Brian Lee Rachford

Associate Professor and Program Coordinator

Brian.Rachford@erau.edu

Physics and Astronomy Department

Prescott College of Arts & Sciences

Areas of Expertise

Stellar pulsations, interstellar medium, variable stars

Brian Lee Rachford

Overview

Dr. Rachford teaches in the ​Physics and Astronomy Department.

Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy in Physics, University of Wyoming

2013-Present: Astronomy Program Chair

2006-2023: Director of Campus Observatory

1993-Present: Member, American Astronomical Society
2014 - College of Arts and Sciences Researcher of the Year

Teaching

  • ASTR 408: Astrophysics II
  • ASTR 222: Intermediate Astronomy
  • ASTR 180L: Intro Astronomy Laboratory

Research

  • “Properties of outer solar system pebbles during planetesimal formation from meteor observations,” Jenniskens, P., et al. 2024, Icarus, 423, id.116229

  • “Lifetime of cm-sized zodiacal dust from the physical and dynamical evolution of meteoroid streams,” Jenniskens, P., et al. 2024, Icarus, 415, id.116014

  • “The Apache Point Observatory Catalog of Optical Diffuse Interstellar Bands,” Fan, H., Hobbs, L. M., Dahlstrom, J. A., Welty, D. E., York, D. G., Rachford, B., Snow, T. P., Sonnentrucker, P., Baskes, N., Zhao, G., 2019, 878, 151

  • “The Behavior of Selected Diffuse Interstellar Bands with Molecular Fraction in Diffuse Atomic and Molecular Clouds,” Fan, H., Welty, D. E., York, D. G., Sonnentrucker, P., Dahlstrom, J. A., Baskes, N., Friedman, S. D., Hobbs, L. M., Jiang, Z., Rachford, B., Snow, T. P., Sherman, R., Zhao, G. 2017, ApJ, 850, 194

  • “Vibrationally Excited Molecular Hydrogen Near Herschel 36,” Rachford, B. L., Snow, T. P., Ross, T. L. 2014, ApJ, 786, 159