Rebecca A. Surman

 

Department of Physics and Astronomy                                                            Phone  518-388-6649 

Union College                                                                                                  Fax  518-388-6947

Schenectady, New York  12308                                                                       E-mail  surmanr@union.edu

 

Education

Ph.D., Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, July 1998

            Thesis:  Freezeout and Neutrinos in r-Process Nucleosynthesis; Advisor:  Jonathan Engel

M.S., Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, May 1995

B.A. Summa Cum Laude in Physics (minor in Mathematics), State University of New York College at

Geneseo, May 1993

           

Teaching Experience

Visiting Assistant Professor/Assistant Professor/Associate Professor, Union College, 1998-present

            Courses taught:            Freshman Seminar

                                                Introductory Astronomy

                                                The Solar System and History of Astronomy

Introductory physics (Matter in Motion/Electrodynamics)

                                                Integrated Mathematics/Physics

                                                Modern physics laboratory (Relativity, Quantum, and their Applications)

                                                Intermediate Classical Mechanics

                                                Nuclear/Elementary Particle Physics                            

Teaching Assistant, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UNC-Chapel Hill, 1995-8

            Courses taught:            Introductory physics laboratories and recitation

Honors physics laboratory (electronics)

Teaching Assistant, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, 1993-5

            Courses taught:            Modern physics laboratory

Introductory physics recitations

Teaching Assistant, Department of Physics and Astronomy, SUNY Geneseo, 1993

            Course taught:              Introductory physics laboratory

 

Research Experience

North Carolina State University, 2002-2003   

Union College, 1998-present

            Continuing theoretical/computational work on aspects of astrophysical heavy element synthesis

            Have worked with and funded undergraduate students in this line of research

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1995-8

            Thesis work in nuclear physics aspects of astrophysical heavy element synthesis

Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, North Carolina, 1997-8

            Project to experimentally measure (p,g) absolute resonance strengths for 27Al, 25Mg, and 26Mg

National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, Michigan State University, 1994

            Studied classical chaos and fractals as related to a Sinai billiard system

            Supervised and directed a high school student involved with this work

Argonne National Laboratory, 1992

Designed and tested the trigger electronics for the E-880 Internal Polarimeter of the

AGS at Brookhaven National Laboratory

Nuclear Structure Research Laboratory, University of Rochester, 1991

            Assisted with and analyzed data for a 12C fragmentation experiment

SUNY Geneseo Nuclear Research Laboratory, 1991-3

            Worked on most areas of this 2MV Van de Graaf laboratory

 

Publications

Element production in the Outflow from Black Hole Accretion Disks, R. Surman, G.C. McLaughlin,

and W.R. Hix, submitted to the Proceedings of Science as part of the conference proceedings for

Nuclei in the Cosmos IX, Geneva, Switzerland, June 2006.

Supernova Neutrinos: The Accretion Disk Scenario, G.C. McLaughlin and R. Surman,

arXiv:astro-ph/0605281

Nucleosynthesis in the Outflow from Gamma Ray Burst Accretion Disks, R. Surman, G. C.

McLaughlin, and W. R. Hix, The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 643, 2006, p.1057-1064.

Fission cycling in supernova nucleosynthesis: Active-sterile neutrino oscillations, J. Beun, G.C.

McLaughlin, R. Surman, and W.R. Hix, Physical Review D, Vol. 73, 2006, id. 093007.

Neutrino Scattering, Absorption and Annihilation above the accretion disks of Gamma Ray Bursts, J. P.

Kneller, G. C. McLaughlin, and R. Surman, Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics,

Vol. 32, 2006, p. 443-462.

Prospects for obtaining an r process from Gamma Ray Burst Disk Winds, G.C. McLaughlin and R.

Surman, Nuclear Physics A, Vol. 758, 2005, p.189-196.

Neutrino Interactions in the Outflow from Gamma-Ray Burst Accretion Disks, R. Surman and G. C.

McLaughlin, The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 618, 2005, p. 397-402.

On the Contribution of Gamma-Ray Bursts to the Galactic Inventory of Some Intermediate Mass

Nuclei, Jason Pruet, Rebecca Surman, and Gail C. McLaughlin, The Astrophysical Journal, Vol.

602, 2004, L101-104.

Neutrinos and Nucleosynthesis in Gamma-Ray Burst Accretion Disks, Rebecca Surman and Gail C.

McLaughlin, The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 603, 2004, p.611-623.

Neutron-capture rates in the r process: which nuclei are most important to measure? , J. Engel and R.

Surman, Challenges of Nuclear Structure – Proceedings of the 7th International Spring Seminar

on Nuclear Physics, 2002, 559-566.

Changes in r-process abundances in late times, R. Surman and J. Engel, Physical Review C, Vol. 64,

2001, article number 035801.

Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering and r-Process Nucleosynthesis, R. Surman, New York State Astronomy

(proceedings of the 1999 Astronomical Society of New York Spring meeting).

Beta-decay from closed-neutron-shell r-process waiting point nuclei, J. Engel, M. Bender, J.

Dobaczewski, W. Nazarewicz, R. Surman, Physical Review C, Vol. 60, 1999, article #014302.

Low energy resonance strengths for proton capture of Mg and Al nuclei, D.C. Powell, C. Iliadis, A.E. 

Champagne, S. Hale, V. Hansper, R.A. Surman, K.D. Veal, Nuclear Physics A Vol. 644, 1998, p. 263-276.

Neutrino capture by r-process waiting-point nuclei, Rebecca Surman and Jonathan Engel, Physical

Review C, Vol. 58, 1998, p. 2526-2530.

Source of the rare-earth element peak in r-process nucleosynthesis, Rebecca Surman, Jonathan Engel,

Jonathan Bennett, and Bradley S. Meyer, Physical Review Letters, Vol. 79, 1997, p. 1809-1812.

 

Conference and Invited Talks

Neutrinos and Nucleosynthesis in Gamma-Ray Bursts, Nuclei in the Cosmos IX, CERN, Geneva,

Switzerland, June 2006

Nucleosynthesis from Black Hole Accretion Disks, Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics Program: The

Supernova Gamma-Ray Burst Connection, University of California Santa Barbara, March 2006

The Ashes of Gamma-Ray Bursts, Conference Experience for Undergraduates Seminar, American

Physical Society Division of Nuclear Physics Fall Meeting, Maui, Hawaii, September 2005

Neutrinos and Nucleosynthesis in Supernovae and Gamma-Ray Bursts, Institute of Nuclear Theory

Program 05-2a - Underground Science, University of Washington, July 2005

Nucleosynthesis in Gamma-Ray Bursts, Invited talk, American Physical Society April Meeting, Tampa,

FL, April 2005

Neutrinos and Nucleosynthesis in Gamma-Ray Burst Accretion Disks and Outflows, The Supernova-

Gamma Ray Burst Connection workshop, Institute of Nuclear Theory, University of Washington,

July 2004

Supernovae and the Dynamical r Process, Nuclear and Particle Physics seminar at the Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institute, November 1999

Neutrinos and the Formation of Heavy Elements, invited talk at the Astronomical Society of New York

Spring Meeting, April 1999.

Implementation of Zap! – Hands-on, Take-home Experiments in Electricity and Magnetism,

Southeastern Section of the APS Fall Meeting, Vanderbilt University, November 1997

Neutrino Interactions from Neutron-Rich Nuclei, American Physical Society Division of Nuclear

Physics Fall Meeting, Whistler, B.C., October 1997

Formation of Rare-Earth Nuclei in r-Process Nucleosynthesis, Southeastern Section of the APS Fall

Meeting, Decatur, GA, November 1996

 

Fellowships, Grants, and Honors

Department of Energy Office of Science, Single P.I. Grant, 2005-2007

            DE-FG02-05ER41398 Neutrinos and Nucleosynthesis in Gamma-Ray Bursts, $55,000

Research Corporation Cottrell College Science Award, 2004-2006

            CC5994 Heavy element synthesis in outflows from gamma-ray burst accretion disks, $20,948

Internal Education Foundation Grant, Union College, 2001

Funded a trip to the Rochester Symposium for Physics Students,

where three Union physics majors gave presentations on their research at Union

NSF-AIRE Grant, 2000

Funded the Solar Arc Project, a collaborative effort with Schenectady High School

to build a pipe dome used to teach and measure the motions of the Sun and sky

Faculty Research Fund Grant, Union College, 1999

            Funded a Union student assisting with my summer research

Internal Education Foundation Grant, Union College, 1999

            Used to purchase a classroom demonstration cloud chamber

Physics Department Teaching Assistant Award, UNC-Chapel Hill, 1997

Outstanding Teaching Assistant, American Association of Physics Teachers, 1997

Board of Governors Fellowship for Science and Technology, UNC-Chapel Hill, 1995-8

College of Natural Science Recruitment Fellowship, Michigan State University, 1993-4

Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society

 

College Service Activities

Center II junior representative, Faculty Review Board, James Adrian, Chair, 2003-2004

Society of Physics Students/Sigma Pi Sigma National Physics Honor Society advisor

Department of Physics and Astronomy Search and Curriculum committees