LAURA PARKER BIO
Professor & University Scholar
Department of Physics & Astronomy
McMaster University
I joined the faculty at McMaster in 2007 after an ESO fellowship in Germany and PhD from the University of Waterloo (2005). Before that I attended Mount Allison University and Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific.
RESEARCH
GALAXY EVOLUTION
Our group investigates the role that environment plays in galaxy evolution. We study the observed properties of galaxies in the nearby universe and correlate them with properties of their environment, including the mass of the dark matter halo they reside in, their position within their halo, the dynamical state of their environment, as well as the properties of the hot gas that surrounds them, as traced by X-ray emission.
Our goal is to understand the physical mechanisms responsible for transforming galaxies in dense regions of the universe.
RECENT RESULTS
Quenching Low-mass Satellite Galaxies: Evidence for a Threshold ICM Density
Ian D. Roberts, Laura C. Parker, Toby Brown Gandhali D. Joshi, Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo, James Wadsley
The trajectories of galaxies in groups: mass-loss and preprocessing
Gandhali D. Joshi, Laura C. Parker, James Wadsley, Benjamin W. Keller
Red Misfits in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey: properties of star-forming red galaxies
Fraser A. Evans, Laura C. Parker, Ian D. Roberts
Ryan Chown, Cheng Li, E. Athanassoula, Niu Li, Christine D. Wilson,
Lin Lin, Houjun Mo, Laura C. Parker, Ting Xiao
THE PARKER GROUP
PostDoc:
Matías Bravo (Herschel Fellow)
PhD:
MSc:
Lauren Foster
Dylan Lazarus
Jing Yeung
Megan Oxland
Undergrad:
Kaitlyn Hessel
Ana Molina Colina
Nicolas Whalen
Grad Student Alumni:
Alex Lu (MSc)
Nick DeMarchi
Ryan Chown (PhD)
Ian Roberts (PhD)
Jacqueline Wightman (MSc)
Melanie Demers (MSc)
Gandhali Joshi (PhD)
Fraser Evans (MSc)
Ian Roberts (MSc)
Annie Hou (PhD)
Marie-Pier Neault (MSc)
Adam Royle (MSc)
Alana Krider
Robbie Henderson (MSc)
Blair Cardigan-Smith (MSc)
Rachel Anderson (MSc)
Jennifer Golding (MSc)
Annie Hou (MSc)
TEACHING
Survey course on the big questions in the physical sciences (astronomy, cosmology, quantum and nuclear physics) requiring no pre-requisite knowledge, and using no equations. Lectures are complemented with weekly tutorials.
ASTRONOMY 3X03 - GALAXIES AND COSMOLOGY
Third year astrophysics course that starts 'locally' with a look at the stars and interstellar medium of the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. We then move outwards and discuss the formation and evolution of galaxies and large scale structure, concluding the course with topics in observational and theoretical cosmology.
One term project-based course covering the basics of modern observational astronomy techniques. Students complete a series of projects in data analysis covering topics such as the fundamentals of image analysis, photometry, spectroscopy, and time series data.
GRADUATE COURSES
Intro Astro II (galaxies and cosmology), observational cosmology, and a new course in galaxy evolution.
GET IN TOUCH
ABB 350
Department of Physics and Astronomy
McMaster University
(905) 525 9140 x 27348