Dr. Warren R. Brown 60 Garden St, MS-20 Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 496-7905 FAX: (617) 495-7467 [email protected] https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/~wbrown EMPLOYMENT Astrophysicist, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (2006 - present) Clay Fellow, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (2005 - 2006) CfA Fellow, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (2002 - 2005) EDUCATION Harvard University, Ph.D. Astronomy (2002) Harvard University, A.M. Astronomy (1998) University of Arizona, B.S. Astronomy summa cum laude (1995) PROFESSIONAL/HONORARY SOCIETIES American Physical Society American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics American Association for the Advancement of Science International Astronomical Union Phi Beta Kappa Phi Kappa Phi RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Hypervelocity Stars I am best known for the discovery of hypervelocity stars (HVSs), stars that travel with such extreme velocities that dynamical ejection by the Milky Way’s central massive black hole is their most likely origin. I designed and executed a targeted survey of B-type stars, stars that should not exist at faint magnitudes in the halo, and found 21 stars significantly unbound in radial velocity alone. In the past five years, I used proper motions from Hubble Space Telescope, and then from Gaia, to measure trajectories and determine the origin of unbound stars. In the coming years I will complete HVS Survey South, which should double our HVS sample, address the velocity distribution of HVSs, and determine the all-sky distribution of unbound stars for the first time. HVSs are important tracers of the Galaxy’s dark matter distribution: they integrate the gravitational potential as they travel out to 100 kpc distances. We will combine our all-sky HVS sample with Gaia end-of- mission proper motions to constrain the shape and orientation of the Milky Way’s dark matter distribution, independent of any other technique. Warren R. Brown 2 Gravitational Wave Binaries I am also known for the discovery of LISA verification binaries, double white dwarf (WD) binaries that are among the strongest known sources of mHz gravi- tational waves. In the past five years we completed the ELM Survey, a targeted survey of extremely low mass WDs, objects that are sign-posts for ultra-compact binaries. We discovered over half of all known detached WD binaries in the Milky Way: 98 binaries with orbital periods 0.0088 <P < 1.5 d. These discoveries have resulted in new WD evolutionary tracks, a new class of pulsating (He-core) WD, and a new understanding that He+CO WD binaries must undergo unstable mass transfer and merge to explain observed rates. In the coming years we will use Gaia to target the nearest and brightest low mass WDs to find new mHz GW binaries like J0651, a P = 765 s WD binary that has a gravitational wave strain 10,000× larger than the Hulse-Taylor pulsar. Our binaries will be among the best multi-messenger laboratories of the future, enabling physical tests, i.e. of orbital energy loss due to tidal dissipation, beyond what light or gravitational wave techniques can do alone. MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES Director, SAO OIR Telescope Data Center, 2009–now I manage a 5-person team that supports the scientific operation of the MMT, Magellan, and Whipple Observatories. The Telescope Data Center archives, pro- cesses, and distributes data, runs the CfA telescope proposal system, maintains software packages, develops new data reduction pipelines, and curates large cata- logs and public archives. Chair, SAO OIR Time Allocation committee, 2017–now My most time-intensive activity. The primary job is managing proposals and allocating time at the MMT, Magellan, and Whipple Observatories, but I also ad- vise users, maintain the TAC web pages, speak about our facilities, advocate for improvements, and oversee our service observers. INSTRUMENT ACTIVITIES PI, MMT Cam In 2012 I built the optical camera for the 6.5m MMT telescope. MMT Cam is integrated into the f/5 observing queue and is currently used by supernova and LIGO follow-up programs. Co-PI, MMT Magellan Infrared Spectrograph I assisted with the assembly, testing, and commissioning of the MMT Magellan Infrared Spectrograph, with major responsibilities for the HAWAII2 detector. PI, SAO Wide Field Infrared Camera (SWIRC) Funded in May 2003 and commissioned in June 2004, I put SAO’s first HAWAII- 2 infrared array on the MMT in 13 months. SWIRC was retired upon the arrival MMIRS in late 2015. Warren R. Brown 3 de-facto PI, FAST Spectrograph In 2002 I refurbished the workhorse FAST spectrograph on the Whipple 1.5m, improving throughput by 3×. I support its operations to this day: monitoring data quality, performing maintenance, and training new observers. GRANTS/CONTRACTS [last 10 yrs] co-PI 2019-22 $399,588 “WoU-MMA...Double White Dwarfs,” NSF grant AST-1906379. PI 2015 $74,492 “HectospecDataArchive,”SAOIR&D. PI 2015 $5,492 “MergingWhiteDwarfs,”SICompetitiveGrants for Science. Collab. 2013-17 $723,483 “The ELM Survey,” NSF Collaborative grant AST-1312678/AST-1312983. PI 2014 $138,900 “A High-Resolution Grating for Binospec Science,” SI Research Equip. PI 2013 $4,965 “HypervelocityStars.” SICompetitiveGrants Program for Science. PI 2012 $94,684 “ARapidImagingCameraforthef/5MMT.”SAOIR&D. PI 2012 $3,000 “TheTrueOriginofHypervelocityStars.” HST-GO-12503.06-A. PI 2011 $5,600 “HypervelocityStars.” SIScholarlyStudies. PI 2010 $19,400 “Hypervelocity Stars.” SI Endowment proposal. PI 2009 $9,200 “HypervelocityStars.” SIEndowmentproposal. ADVISORY COMMITTEES [last 10 yrs] 2017–now NASA LISA Science Study Team 2017–now Chair, CfA OIR Telescope Time Allocation committee 2016–now MMT Council 2015–now Smithsonian Congress of Scholars 2015 European Research Council external referee 2014 MMT Strategic Planning committee 2013 European Research Council external referee 2013 NASA Astrophysics Data Program review panel 2012 European Research Council external referee 2012 NASA Postdoctoral Program review panel 2011 NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program review panel 2010–now SAO Federal Scientist Appointments Committee 2010 SI Fellowship Policy committee 2009–14 CfA OIR Telescope Time Allocation committee 2009–10 Chair, CfA Fellowship Selection committee 2009 NASA Astrophysics Data Analysis Program review panel SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZING COMMITTEES [last 10 yrs] 2019 S.O.C co-chair “Stars on the Run II,” Potsdam. 2019 S.O.C. “9th Meeting on Hot Subdwarfs and Related Objects,” Hendaye. 2019 S.O.C. “MMT 40th Anniversary Symposium,” Tucson. 2018 S.O.C. “8th Meeting on Hot Subdwarfs and Related Objects,” Krakow. 2016 S.O.C. “Stars on the Run,” Bamberg. 2010 S.O.C. “2nd MMT Science Symposium,” Cambridge. Warren R. Brown 4 EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES OR OTHER PUBLIC OUTREACH [last 10 yrs] Popular Articles 2018 “The Fastest Stars,” Ken Croswell. Sky & Telescope. 2018 “Unbound and out: Boosted by black holes...” Stephen Ornes. Knowable magazine. 2018 “Near the Pit,” Camille Carlisle. Sky & Telescope. 2018 “Star Caught Fleeing In Another Galaxy,” Elizabeth Howell. Sky & Telescope. 2018 “Fast stars point to supernovae, black holes,” Josh Sokol. Science. 2017 “White Dwarfs to Merge into an Exotic Star,” Jana Smith. NSF Science 360 News. 2017 “The Need for Speed,” Bruce Dorminey. Astronomy [cover story]. 2016 “Hypervelocity stars a strange occurrence in nature,” Kenneth Hicks. Columbus Dispatch. 2016 “Hypervelocity Stars,” Warren Brown. Physics Today. 2015 “Hypervelocity Stars Wander Cosmos,” Marcus Woo. BBC Earth. 2015 “How Do Stars Go Rogue?”, Fraser Cain. YouTube. 2015 “Escape from the Milky Way,” Von Thorsten Dambeck. Spiegel Online. 2015 “Supernova hurls star out of the galaxy,” Christopher Crockett. Science News. 2014 “You’ve Heard of Shooting Stars, but This is Ridiculous,” Michael Lemonick. Time. 2014 “20 Facts You Never Knew About Space,” Nicky Jenner. BBC Sky at Night magazine. 2014 The Outcast Star, I. M. Tu., Impera Books. 2013 “Escape from the Milky Way,” Nathan Collins. Scientific American. 2012 “Stellar duo tests Einstein’s theory,” Research Highlight published in Nature, 489, 338. 2012 “White dwarf binary stars make merger plans,” John Matson. Scientific American. 2012 “Two dead stars provide low-tech way to test Einstein,” Michael Slezak. New Scientist. 2011 “Evolved stars locked in fatalistic dance,” Katherine McAlpine. Cosmos. 2011 “A Promising White-Dwarf Binary,” Raphael Rosen. Sky & Telescope. 2011 “Death Dance Stars Found”, Andrew Fazekas. National Geographic. 2011 “Ejected Stars,” 2010 Hubble Science Year in Review. 2011 “Empty Universe: Cosmology in the year 100 billion,” Marcus Chown. New Scientist. 2011 “Runaway Star’s Origin Discovered,” Katherine Bagley. Science Illustrated. 2010 “Star Struck,” Ken Croswell. National Geographic. 2010 “Hypervelocity Stars,” Dan Morrell. Harvard magazine. 2010 “A Runaway Star Tells a Long Story.” Alan MacRobert. Sky & Telescope. 2009 “What revved up the galaxy’s hyperfast stars?” Ray Jayawardhana. Astronomy. 2009 “Chasing Dark Matter,” Stephen Ornes. Discover. Television [last 10 yrs] Jan 16, 2018 How the Universe Works, Season 6, Episode 2, Discovery Channel. May 5, 2015 NASA’s Unexplained Files, Season 2, Episode 6, Science Channel. Summer 2014 “Extreme Stars,” The Cosmic Front, Japan Broadcasting Corp. Aug 18, 2010 “Death Stars,” The Universe, History Channel. INVITED TALKS [last 10 yrs] 2018 2nd COFI Workshop on Gravitational Waves, San Juan. Warren R. Brown 5 CfA Galaxies and Cosmology Seminar. Science with Precision Astrometry conference, Baltimore. 2017 University of Torino, physics colloquium. CfA Galaxies and