David Gerdes's Home Page

David Gerdes

Photo credit: Jens Zorn	I am an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Michigan. My research field is observational cosmology, and focusses on the mystery of dark energy, the property of empty space that is causing the expansion rate of the universe to accelerate. Dark energy makes up approximately 70% of the energy density of the universe, yet we have few clues about its origin and nature. With colleagues at UM and elsewhere, I am participating in the Dark Energy Survey project, a 5000-square-degree optical survey of the southern sky using the 4-meter Blanco telescope at Cerro Tololo in Chile. With the data from this experiment, we hope to measure the acceleration of the universe over time in more detail, and possibly determine if the acceleration is due to Einstein's cosmological constant or some other mechanism. In the longer term, I hope to pursue this research through the space-based Joint Dark Energy Mission. Before becoming involved with dark energy research, I studied high-energy proton-antiproton collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron accelerator, and was a member of the team that discovered the top quark, the heaviest known elementary particle. I am the recipient of an NSF CAREER award, a Department of Energy Outstanding Junior Investigator award, an Excellence in Education award from the U of M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, the Provost's Teaching Innovation Prize, and the University Award for Undergraduate Teaching.
Links to further information about my professional activities: Research activities - Description of current research. Publications - Links to published papers and preprints. Teaching - Including links to course home pages. Biographical Sketch	How to reach me: Phone: (734) 647-3807 Fax: (734) 936-6529 Secretary: (734) 615-5811 Office location: 353 West Hall Summer-Fall '12 Office Hours: by appointment. E-mail: gerdes-AT-umich.edu Snail mail: Department of Physics, University of Michigan, 2477 Randall Laboratory, 450 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040 USA

Photo credit: Jens Zorn

I am an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Michigan. My research field is observational cosmology, and focusses on the mystery of dark energy, the property of empty space that is causing the expansion rate of the universe to accelerate. Dark energy makes up approximately 70% of the energy density of the universe, yet we have few clues about its origin and nature. With colleagues at UM and elsewhere, I am participating in the Dark Energy Survey project, a 5000-square-degree optical survey of the southern sky using the 4-meter Blanco telescope at Cerro Tololo in Chile. With the data from this experiment, we hope to measure the acceleration of the universe over time in more detail, and possibly determine if the acceleration is due to Einstein's cosmological constant or some other mechanism. In the longer term, I hope to pursue this research through the space-based Joint Dark Energy Mission. Before becoming involved with dark energy research, I studied high-energy proton-antiproton collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron accelerator, and was a member of the team that discovered the top quark, the heaviest known elementary particle. I am the recipient of an NSF CAREER award, a Department of Energy Outstanding Junior Investigator award, an Excellence in Education award from the U of M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, the Provost's Teaching Innovation Prize, and the University Award for Undergraduate Teaching.

Links to further information about my professional activities:

Research activities - Description of current research.

Publications - Links to published papers and preprints.

Teaching - Including links to course home pages.

Biographical Sketch

How to reach me:

Phone: (734) 647-3807
Fax: (734) 936-6529
Secretary: (734) 615-5811
Office location: 353 West Hall
Summer-Fall '12 Office Hours: by appointment.
E-mail: gerdes-AT-umich.edu
Snail mail: Department of Physics, University of Michigan, 2477 Randall Laboratory, 450 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1040 USA