/526546]
STROHMAYER, T. E., R. F. MUSHOTZKY, L. WINTER, R. SORIA, P. UTTLEY, and M. CROPPER. 2007. Quasi-periodic Variability in NGC 5408 X-1. The Astrophysical Journal. 660 580. [10.1086/512723]
STROHMAYER, T. E., and A. L. WATTS. 2006. The 2004 Hyperflare from SGR 1806-20: Further Evidence for Global Torsional Vibrations. The Astrophysical Journal. 653 593. [10.1086/508703]
