Alice Eve Shapley is a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

) in the Department of

Physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which rel ...

and

Astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

.Alice Shapley
/ref> She was one of the discoverers of the

spiral galaxy Spiral galaxies form a class of galaxy originally described by Edwin Hubble in his 1936 work ''The Realm of the Nebulae''BX442 BX442 (Q2343-BX442) is a grand design spiral galaxy of type Sc. It has a companion dwarf galaxy. It is the most distant known grand design spiral galaxy in the universe, with a redshift of z=2.1765 ± 0.0001. Although commonly referred to as t ...

. Through her time at

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

(UCLA) she has taught Nature of the Universe, Black Holes and Cosmic Catastrophes, Cosmology: Our Changing Concepts of the Universe, Galaxies, Scientific Writing, AGNs, Galaxies, *and* Writing, and The Formation and Evolution of Galaxies and the IGM. Shapley has committed herself to over a two decades of research and publication in the interest of physics and astronomy.

Education

Shapley received an

A.B. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four ye ...

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

astrophysics Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the he ...

, and physics at Harvard and

Radcliffe Radcliffe or Radcliff may refer to: Places * Radcliffe Line, a border between India and Pakistan United Kingdom * Radcliffe, Greater Manchester ** Radcliffe Tower, the remains of a medieval manor house in the town ** Radcliffe tram stop * R ...

Colleges in 1997, and a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

in astronomy at the

California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...

in 2003. Her PhD was focused around the research of the "Astrophysical Properties of Lyman Break Galaxies".Alice Shapley
/ref>

Research Areas

Shapley's research areas are based on

galaxy A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar Sys ...

formation and evolution, the feedback processes in starburst galaxies, stellar populations at high

redshift In physics, a redshift is an increase in the wavelength, and corresponding decrease in the frequency and photon energy, of electromagnetic radiation (such as light). The opposite change, a decrease in wavelength and simultaneous increase in f ...

, and the evolution of the inter-galactic medium at high redshift. Through her research she has acquired over $5 million dollars in research funding.

Employment

Since 2013 Alice Shapley has held the position of department of physics and astronomy professor.Alice Shapley
/ref> From 2003 to 2005 while at the

University of California at Berkley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant ...

she was a Miller Postdoctoral Fellow.Alice Shapley
/ref> She has also held the position of Associate Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 2005 to 2008, as well as Assistant Professor in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences from 2008 to 2013.Alice Shapley
/ref> Alice Shapley went as far as to hold the position of Vice Chair for Astronomy and Astrophysics at

from 2018 to 2022. Shapley has also spent time teaching at Princeton in the areas of astronomy and physics.

Publications

Alice has been listed as a contributing author on 100 publications dating back to 2000. She is listed as the primary author in eight publications, including "The Direct Detection of Lyman-Continuum Emission from Star-forming Galaxies at z ~ 3”. Shapley can be found to either written or contributed to over 300 publications.

The Direct Detection of Lyman-Continuum Emission from Star-forming Galaxies at z ~ 3

spectroscopic Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter ...

observations of samples for z~ 3 star-forming galaxies showed uncharacteristically deep penetration into the Lyman continuum region. Ionizing radiation escaping from individual galaxies at high

red shift In physics, a redshift is an increase in the wavelength, and corresponding decrease in the frequency and photon energy, of electromagnetic radiation (such as light). The opposite change, a decrease in wavelength and simultaneous increase in fr ...

were detected, and the ratio of emergent flux density to Lyman continuum region was determined. The collected data for the average emergent flux density ratio contradicted the escape fraction previously implied from past publications. The team was able to confirm estimates of the level of the ionizing background from

galaxies A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...

and

quasars A quasar is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN). It is pronounced , and sometimes known as a quasi-stellar object, abbreviated QSO. This emission from a galaxy nucleus is powered by a supermassive black hole with a mass ranging ...

, but the emergent far-UV spectra could not be confirmed. To help solve this problem, the group suggests taking a sample of LBGs with deep Lyman continuum measurements that is an order of magnitude larger and covers a larger range of

luminosity Luminosity is an absolute measure of radiated electromagnetic power (light), the radiant power emitted by a light-emitting object over time. In astronomy, luminosity is the total amount of electromagnetic energy emitted per unit of time by a s ...

than what they gathered.

Testing metallicity indicators at z~1.4 with the gravitationally lensed galaxy CASSOWARY 20

The star-forming galaxy CASSOWARY 20 was studied in this publication. Temperature and density-sensitive emission lines were used to generate physical properties of the system, as well as a

chemical analysis Analytical chemistry studies and uses instruments and methods to separate, identify, and quantify matter. In practice, separation, identification or quantification may constitute the entire analysis or be combined with another method. Separati ...

of its atmosphere. The galaxy was found to have a surprisingly low carbon-to-oxygen ratio, suggesting it was quickly formed by a

chemical reaction A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that only involve the positions of electrons in the forming and break ...

. Emission lines and absorption features allowed the group to determine the

metallicity In astronomy, metallicity is the abundance of elements present in an object that are heavier than hydrogen and helium. Most of the normal physical matter in the Universe is either hydrogen or helium, and astronomers use the word ''"metals"'' as ...

of CASSOWARY 20 with a small level of uncertainty. Large-scale outflows of interstellar medium were similar to related data from galaxies with higher rates of star formation.

Physical Properties of Galaxies from z = 2-4

For this publication Shapley looks at a census of the methods used to find distant galaxies as well as the empirical constraints on their multi-wavelength luminosities and colors. She goes on to discuss what is already known about stellar content and past histories of star formation in high-redshift galaxies; their interstellar contents including dust, gas, and heavy elements; and their structural and dynamical properties. I conclude by considering some of the most pressing and open questions regarding the physics of high-redshift galaxies, which are to be addressed with future facilities. She concludes by looking at the unanswered mysteries of physics of high-redshift galaxies.

Awards and honors

* 1997, Leo Goldberg Prize, Harvard * 1997-1998, Virginia Gilloon Fellowship,

* 1998-2001, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship * 2006–2008, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship * 2006–2011, David and Lucile Packard Fellowship * 2009–2010, Member of "Galaxies Across Cosmic Time" Science Frontier Panel for Astro2010 Decadal Survey * 2010, McMaster Cosmology Lecture,

University of Toledo The University of Toledo (UToledo or UT) is a public research university in Toledo, Ohio. It is the northernmost campus of the University System of Ohio. The university also operates a Health Science campus, which includes the University of ...

* 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, UCLA Department of Physics and Astronomy Teaching Award * 2012, UCLA Department of Physics and Astronomy Teacher of the Year * 2014, Marc Aaronson Memorial Lecture,

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. ...

* 2016, Distinguished Women Scholar Series Lecturer, University of Victoria * 2018, Biermann Lecturer, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics * 2019, Kavli Lecturer, American Astronomical Society Meeting * 2019-2020, Nominated Participant, UCLA Faculty Leadership Academy * 2021, Elected Fellow of the American Physical Society * 2022, 132nd Faculty Research Lecturer, UCLA

Observing Experience

* Extensive experience in optical and near-infrared imaging and

spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter ...

* Palomar 200-inch telescope (

COSMIC Cosmic commonly refers to: * The cosmos, a concept of the universe Cosmic may also refer to: Media * ''Cosmic'' (album), an album by Bazzi * Afro/Cosmic music * "Cosmic", a song by Kylie Minogue from the album '' X'' * CosM.i.C, a member of ...

, LFC) *

Keck Observatory The W. M. Keck Observatory is an astronomical observatory with two telescopes at an elevation of 4,145 meters (13,600 ft) near the summit of Mauna Kea in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Both telescopes have aperture primary mirrors, and when comp ...

(LRIS, MOSFIRE, HIRES, ESI, NIRC, NIRSPEC, LMAP) *

Hubble Space Telescope The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most ver ...

(ACS, NICMOS. WFC3, WFPC2) * James Webb Telescope (NIRSpec) * Gemini-South Telescope (GNIRS) * Subaru Observatory (MOIRCS) *

Spitzer Space Telescope The Spitzer Space Telescope, formerly the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), was an infrared space telescope launched in 2003. Operations ended on 30 January 2020. Spitzer was the third space telescope dedicated to infrared astronomy, f ...

(IRAC) *

Kitt Peak National Observatory The Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) is a United States astronomical observatory located on Kitt Peak of the Quinlan Mountains in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert on the Tohono Oʼodham Nation, west-southwest of Tucson, Arizona. With more than ...

(NEWFIRM)

References

External links

* * (Lecture ''Traveling Back in Time to the Birth of Galaxies'' begins at 4:58 in video.) {{DEFAULTSORT:Shapley, Alice E Year of birth missing (living people) Living people University of California, Los Angeles faculty Place of birth missing (living people) Radcliffe College alumni California Institute of Technology alumni Fellows of the American Physical Society