Adrian L. Melott


Adrian Melott
  • Professor Emeritus
  • Physics & Astronomy

Contact Info

Call Me:
Malott Hall, room 4073
1251 Wescoe Hall Dr.
Lawrence, KS 66045

Biography

2017-present: Emeritus Professor, Physics & Astronomy, University of Kansas;

1994-2017: Professor, Physics & Astronomy, University of Kansas 

1990-1994: Associate Professor, Physics & Astronomy, University of Kansas

1986-1990: Assistant Professor, Physics & Astronomy, University of Kansas 

1983-1986: Enrico Fermi Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Chicago

1984: Visiting Researcher, Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of California at Santa Barbara

1983: IAU Visiting Astronomer, Oxford University

1983: IREX Fellow, Moscow State University

1982: Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Pittsburgh

Education

PhD in Physics, University of Texas, 1981

Research

Research interests:

  • Computational Physical Cosmology
  • Astrobiophysics

Selected Publications

1. From cosmic explosions to terrestrial fires? (A.L. Melott and B.C. Thomas) Journal of Geology, 127, 475-481. DOI: link to publication (2019)

2. Muon Radiation Dose and Marine Megafaunal Extinction at the end-Pliocene Supernova. (A.L. Melott, F. Marinho, and L. Paulucci) Astrobiology 19, 825-830 (2019). DOI: link to publication

3a. ​Extraordinary biomass-burning episode and impact winter triggered by the Younger Dryas cosmic impact ~12,800 years ago; Part 1: Ice cores and glaciers (Wendy S. Wolbach, Joanne P. Ballard, Paul A. Mayewski, Victor Adedeji, Ted E. Bunch, Richard B. Firestone, Timothy A. French, George A. Howard, Isabel Israde-Alcántara, John R Johnson, David Kimbel, Charles R. Kinzie, Andrei Kurbatov, Gunther K. Kletetschka, Malcolm A. LeCompte, William C. Mahaney, Adrian L. Melott, Abigail Maiorana-Boutilier, Siddhartha Mitra, Christopher R. Moore, William M. Napier, Jennifer Parlier, Kenneth B.Tankersley, Brian C. Thomas , James H. Wittke, Allen West, James P. Kennett) Journal of Geology 126, 165-184 (2018) link to publication

3b. Extraordinary biomass-burning episode and impact winter triggered by the Younger Dryas cosmic impact ~12,800 years ago; Part 2: Lake, marine, and terrestrial sediments (Wendy S. Wolbach, Joanne P. Ballard, Paul A. Mayewski, Andrew C. Parnell, Niamh Cahill, Victor Adedeji, Ted E. Bunch, Gabriela Domínguez-Vázquez, Jon M. Erlandson, Richard B. Firestone, Timothy A. French, George Howard, Isabel Israde-Alcántara, John R. Johnson, David Kimbel, Charles R. Kinzie, Andrei Kurbatov, Günther K. Kletetschka, Malcolm A. LeCompte, William C. Mahaney, Adrian L. Melott, Siddhartha Mitra, Abigail Maiorana-Boutilier, Christopher R. Moore, William M. Napier, Jennifer Parlier, Kenneth B.Tankersley, Brian C. Thomas , James H. Wittke, Allen West, James P. Kennett) Journal of Geology 126, 185-205 (2018) link to publication

4. Terrestrial effects of moderately nearby supernovae. (A.L. Melott and B.C. Thomas). Lethaia 51, 325-329 (2018) link to publication

5. Periodicity in the extinction rate and possible astronomical causes. (A.L. Melott and R.K. Bambach) Palaeontology 60: 911–920 (2017) DOI: link to publication

6. A Supernova at 50 Pc:  Effects on the Earth’s Atmosphere and Biota (A.L Melott, B. C. Thomas, M. Kachelrieß, D.V. Semikoz, and A. C. Overholt) Astrophysical Journal, 840, 105 (2017) link to publication

7. Does the Planetary Dynamo Go Cycling On? Re-examining the Evidence for Cycles in Magnetic Reversal Rate. (A.L. Melott, A. Pivarunas, J.G. Meert, and B.S. Lieberman). International Journal of Astrobiology 17, 44-50 (2018) link to publication

8. A possible role for stochastic astrophysical ionizing radiation events in the systematic disparity between molecular and fossil dates (A.L. Melott) Astrobiology 17, 87-90 (2017). doi: link to publication

9. Supernovae in the Neighbourhood. (A. L. Melott) Nature 532, 40-41 (2016).

10. The Topology of Large Scale Structure in the Universe (A.L.Melott) Physics Reports 193, 1 (1990)

Awards & Honors

2007 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

2003: Outstanding Educator Award, Pi Delta Kappa Education Fraternity

2002: Distinguished Alumni Achievment Award, Bethany College

2002: Joseph A.Burton Forum Award, American Physical Society

2001: Steeples Award for Service to the Citizens of Kansas, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

1996:Fellow of the American Physical Society 

Member: American Physical Society and The Paleontological Society.