Education
B.S., Physics, University of Tokyo, 1996
Ph.D., Physics, Princeton University, 2001
Research Interests 
Nagamine's main research interests are in galaxy formation, structure formation, and cosmology. He utilizes large scale cosmological hydrodynamic simulations that are performed using supercomputers to study the Universe. He compares the results of his simulations with actual astronomical observations by space & ground-based telescopes. He also works on photoionization and radiative transfer processes.
LARGE SCALE STRUCTURE OF THE UNIVERSE
The current leading theory of structure formation is based on the cold dark matter (CDM) model in a universe dominated by dark energy. The picture shows the projected mass density of dark matter (comoving 143 Mpc on a side). The complex distribution of dark matter and baryons can be studied by performing cosmological hydrodynamic simulations such as this one, and compared with the distribution of galaxies in the sky and the observations of Lyman-α forest.
GALAXY FORMATION AND EVOLUTION
One of the goals of modern cosmological study is to understand the full history of galaxy formation and evolution. When and where did first galaxies form? Did all galaxies assemble their present-day mass hierarchically? What is the nature of massive EROs (extremely red objects)? How do black holes affect galaxy formation? What are the star formation histories of spheroids and disks? Do we understand different colors and morphology of various galaxies? These are the questions that Nagamine is trying to answer. By performing ab initio cosmological hydro simulations, one can study galaxy formation and evolution in a self-consistent manner.
DAMPED LYMAN-α ABSORBERS & COSMIC STAR FORMATION
Damped Lyman-α Absorber (DLA) is a class of quasar absorption system, and it is an excellent probe of high-redshift galaxy formation and cosmic star formation history. They provide us with various information on the interstellar medium (ISM) in high-z galaxies, including mass, dynamics, and heavy element abundances. DLAs' mass density is comparable to the present-day stellar mass density, so they are considered to be important reservoirs of neutral gas for star formation. By studying DLAs, we learn about the physical properties of neutral gas that are about to turn into stars, and obtain information that is complementary to direct observation of stellar light. The picture shows the neutral hydrogen column density in a dark matter halo at z=3 in a cosmological smoothed particle hydrodynamic (SPH) simulation.
Prior to arriving at UNLV, Nagamine held post-doctoral positions at Harvard University and University of California, San Diego.
Research Group
Junhwan Choi (postdoc), Tae Song Lee, Robert Thompson (graduate students).
Teaching
Nagamine has taught the introductory astronomy course AST104 “Stars & Galaxies” in 2006 - 2008. In Spring 2008, he taught a graduate level course AST727 “Cosmology”.
OTHER ACTIVITIES: Ken has a third Dan in Kendo (a Japanese martial art), which he has practiced for over 10 yrs. He also enjoys various sports including tennis, ski, and going to the gym to do running/swimming/weights.
To find out more about Ken please visit his homepage
