Solar and Stellar Physics, Magnetohydrodynamics, Stellar Surface Structure, Extra-Solar Planets, Stellar Habitable Zones and Astrobiology, Observational Programs, Future NASA Missions
Solar and stellar physics, extra-solar terrestrial planets, stellar habitable zones and astrobiology
Web Link The astrophysics group is performing research that plays an essential role in understanding the observed activity of our Sun and different stars, the existence of Earth-like planets at distant stars, and the evolution and fate of the Universe. Specific topics of current studies are: Theoretical studies of stellar activity in late-type stars CHANDRA and HST observations of solar-type stars and magnetic white dwarfs Extra-solar terrestrial planets, stellar habitable zones and astrobiology (press release: Planets) ApJ paper: zipped ps or pdf The origin of dark energy and dark matter
Research Interests
Solar and Stellar Physics Extra-Solar Planets and Habitable Zones Astrobiology Observational Programs Future NASA Missions
Eberle, J., Cuntz, M., and Musielak, Z. E. 2008, "The Instability Transition for the Restricted 3-Body Problem. I. Theoretical Approach", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 489, 1329 Category: Orbital Stability
2007
Schrรถder, K.-P. and Cuntz, M. 2007, "A Critical Test of Empirical Mass Loss Formulas Applied to Individual Giants and Supergiants", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 465, 593 Category: Mass Loss and Winds
2007
Cuntz, M., Rammacher, W., and Musielak, Z. E. 2007, "Acoustic Heating of the Solar Chromosphere: Present Indeed and Locally Dominant", Astrophysical Journal Letters, 657, L57 Category: Solar Chromosphere
2007
Williams, P. E., Hathaway, D. H., and Cuntz, M. 2007, "Solar Rossby Wave 'Hills' Identified as Supergranules", Astrophysical Journal Letters, 662, L135 Category: Solar Photosphere
2007
Cuntz, M., Eberle, J., and Musielak, Z. E. 2007, "Stringent Criteria for Stable and Unstable Planetary Orbits in Stellar Binary Systems", Astrophysical Journal Letters, 669, L105 Category: Orbital Stability
Appointments
Duration
Rank
Department / School
College / Office
University / Company
present
Associate Professor
Physics
College of Science
University of Texas at Arlington
2001-2006
Assistant Professor
Physics
College of Science
University of Texas at Arlington
2000-2001
Visiting Professor
Physics
College of Science
University of Texas at Arlington
1999-2000
Adjunct Associate Professor
Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research
University of Alabama in Huntsville
1996-1999
Senior Research Associate
Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research
University of Alabama in Huntsville
1994-1995
Habilitation Fellow
Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics
College of Mathematics and Science
University of Heidelberg
1992-1994
Postdoctoral Research Associate
High Altitude Observatory
National Center for Atmospheric Research
1992-1993
Visiting Scientist
Utrecht Branch
Space Research Organization of the Netherlands
1989-1991
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics
University of Colorado
News Articles
Nov. 14, 2005 - Information McDonald Observatory: "Searching for Spotted Stars"
08 - 2009 "Biological Damage due to Photospheric, Chromospheric and Flare Radiation in the Environments of F, G, K, and M-type Main-Sequence Stars"
27th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union, Symposium 264, Solar and Stellar Variability - Impact on Earth and Planets, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
10 - 2007 "Astrophysical Effects of F, G, K and M Main-Sequence Stars"
249th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union on Exoplanets: Detection, Formation and Dynamics, hosted by Soochow University, Suzhou, China
10 - 2007 "First Observation of Planet-Induced X-ray Emission: The System HD 179949"
249th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union on Exoplanets: Detection, Formation and Dynamics, hosted by Soochow University, Suzhou, China
05 - 2007 "Extra-Solar Planets"
26th Annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC), Dallas, Texas
06 - 2005 "Solar Coronal Plumes: Theoretical Concepts and Results"
2nd Annual Meeting of the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS), Singapore
05 - 2004 "Stellar Activity Enhancements by Planets: Results and Perspectives"
COROT Workshop Close-In Exoplanets: The Star-Planet Connection, Paris-Orsay, France
07 - 2003 "Stellar Activity Enhancements by Planets: Theory"
25th General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union, Symposium 219, Stars as Suns: Activity, Evolution and Planets, Sydney, Australia
09 - 2002 "Tidal Interaction and Magnetic Interaction between Giant Planets and their Host Stars"
189th Colloquium of the International Astronomical Union on Astrophysical Tides: Effects in the Solar and Exoplanetary Systems, Purple Mountain Observatory, Academia Sinica, Nanjing, China
05 - 2002 "Chromospheres, Flares and Exoplanets"
1st Potsdam Thinkshop on Sunspots and Starspots, Astrophysical Institute Potsdam (AIP), Potsdam, Germany
10 - 1999 "Understanding the Role of Binarity on Mass Loss and Atmospheric Structure in Detached Systems: E.g., Stars with Close-In Giant Planets"
Topical Discussion Session at the 11th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun, Tenerife, Spain
09 - 1998 "Two-Component Chromosphere Models: Observations Versus Simulations"
Meeting on Solar and Stellar Activity: Similarities and Differences (dedicated to Brendan Byrne), hosted by Armagh Observatory, Armagh, Northern Ireland
10 - 1995 "Chromospheric Heating in Late-Type Stars: Evidence for Magnetic and Nonmagnetic Surface Structure"
176th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union on Stellar Surface Structure, Vienna, Austria
10 - 1993 "Stochastic Processes and the Origin of Stellar Winds"
Conference on Cosmic Winds and the Heliosphere, hosted by University of Tucson, Tucson, Arizona
02 - 1992 "Chromospheric Heating in Cool Stars"
Workshop on The Physics of Chromospheres, Coronae, and Winds, hosted by Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, England
7th Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun, hosted by National Solar Observatory of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson, Arizona
02 - 1991 "Stellar Wind Flows in M-Type Supergiants Produced by Stochastic Shock Waves"
Colloquium on Instabilities in Evolved Super- and Hypergiants, hosted by The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
06 - 1990 "What Can Observations of Giants and Supergiant Stars Tell us about Chromospheric and Coronal Heating?"
Conference on Mechanisms of Chromospheric and Coronal Heating, Heidelberg, Germany
06 - 1986 "Acoustic Wave Driven Mass Loss in Late-Type Giant Stars"
Symposium 122 of the International Astronomical Union, Circumstellar Matter, Heidelberg, Germany
Not Listed:
50+ Colloquia given at Universities and Research Institutions mostly located in the U.S., Canada, and Germany
Referee Service
Journals:
Astronomical Notes Astronomy & Astrophysics Astrobiology Astrophysical Journal Astrophysical Journal Letters International Journal of Astrobiology Planetary and Space Science Solar Physics
Conference Papers:
Cosmic Winds and the Heliosphere, University of Arizona Press Exoplanets: Detection, Formation & Dynamics, IAU Symposium 249 First Potsdam Thinkshop on Sunspots and Starspots, Astronomical Notes Planetary Radio Emissions VI, Austrian Academic Press Stellar Surface Structure, IAU Symposium 176
Books:
An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics by B.W. Carroll & D.A. Ostlie (2nd Ed.), Addison-Wesley, San Francisco Astrobiology by J. Lunine, Addison-Wesley, San Francisco Astronomy Today by E. Chaisson & S. McMillan (5th Ed.), Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River Horizons: Exploring the Universe by M.A. Seeds (8th Ed.), Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning, Pacific Grove Life in the Universe by J. Bennett & S. Shostak (2nd Ed.), Addison-Wesley, San Francisco The Cosmic Perspective by J. Bennett et al. (4th Ed.), Addison-Wesley, San Francisco The Essential Cosmic Perspective by J. Bennett et al. (3rd Ed.), Addison-Wesley, San Francisco
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)
Additional Information
Other Professional Activities
2008-present Principal Investigator on the development of the UTA Planetarium Show "Magnificent Sun" 2008 Publication of PRACTICAL UNIVERSE: OBSERVATIONS, EXPERIMENTS, EXERCISES (together with Nilakshi Veerabathina and Levent Gurdemir), Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company 2007-2009 Principal Investigator on the development of the UTA Planetarium Show "Unseen Universe: The Vision of SOFIA" 2007 News Article in Nature on Research Results in Astrobiology that discuss the first (possibly) habitable planet (the super-Earth Gliese 581d) outside the Solar System. This result was also featured by the NEW YORK TIMES. 2006-2007 Principal Investigator on the development of the UTA Planetarium Show "Cosmic CSI: Looking for Life in the Universe" 2004-present Stellar Imager (SI) Science Advisory Team 2004-present NASA Peer Review Panels 2004 News Article in Science, Astrobiology Magazine and NASA News on planet-induced stellar activity observed by E. Shkolnik, Univ. of British Columbia, and previously predicted by Cuntz, Saar, and Musielak (2000). This result was also featured by CNN, USA TODAY, NEW YORK TIMES and DER SPIEGEL. 2003 News Article in Nature on Research Results in Astrobiology that discuss the possibility of a habitable Earth-type planet around 47 UMa. 2002 Research Enhancement Program, College of Science, UTA 1999-2000 Member of the MAXIM Working Group, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center 1999 Co-Organizer of a Topical Discussion Session at the 11th Cool Star Workshop, Tenerife/Canary Islands, Spain 1997-2000 Member of the Huntsville Solar Group, University of Alabama in Huntsville and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center 1995 Habilitation, University of Heidelberg, Germany 1992-1994 Advanced Study Program, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Awards
2006-2007 Outstanding Teaching Award, College of Science, UTA 2001-2002 Outstanding Research Award, College of Science, UTA
Important Disclaimer: The responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained on these pages lies with the authors and user providing such information.
Faculty Profile
Arlington, TX 76019 
Mail Box: 19059, Chemistry and Physics Building, Room No.: 330 
817-272-2467 
