David Jeffery: Instructor Information and Preliminary Schedule: 2025: Spring / Summer / Fall:

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About me?

I got my Ph.D. in 1988 from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada---and since then have been seeing the world with research/teaching positions at University of Oklahoma, Harvard University, University of Barcelona, Vanderbilt University, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Northern Arizona University, and numerous other places. At University of Nevada, Las Vegas, I originally came as a visiting assistant professor in 1998--1999 and 2003--2004, and have been a teaching faculty 2012--present. See my vita for the whole saga.

As to research interests, I'm an astrophysicist specializing in supernovae (SNe) and radiative transfer. SNe are giant explosions of stars which for a few days or weeks can be brighter than whole galaxies. We observe hundreds of SNe per year nowadays, but mostly in remote galaxies and none in the Milky Way since 1604. SNe are, in fact, key ingredients in the evolution of the observable universe and in cosmology. One key feature is that SNe create most of the heavy elements from which rocky planets and life are formed. Another key feature is that they are used to study the expansion history of the observable universe. My second specialization, radiative transfer, is the process by which light propagates through media. We have to understand radiative transfer to understand everything we see in the observable universe.

You-all should just call me David. It's mandatory.

It's tough, but sooner or later you have to call your elders by their first names. So altogether now 1, 2, 3: "David".

My Preliminary Schedule is below. Some changes might have to be made.

Note: During office hours (OH), I am usually able to respond to email or voicemail fairly quickly. I am also usually available to see students in person (with good safety practices enforced) during office hours, but you should make an appointment if you want to see me for sure since I could be out of the office for a few mintues or on an errand if you just stop by. I am also usually able to respond to emails in the evenings and on weekends fairly quickly.

  1. Date & Time: Date & Time.
  2. OH is office hours.
  3. OH Lab are the office hours for the Ast105: intro astro labs. They are held in my office Bigelow Physics Building (BPB) 244.
  4. Lab is when I am teaching Ast105: intro astro labs myself. I will be in the lab room BPB 248/249/250 (probably 7:00--7:30 pm), unless I need to be on the roof setting up telescopes.
  5. Coffee is the astro coffee meeting of the astronomers---but there is, in fact, no coffee often.
  6. Lunch is when I am probably out to lunch.
  7. Colloquium is the usual weekly physics colloquium.
  8. Journal is the journal club meeting of the astronomers.
  9. Ast103: Introductory Astronomy: Planetary Systems: In BPB 102 / BPB 106. See my online Intro Astro Lectures (IAL) for the course lectures. See the physics department description of Ast103.
  10. Ast104: Introductory Astronomy: Stars & Cosmology: In BPB 102 / BPB 106. See my online Intro Astro Lectures (IAL) for the course lectures. See the physics department description of Ast104.
  11. Ast105: Introductory Astronomy Laboratory: The labs run MTWR at 7:30--10:20 pm in BPB 248/249/250. See the physics department description of Ast105.
  12. See MyUNLV search for classes for official details of astronomy classes with course subject ast for astronomy.
  13. Ast727: Cosmology: See also Ast727: Departmental course description.
  14. Ast729: Galaxies: See Physiscs & Astronomy graduate courses.
  15. Ast734: Relativity and Gravitation: Yours truly may be sitting in on this course.
  16. Phy195: Undergraduate intro physics course.
  17. Phy493: Undergraduate research course Phy493 course.

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