Adrian Melott
Encyclopedia
Adrian Lewis Melott is an American physicist. He is one of the pioneers of using large-scale computing to investigate the formation of large-scale structure in a Universe dominated by dark matter. He later turned his attention to an area he calls “astrobiophysics”, examining a variety of ways that external events in our galaxy may have influenced the course of life on Earth, including analysis of gamma-ray burst events.
, his early scientific interest was in physical chemistry, but later changed to study physics. An avid outdoorsman, he maintains an interest in the eastern forest ecosystem and purchased land in the area.
He became active in the antiwar and educational movements of the 60’s, and was drawn into the Unitarian ministry. He attended Starr King School for the Ministry
in Berkeley, California and was minister in Tampa, Florida for 7 years. During this time he continued his interest in physics. In 1977 he entered the physics program at the University of Texas at Austin
where he met and quickly decided to work with noted cosmologist Dennis Sciama. He was among one of three groups who had initiated the numerical simulation of the formation of structure in a Universe dominated by dark matter.
He received his Ph.D. in 1981, and followed with postdoctoral work with Arthur Michael Wolfe
at Pittsburgh, with the Zeldovich group in Moscow, and as Enrico Fermi Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago. In 1986 he joined the faculty of the University of Kansas
, where he has been ever since.
In 1998-2001, he was active in the “controversy” surrounding evolution in the public school curriculum in Kansas.
He is married to Gillian, and has two adopted sons, Christopher and Jesse.
focused on the formation of what has come to be called the “cosmic web” from Zeldovich pancakes. In 1983, before the existence of such structure was generally accepted, he and collaborators predicted its existence in a Universe dominated by Cold Dark Matter
. Later in the 80’s, he worked with J. Richard Gott on the topology of large-scale structure, then with Sergei Shandarin on the merging of hierarchical clustering models with the Zel’dovich pancake picture as a description of large-scale structure.
Beginning in 2003, he made an abrupt transition into a new area which began by examining the effects the radiation from a gamma-ray burst would have upon the Earth, and attempting to draw a connection with past mass extinction events. This has branched out into examination of comet impacts, solar flares, and other phenomenae. He showed that a 63 million-year oscillation in fossil biodiversity cuts across a variety of data sets and has found clues to its cause, which, however, is still an unsolved problem.
Melott is a member of the American Astronomical Society
and the Paleontological Society
. He was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society
“For groundbreaking studies of the origin and evolution of cosmic structure” in 1996, and received its Joseph Burton Forum award for his educational work in 2003. In 2007, he was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “For distinguished contributions to cosmological large-scale structure, for organizing public support for teaching evolution, and for interdisciplinary research on astrophysical impacts on the biosphere.”
Life
Born in Moundsville, West VirginiaMoundsville, West Virginia
Moundsville is a city in Marshall County, West Virginia, along the Ohio River. It is part of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,998 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Marshall County. The city was named for the Grave Creek Mound. Moundsville was settled in...
, his early scientific interest was in physical chemistry, but later changed to study physics. An avid outdoorsman, he maintains an interest in the eastern forest ecosystem and purchased land in the area.
He became active in the antiwar and educational movements of the 60’s, and was drawn into the Unitarian ministry. He attended Starr King School for the Ministry
Starr King School for the Ministry
Starr King School for the Ministry is a Unitarian Universalist seminary in Berkeley, California and part of the Graduate Theological Union. Starr King School opened in 1904 as the Pacific Unitarian School for the Ministry...
in Berkeley, California and was minister in Tampa, Florida for 7 years. During this time he continued his interest in physics. In 1977 he entered the physics program at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
where he met and quickly decided to work with noted cosmologist Dennis Sciama. He was among one of three groups who had initiated the numerical simulation of the formation of structure in a Universe dominated by dark matter.
He received his Ph.D. in 1981, and followed with postdoctoral work with Arthur Michael Wolfe
Arthur Michael Wolfe
Arthur Michael Wolfe is an American astrophysicist, professor and the former Director of the Center for Astrophysics & Space Sciences at the University of California, San Diego. Together with Rainer Kurt Sachs, he authored the Sachs-Wolfe effect.-External links:*...
at Pittsburgh, with the Zeldovich group in Moscow, and as Enrico Fermi Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago. In 1986 he joined the faculty of the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, where he has been ever since.
In 1998-2001, he was active in the “controversy” surrounding evolution in the public school curriculum in Kansas.
He is married to Gillian, and has two adopted sons, Christopher and Jesse.
Research
His work in dark matterDark matter
In astronomy and cosmology, dark matter is matter that neither emits nor scatters light or other electromagnetic radiation, and so cannot be directly detected via optical or radio astronomy...
focused on the formation of what has come to be called the “cosmic web” from Zeldovich pancakes. In 1983, before the existence of such structure was generally accepted, he and collaborators predicted its existence in a Universe dominated by Cold Dark Matter
Cold Dark Matter
Cold Dark Matter is a remixed, reedited CD version of the Psychic TV album Themes, originally included with WEA/Some Bizzare 12" vinyl release of Force The Hand Of Chance.-Credits:Produced, Composed, Mixed and Edited by Genesis P-Orridge....
. Later in the 80’s, he worked with J. Richard Gott on the topology of large-scale structure, then with Sergei Shandarin on the merging of hierarchical clustering models with the Zel’dovich pancake picture as a description of large-scale structure.
Beginning in 2003, he made an abrupt transition into a new area which began by examining the effects the radiation from a gamma-ray burst would have upon the Earth, and attempting to draw a connection with past mass extinction events. This has branched out into examination of comet impacts, solar flares, and other phenomenae. He showed that a 63 million-year oscillation in fossil biodiversity cuts across a variety of data sets and has found clues to its cause, which, however, is still an unsolved problem.
Melott is a member of the American Astronomical Society
American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC...
and the Paleontological Society
Paleontological Society
The Paleontological Society, formally the Paleontological Society of America, is an international organisation devoted to the promotion of paleontology. The Society was founded in 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland and was incorporated in April 1968 in the District of Columbia...
. He was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
“For groundbreaking studies of the origin and evolution of cosmic structure” in 1996, and received its Joseph Burton Forum award for his educational work in 2003. In 2007, he was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “For distinguished contributions to cosmological large-scale structure, for organizing public support for teaching evolution, and for interdisciplinary research on astrophysical impacts on the biosphere.”