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Department of Physics
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Physics Faculty
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Printable Version |
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Dr. Manfred Cuntz
Associate Professor of Physics
Co-Director of Astronomy
PhD, University of Heidelberg, Germany
Research Interests: Solar
and Stellar Physics, Space Plasma Physics,
Magnetohydrodynamics, Stellar Surface Structure,
Extra-Solar Planets, Stellar Habitable Zones and
Astrobiology, Observational Programs, Future
NASA Missions
Research Group:
Astrophysics
Email:
cuntz@uta.edu
Location: Room 330 CPB
Phone: 817-272-2467
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Research
1. Solar and Stellar Physics
2. Extra-Solar Planets and Habitable Zones
3. Astrobiology
4. Observational Programs
5. Future NASA Missions
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Teaching
I have several years of teaching experience in Physics and Astronomy both
at the graduate and undergraduate level. I started my
teaching career in 1995 at the University of Heidelberg,
Germany. There I had been awarded the Habilitation, a
degree beyond the Ph.D. within the German academic
system. The Habilitation includes a teaching certificate
for Physics and Astronomy that is recognized in Germany
as well as several other European countries. Thereafter,
I gained teaching experience at the University of
Alabama in Huntsville where I taught various classes in
mathematical methods and astrophysics to graduate
students of science and engineering. Here at UTA I often
teach very large classes of Introductory Astronomy I and
II, as well as other classes including Astrophysics and
Introductory Physics. In Fall 2003, I started to teach a
class in Astrobiology, which is offered within a 3
semester cycle, and is cross-listed between the
Department of Physics, Department of Biology, and
Department of Geology. This class has an
interdisciplinary focus, as it discusses the possibility
of life in the Universe considering new findings from
terrestrial microbiology as well as stellar and
planetary astrophysics, including results from former
and ongoing NASA missions. I also taught graduate
courses, especially Mathematical Methods. I am
furthermore very interested in public outreach programs,
science education, and contributions to the new UTA
planetarium.
My philosophy of teaching is quite simple: I would like to inspire
students and transfer knowledge at the same time! I
would like to make students comfortable asking question
and making the "classroom experience" fun, fun, fun. I
like to use hands-on examples and also incorporate
knowledge the students already possess in the teaching
endeavor. I like to take away math anxiety in classes
offered to non-science majors, and always commit ample
time for helping students to prepare for tests and the
final. This is being done through question and answer
sessions, quizzes and practice tests. Last but not
least, I like to keep an open door for students with
questions and concerns to help them to be or to become
successful.
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Selected Recent Publications
"Basal Heating in Main-Sequence Stars and Giants:
Results from Monochromatic Acoustic Wave Models",
Buchholz, B., Ulmschneider, P., and Cuntz, M., Astrophys.
J., 494, 700-714 (1998)
"On Stellar Activity Enhancement due to Interactions
with Extrasolar Giant Planets", Cuntz, M., Saar, S. H.,
and Musielak, Z. E., Astrophys. J. Lett., 533, L151-L154
(2000)
"A Search for Ca II Emission Enhancement in Stars
resulting from Nearby Giant Planets", Saar, S. H. and
Cuntz, M., Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc., 325, 55-59
(2001)
"Orbital Stability of Terrestrial Planets inside the
Habitable Zones of Extrasolar Planetary Systems", Noble,
M., Musielak, Z. E., and Cuntz, M., Astrophys. J., 572,
1024-1030 (2002)
"Chromospheres, Flares and Exoplanets", Cuntz, M. and
Shkolnik, E., Astronomical Notes, 323, 387-391 (2002)
"On the Possibility of Earth-Type Habitable Planets
Around 47 UMa", Cuntz, M., von Bloh, W., Bounama, C.,
and Franck, S., Icarus, 162, 214-221 (2003)
"The Habitable Zone of Earth-Mass Planets Around 47 UMa:
Results for Land and Water Worlds", Franck, S., Cuntz,
M., von Bloh, W., and Bounama, C., Intern. J.
Astrobiology, 2, 35-39 (2003)
"Acoustic Heating Models for the Basal Flux Star Tau
Ceti Including Time-Dependent Ionization: Results for Ca
II and Mg II Emission", Rammacher, W. and Cuntz, M.,
Astrophys. J. Lett., 594, L51-L54 (2003)
"On the Possibility of Earth-Type Habitable Planets in
the 55 Cancri System", Von Bloh, W., Cuntz, M., Franck,
S., and Bounama, C., Astrobiology, 3, 681-688 (2003)
"Further Results of TiO-Band Observations of Starspots",
O'Neal, D., Neff, J. E., Saar, S. H., and Cuntz, M.,
Astron. J., 128, 1802-1811 (2004)
"Stability of Planetary Orbits in Binary Systems",
Musielak, Z. E., Cuntz, M., Marshall, E. A., and Stuit,
T. D., Astron. and Astrophys., 434, 355-364 (2005)
"Definition and Significance of Average Temperatures in
Time-Dependent Solar Chromosphere Models", Rammacher, W.
and Cuntz, M., Astron. and Astrophys., 438, 721-726
(2005)
"A New Version of Reimers' Law of Mass Loss Based on a
Physical Approach", Schröder, K.-P. and Cuntz, M.,
Astrophys. J. Lett., 630, L73 (2005)
"Supergranule Superrotation Identified as a Projection
Effect", Hathaway, D. H., Williams, P. E., and Cuntz,
M., Astrophys. J., 644, 598-602 (2006)
"Acoustic Heating of the Solar Chromosphere: Present
Indeed and Locally Dominant", Cuntz, M., Rammacher, W.,
and Musielak, Z. E., Astrophys. J. Lett., 657, L57-L60
(2007)
For complete list click
here
(Last Update: June 15, 2006)
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Other Professional Activities |
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2006-2007 |
Outstanding Teaching
Award, College of Science, UTA |
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2004-present
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2004-2006 |
NASA Peer Review Panels |
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2004
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2003
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News Article in
Nature on Research Results in
Astrobiology
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2002
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Research Enhancement
Program, College of Science, UTA
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2001-2002
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Outstanding Research
Award, College of Science, UTA
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1999-2000
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Member of the MAXIM
Working Group, NASA Marshall Space
Flight Center
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1999
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Co-Organizer of a
Topical Discussion Session at the
11th Cool Star Workshop,
Tenerife/Canary Islands, Spain
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1997-2000
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Member of the
Huntsville Solar Group, University
of Alabama in Huntsville and NASA
Marshall Space Flight Center
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1995
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1992-1994
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Advanced Study
Program, National Center for
Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
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News and Announcements
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Research Magazine UTA, Fall 2005 "The Science of
Space" |
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Information McDonald Observatory, Nov. 2005
"Searching for Spotted Stars" |
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| Press Releases |
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May 2, 2007 |
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Press Release UTA: SOFIA COMPLETES FIRST TEST
FLIGHT; FILMED FOR PLANETARIUM SHOW |
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March 26, 2007 |
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Press Release UTA: PLANETARIUM SHOW, "COSMIC CSI,"
SEARCHES UNIVERSE FOR LIFE |
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April 4, 2006 |
Press Release UTA: NASA Awards Grant for UT
Arlington Professor to Develop 'Starlight and
Life in the Cosmos'
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April 12, 2005 |
Press Release UTA: Orbital Stability of Planets
in Binary Systems
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Jan. 9, 2004 |
Press Release UTA: A Planet Heats its Star: A
Four-Year-Old Prediction Confirmed
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Jan. 7, 2004 |
Press Release Univ. of British Columbia,
Vancouver, BC: Planet Creates A Stellar Storm
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Aug. 15, 2003 |
Press Release UTA: Habitat in Space
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Aug. 12, 2003 |
Press Release Postdam Institute for Climate
Impact Research: Habitat im All (in German)
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Jan. 7, 2002 |
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Press Release UTA: Orbital Stability of
Earth-Like Planets in Stellar Habitable Zones |
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