Dr. J.J. Brainerd
Resume
I am an astrophysicist with broad experience in the physics of gamma-ray bursts, neutrons stars, black holes, and magnetic degenerate dwarfs. In my research I have developed theories for astronomical phenomena, I have developed computer codes that simulate the physics encountered in high-energy astrophysics, and I have analyzed data from high-energy observatories. My experience covers a broad range of physical processes, including the radiative transfer of optical, x-ray, and gamma-ray radiation, the effects of general relativity around compact stars, quantum electrodynamic processes in strong magnetic fields, and plasma physics at relativistic energies.
I received my B.S. in physics from the University of Notre Dame in 1979. I received a M.A. in astronomy from Harvard University in 1980, and a Ph.D. in astronomy from Harvard University in 1985.
I worked as a researcher at Stanford University, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
I am now the publisher, editor, and author of The Astrophysics Spectator, an online publication that presents to an educated public our current understanding of the universe and the current research efforts to deepen our understanding of astronomical phenomena. I currently live just outside of Nashville, Tennessee.