Christopher Britt Email & Phone Number

Baltimore, Maryland Area

Using real data from space telescopes to bring cutting edge science to new and underserved audiences.

Multi-wavelength and spectroscopic studies of radio-selected Black Hole Candidates in globular clusters with Prof. Jay Strader and optical follow-up of Fermi Gamma-ray sources with Prof. Laura Chomiuk.

Lubbock, Texas Area

Multi-wavelength and spectroscopic study of X-ray sources identified in the Chandra Galactic Bulge Survey, including identifying new black hole and neutron star low mass X-ray binaries, establishing a relationship between the duty cycle and X-ray luminosity of dwarf novae, and identifying strange transients.

My primary work was optical follow up to new X-ray sources discovered by the Chandra Galactic Bulge Survey (GBS). The goal of the GBS is to perform a census of low luminosity X-ray sources in the Galaxy. Identifying the counterpart of X-ray sources in essential for determining the properties and class of the X-ray sources. My work with the GBS is focused on time domain photometry to identify the optical counterpart to the X-ray sources. Identifying these variables is important for spectroscopic follow up so that those observations can be sure to cover the variable star. Time domain photometry is also a convenient way to determine some properties of the object, such as orbital period and inclination angle. Constraining the inclination angle allows mass estimations from spectroscopic follow up. I have also used spectroscopic data in addition to photometry to classify sources of interest. I have written successful proposals for telescope time to do this follow up work and to secure funding. I have published results for selected sources, with the bulk of the photometry work soon to be submitted. I have also presented my findings through talks at international conferences.The second project I worked on was echomapping the persistent X-ray source Scorpius X-1, in which I used simultaneous X-ray and optical photometry to infer the geometry of the system. Scorpius X-1 is a binary system with a neutron star primary accreting material from its companion. As material falls onto the neutron star, it emits X-rays. These X-rays strike material in the accretion disk or the companion star and are reprocessed into optical light. By observing the time delay between changes in X-ray and optical light, I drew conclusions about the reprocessing regions in the binary.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Astrophysics

Bachelor'S Degree, Physics