Present PositionResearch Scientist, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)GLAST Science Support Center Brief Biography
Educational BackgroundPh.D. Physics, Harvard University, 1985M.A. Physics, Harvard University, 1980 B.S. Physics, MIT, 1979 Research InterestsMy primary area of research is gamma-ray bursts. As part of the BATSE team I focused on burst spectroscopy; I inadvertently introduced a simple parameterization of the burst continuum ('the Band function') that has been wildly successful in modeling spectra at the spectral resolution of most burst detectors. My colleagues and I also searched in vain for spectral lines. We were more successful in characterizing the spectral evolution.I have since become interested in the global properties of the burst population, and the ability of detectors to study these properties. In particular, I have been testing some of the proposed empirical relations between burst properties. I have developed methods to compare the burst detection capabilities of different detectors, and the consequences of these capabilities for the detected burst populations. This line of research is motivated in part by my involvement with Swift (a gamma-ray burst mission that was launched in 11/04), GLAST (a gamma-ray mission to be launched in 8/07) and EXIST (an Einstein Probe to be launched sometimes in the future). Finally, I am also interested in the jet-producing binary system SS 433, and in active galactic nuclei. Current ProjectsI am supported to develop the user support services within the GLAST Science Support Center. Therefore, many of my projects are related to GLAST. The following lists some of my projects:
Selected PublicationsBand, D. L. and Preece, R. D. 2005, "Testing the Gamma-Ray Burst Energy Relationships", Ap.J., 627, 319 [astro-ph/0501559].Band, D. L., Norris, J. P. and Bonnell, J. T. 2004, "Gamma-Ray Burst Intensity Distributions", Ap.J., 613, 484-491 [astro-ph/0403220]. Band, D. 2003, "Comparison of the Gamma-Ray Burst Sensitivity of Different Detectors", Ap.J., 588, 945 [astro-ph/0212452]. Band, D. 2002, "A Gamma-Ray Burst Trigger Toolkit", Ap.J., 578, 806 [astro-ph/0205548]. Band, D. 2001, "The Energy Distribution of Gamma-Ray Bursts", Ap.J., 563, 582 [astro-ph/0105259], LA-UR-01-2584. Ford, L. A., Band, D. L., Matteson, J. L., et al. 1995, "BATSE Observations of Gamma-Ray Burst Spectra: II. Peak Energy Evolution in Bright, Long Bursts", Ap.J., 439, 307 [astro-ph/9407090]. Band, D., Matteson, J., Schaefer, B., et al. 1993, "BATSE Observations of Gamma-Ray Burst Spectra: I. Spectral Diversity", Ap.J., 413, 281-292. My full publication list is posted elsewhere.
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