Dr. Manfred Cuntz
Associate Professor of Physics
Co-Director of Astronomy
PhD, University of Heidelberg, Germany
Research Interests: Solar and Stellar 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
Research
- Solar and Stellar Physics
- Extra-Solar Planets and Habitable Zones
- Astrobiology
- Observational Programs
- Future NASA Missions
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.
Courses
Courses Taught
- PHYS 1441 General College Physics I
- PHYS 1442 General College Physics II
- PHYS 1445 Introductory Astronomy I
- PHYS 1446 Introductory Astronomy II
- PHYS 2315 Introductory Astrophysics
- PHYS 3315 Astrophysics and Cosmology
- PHYS 3316 Astrobiology
- PHYS 5312 Mathematical Methods II
- PHYS 5391 Astrophysics (graduate level)
- PHYS 5391 Astrobiology (graduate level)
Courses Developed
- PHYS 2315 Introductory Astrophysics
- PHYS 3316 Astrobiology
- PHYS 5391 Astrophysics (graduate level)
- PHYS 5391 Astrobiology (graduate level)
Selected Recent Publications
"The Great Oxidation of Earth's Atmosphere: Contesting the Yoyo Model via Transition Stability Analysis", Cuntz, M., Roy, D., and Musielak, Z. E., Astrophys. J. Lett., 706, L178-L182 (2009)
"A Method for the Treatment of Supergranulation Advection by Giant Cells", Williams, P. E. and Cuntz, M., Astron. and Astrophys., 505, 1265-1268 (2009)
"Habitability of Super-Earth Planets Around Other Suns: Models Including Red Giant Branch Evolution", Von Bloh, W., Cuntz, M., Schröder, K.-P., Bounama, C., and Franck, S., Astrobiology, 9, 593-602 (2009)
"On the Validity of the 'Hill Radius Criterion' for the Ejection of Planets from Stellar Habitable Zones", Cuntz, M. and Yeager, K. E., Astrophys. J. Lett., 697, L86-L90 (2009)
"The Instability Transition for the Restricted 3-Body Problem. I. Theoretical Approach", Eberle, J., Cuntz, M., and Musielak, Z. E., Astron. and Astrophys., 489, 1329-1335 (2008)
"The Habitability of Super-Earths in Gliese 581", von Bloh, W., Bounama, C., Cuntz, M., and Franck, S., Astron. and Astrophys., 476, 1365-1371 (2007)
"Stringent Criteria for Stable and Unstable Planetary Orbits in Stellar Binary Systems", Cuntz, M., Eberle, J., and Musielak, Z. E., Astrophys. J. Lett., 669, L105-L108 (2007)
"Solar Rossby Wave 'Hills' Identified as Supergranules", Williams, P. E., Hathaway, D. H., and Cuntz, M., Astrophys. J. Lett., 662, L135-L138 (2007)
"A Critical Test of Empirical Mass Loss Formulas Applied to Individual Giants and Supergiants", Schröder, K.-P. and Cuntz, M., Astron. and Astrophys., 465, 593-601 (2007)
"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)
"Supergranule Superrotation Identified as a Projection Effect", Hathaway, D. H., Williams, P. E., and Cuntz, M., Astrophys. J., 644, 598-602 (2006)
"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-L76 (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)
"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)
Previous Publications of Special Significance
"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)
"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)
"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)
"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)
"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)
"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)
For complete list click here (Last Update: October 20, 2008)
Memberships
International Astronomical Union (IAU)
Commission 36: Theory of Stellar Atmospheres
Commission 51: Bioastronomy: Search for Extraterrestrial Life
American Astronomical Society (AAS)
New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS)
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
German Astronomical Society (AstrG)
German Physical Society (DPG)
Research Magazine UTA, Fall 2005 "The Science of Space"
Information McDonald Observatory, Nov. 2005 "Searching for Spotted Stars"
Press Releases