Ryan C. Hickox
I am an STFC Postdoctoral Fellow in the Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology Group in the Department of Physics at Durham University. My interests include active galactic nuclei, large-scale structure of the Universe, the cosmic X-ray background, and X-ray binary pulsars.
office: Rochester 321
phone: +44 191 334 3773
email: ryan.hickox (at) durham.ac.uk
black hole growth workshop at Durham
I am helping to organize a workshop at Durham University on What Drives the Growth of Black Holes? scheduled for 19-22 April 2010. An overview of the workshop, pre-registration information, and other details are available at the workshop website.
research and publications
surveys of active galactic nuclei
Much
of my research focuses on studying large populations of active
galactic nuclei (AGN) from the wide-field multiwavelength survey in
Boötes. We have detected large numbers of dust-obscured quasars
using the Spitzer Space Telescope, and measured the masses of
dark matter halos in which different classes of AGN reside.
- Hickox, R.C. et al. 2009, "Clustering of obscured
and unobscured quasars", in preparation
-
Assef, R.J.,
Kochanek, C.S., Ashby, M.L.N., Brodwin, M., Brown, M.J.I., Cool, R., Forman, W., Gonzalez, A.H., Hickox, R.C., Jannuzi, B.T., Jones, C., Le Floc'h, E., Moustakas, J., Murray, S.S., Stern, D., 2010, "The mid-IR and X-ray selected QSO luminosity function", ApJ submitted
(arXiv:1001.4529)
- Assef, R.J. , Kochanek, C.S. , Brodwin, M., Cool, R. , Forman, W.R., Gonzalez, A.H., Hickox, R.C., Jones, C., Le Floch, E., Moustakas, J., Murray, S.S., Stern, D., 2009, "Low resolution spectral templates for AGNs and galaxies from 0.03-30 microns", ApJ submitted
(arXiv:0909.3849)
- Brown, M.J.I., Moustakas, J., Caldwell, N., Palamara, D.,
Cool, R.J., Dey, A., Hickox, R.C., Jannuzi, B.T., Murray, S.S. &
Zaritsky, D., 2009, "Active galactic nuclei and the truncation of star
formation in
K+A galaxies", ApJ in press
(arXiv:0907.3185)
- Hickox, R.C. 2009, "Black holes through cosmic
time: Exploring the distant X-ray Universe with extragalactic
Chandra surveys", Chandra
Newsletter cover article, Winter 2009
(arXiv:0904.3543)
- Watson, C.R., Kochanek, C.S., Forman, W.R., Hickox,
R.C. et al. 2009, "The star formation and nuclear accretion
histories of normal galaxies in the AGES survey", ApJ, 696, 2206-2219 (arXiv:0903.2219)
- Hickox, R.C. et al. 2009, "Host galaxies,
clustering, Eddington ratios, and evolution of radio-, X-ray-, and
infrared-selected AGNs", ApJ, 696, 891-919 (arXiv:0901.4121)
- Hopkins, P.F., Hickox, R.C., Quataert, E. &
Hernquist, L. 2009, "Are most low-luminosity AGN really obscured?",
MNRAS, 398, 333-349 (arXiv:0901.2936)
- Hickox, R.C. et al. 2007, "A large population of mid-infrared
selected, obscured active galaxies in the Boötes field", ApJ,
671, 1365-1387 (arXiv:0708.3678)
cosmic X-ray background We have performed the absolute measurement of intensity of the cosmic X-ray background that has not been resolved into point sources by the extremely deep (1 and 2 million second exposure) Chandra Deep Fields. This can constrain a putative population of unresolved X-ray emitting galaxies, as well as put limits on diffuse emission such as the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) and decay of sterile neutrino dark matter.
- Hickox, R.C. & Markevitch, M. 2007, "Can
Chandra resolve the remaining cosmic X-ray background?", ApJ,
671, 1523-1531 (arXiv:0706.3089)
- Hickox, R.C. & Markevitch, M. 2007, "Resolving the
unresolved cosmic X-ray background in the Chandra Deep Fields",
ApJ, 661, 117L-121L (astro-ph/0702556)
- Abazajian, K.N., Markevitch, M., Koushiappas, S.M., & Hickox, R.C. 2007, "Limits on the radiative decay of sterile neutrino dark
matter from the unresolved cosmic and soft X-ray backgrounds",
Phys. Rev. D, 75, 063511
(astro-ph/0611144)
- Hickox, R.C. & Markevitch, M. 2006, "Absolute measurement
of the unresolved X-ray background in the 0.5-8 keV band with
Chandra", ApJ, 645, 95-114
(astro-ph/0512542)
X-ray pulsars I am interested in the structure and emission properties of accretion onto X-ray pulsars, especially in systems such as Her X-1, SMC X-1, and LMC X-4 that show evidence for warped, precessing accretion disks. In these systems, reprocessing of the pulsed hard X-ray beam by the inner edge of the disk can allow us to explore the geometry of accretion near the magnetosphere.
-
Hung, L.-W., Hickox, R.C., Boroson, B.S. & Vrtilek, S.D. 2009,
"Suzaku X-ray
spectra and pulse profile variations during the superorbital cycle of
LMC X-4", ApJ submitted
-
Hickox, R.C. & Vrtilek, S.D. 2005, "Pulse-phase spectroscopy of SMC
X-1 with Chandra and XMM-Newton: reprocessing by a precessing disk?", ApJ, 633,
1064-1075
(astro-ph/0506438)
-
Hickox, R.C., Narayan, R., & Kallman, T., 2004, "Origin of the soft
excess in X-ray pulsars", ApJ, 614, 881-896
(astro-ph/0407115)
-
Neilsen, J., Hickox, R.C., and Vrtilek, S.D., 2004, "Phase
variation in the pulse profile of SMC X-1", ApJ Letters, 616,
L135-L138
(astro-ph/0410495)
Full list of publications on ADS
and astro-ph,
full CV here
teaching and outreach
I am currently a Tutor for Level 2 undergraduates in the Department of Physics at Durham. Details on Level 2 tutorials are here. I am also a member of the Senior Common Room at St Chad's College.
As part of my STFC Fellowship, I am giving a series of public talks at schools and astronomical societies around the UK. If you are interested in having me come and speak, please be in touch.
I recently appeared on TV, on the Pulsars & Quasars episode of The Universe on the History Channel.
I visited African Leadership
Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, as an Expert-in-Residence
in astrophysics in March 2009.
I served as Resident Tutor in Physics at Dunster House at Harvard from 2003-2007.
I have been a
Teaching Fellow for four Harvard astronomy courses:
Science A-35 (Spring 2006), Astro 16 (Spring 2005), Science A-47
(Fall 2004) Astro 45 (Fall 2003), and received Cerificates of
Distinction in Teaching in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
I have also served as a Mentor for the SAO Summer Intern Program during
the summers of 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2009.
Before graduate school, I taught high school physics for two years as the inaugural Peter
Ling Fellow at Oundle
School in Northamptonshire, England, the largest coed boarding
school in the UK.
previous positions
I completed my Ph.D. at the Harvard
University Department of
Astronomy, and was an SAO Postdoctoral Fellow at the
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. I retain an affiliation with
SAO as a Research Associate.
personal
I enjoy playing music, skiing, rowing, the New England Patriots, and traveling with my wife Tammy.
contact
Ryan C. Hickox
Department of Physics
Durham University
South Road, Durham DH1 3LE
United Kingdom
ryan.hickox (at) durham.ac.uk
+44 191 334 3773
-
Hickox, R.C. & Vrtilek, S.D. 2005, "Pulse-phase spectroscopy of SMC
X-1 with Chandra and XMM-Newton: reprocessing by a precessing disk?", ApJ, 633,
1064-1075
(astro-ph/0506438)
-
Hickox, R.C., Narayan, R., & Kallman, T., 2004, "Origin of the soft
excess in X-ray pulsars", ApJ, 614, 881-896
(astro-ph/0407115)
-
Neilsen, J., Hickox, R.C., and Vrtilek, S.D., 2004, "Phase
variation in the pulse profile of SMC X-1", ApJ Letters, 616,
L135-L138
(astro-ph/0410495)
Full list of publications on ADS
and astro-ph,
full CV here
teaching and outreach
I am currently a Tutor for Level 2 undergraduates in the Department of Physics at Durham. Details on Level 2 tutorials are here. I am also a member of the Senior Common Room at St Chad's College.
As part of my STFC Fellowship, I am giving a series of public talks at schools and astronomical societies around the UK. If you are interested in having me come and speak, please be in touch.
I recently appeared on TV, on the Pulsars & Quasars episode of The Universe on the History Channel.
I visited African Leadership
Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, as an Expert-in-Residence
in astrophysics in March 2009.
I served as Resident Tutor in Physics at Dunster House at Harvard from 2003-2007.
I have been a
Teaching Fellow for four Harvard astronomy courses:
Science A-35 (Spring 2006), Astro 16 (Spring 2005), Science A-47
(Fall 2004) Astro 45 (Fall 2003), and received Cerificates of
Distinction in Teaching in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
I have also served as a Mentor for the SAO Summer Intern Program during
the summers of 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2009.
Before graduate school, I taught high school physics for two years as the inaugural Peter
Ling Fellow at Oundle
School in Northamptonshire, England, the largest coed boarding
school in the UK.
previous positions
I completed my Ph.D. at the Harvard
University Department of
Astronomy, and was an SAO Postdoctoral Fellow at the
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. I retain an affiliation with
SAO as a Research Associate.
personal
I enjoy playing music, skiing, rowing, the New England Patriots, and traveling with my wife Tammy.
contact
Ryan C. Hickox
Department of Physics
Durham University
South Road, Durham DH1 3LE
United Kingdom
ryan.hickox (at) durham.ac.uk
+44 191 334 3773
-
Hickox, R.C., Narayan, R., & Kallman, T., 2004, "Origin of the soft
excess in X-ray pulsars", ApJ, 614, 881-896
(astro-ph/0407115)
-
Neilsen, J., Hickox, R.C., and Vrtilek, S.D., 2004, "Phase
variation in the pulse profile of SMC X-1", ApJ Letters, 616,
L135-L138
(astro-ph/0410495)
Full list of publications on ADS
and astro-ph,
full CV here
teaching and outreach
I am currently a Tutor for Level 2 undergraduates in the Department of Physics at Durham. Details on Level 2 tutorials are here. I am also a member of the Senior Common Room at St Chad's College.As part of my STFC Fellowship, I am giving a series of public talks at schools and astronomical societies around the UK. If you are interested in having me come and speak, please be in touch.
I recently appeared on TV, on the Pulsars & Quasars episode of The Universe on the History Channel.
I visited African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, as an Expert-in-Residence in astrophysics in March 2009.
I served as Resident Tutor in Physics at Dunster House at Harvard from 2003-2007.
I have been a Teaching Fellow for four Harvard astronomy courses: Science A-35 (Spring 2006), Astro 16 (Spring 2005), Science A-47 (Fall 2004) Astro 45 (Fall 2003), and received Cerificates of Distinction in Teaching in 2004, 2005, and 2006.
I have also served as a Mentor for the SAO Summer Intern Program during the summers of 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2009.
Before graduate school, I taught high school physics for two years as the inaugural Peter Ling Fellow at Oundle School in Northamptonshire, England, the largest coed boarding school in the UK.
previous positions
I completed my Ph.D. at the Harvard University Department of Astronomy, and was an SAO Postdoctoral Fellow at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. I retain an affiliation with SAO as a Research Associate.
personal
I enjoy playing music, skiing, rowing, the New England Patriots, and traveling with my wife Tammy.
contact
Ryan C. Hickox
Department of Physics
Durham University
South Road, Durham DH1 3LE
United Kingdom
ryan.hickox (at) durham.ac.uk
+44 191 334 3773