Christopher McKee
Encyclopedia
Christopher Fulton McKee (born 1942) is an astrophysicist.
McKee obtained a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley
(UCB) in 1970 under advisor George B. Field
. In 1974, he was appointed Professor
of Physics
and Astronomy
, University of California at Berkeley. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences
and has been chair of the UCB Physics Department. He is a former member (1990) and chairman (2000) of the NASA
Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey
Committee (the "decade review") and former Director of the Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at UCB.
McKee performed the first simulations of relativistic counter-streaming plasmas as part of his Ph.D. thesis at Berkeley (1970). He began his study of the interstellar medium
by pointing out the existence of reverse shocks in young supernova remnant
s, and he then analyzed the interaction of a supernova
blast wave
with interstellar clouds. Since joining the Physics and Astronomy Departments in Berkeley in 1974, he has devoted much of his research to studying processes in the interstellar medium, including evaporation of clouds, the structure of shock wave
s in atomic and molecular gas, and the dynamics of blast waves in both homogeneous and inhomogeous media. In collaboration with Jeremiah Ostriker
(Princeton University), he developed the three-phase model of the interstellar medium, which has been widely used to organize and interpret observational data.
His research on quasars has included development of the relativistic blast wave model for variability, introduction of reverberation mapping
to analyze variable emission line profiles, the two-phase model for quasar emission line regions, and the development of the theory of coronae and winds from accretion disks.
He has developed a self-regulated model for the structure and evolution of molecular cloud
s, and for the rate of star formation
within these clouds.
He established the Berkeley Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics Group with Richard Klein to develop the technique of adaptive mesh refinement
for numerical simulations of astrophysical fluid dynamics
.
In his three decades as a professor at UCB, he has advised many graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows.
McKee obtained a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
(UCB) in 1970 under advisor George B. Field
George B. Field
George B. Field is an American astrophysicist.- Education and career :Field became interested in astronomy at an early age, but at the urging of his father he studied chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Disliking engineering, he later switched to astrophysics...
. In 1974, he was appointed Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, University of California at Berkeley. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
and has been chair of the UCB Physics Department. He is a former member (1990) and chairman (2000) of the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey
Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey
The Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey is a review of astronomy and astrophysics literature produced approximately every ten years by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States. The report surveys the current state of the field, identifies research...
Committee (the "decade review") and former Director of the Space Sciences Laboratory (SSL) at UCB.
McKee performed the first simulations of relativistic counter-streaming plasmas as part of his Ph.D. thesis at Berkeley (1970). He began his study of the interstellar medium
Interstellar medium
In astronomy, the interstellar medium is the matter that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, dust, and cosmic rays. It fills interstellar space and blends smoothly into the surrounding intergalactic space...
by pointing out the existence of reverse shocks in young supernova remnant
Supernova remnant
A supernova remnant is the structure resulting from the explosion of a star in a supernova. The supernova remnant is bounded by an expanding shock wave, and consists of ejected material expanding from the explosion, and the interstellar material it sweeps up and shocks along the way.There are two...
s, and he then analyzed the interaction of a supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
blast wave
Blast wave
A blast wave in fluid dynamics is the pressure and flow resulting from the deposition of a large amount of energy in a small very localised volume. The flow field can be approximated as a lead shock wave, followed by a 'self-similar' subsonic flow field. In simpler terms, a blast wave is an area of...
with interstellar clouds. Since joining the Physics and Astronomy Departments in Berkeley in 1974, he has devoted much of his research to studying processes in the interstellar medium, including evaporation of clouds, the structure of shock wave
Shock wave
A shock wave is a type of propagating disturbance. Like an ordinary wave, it carries energy and can propagate through a medium or in some cases in the absence of a material medium, through a field such as the electromagnetic field...
s in atomic and molecular gas, and the dynamics of blast waves in both homogeneous and inhomogeous media. In collaboration with Jeremiah Ostriker
Jeremiah P. Ostriker
Jeremiah Paul Ostriker is an astrophysicist at Princeton University. He received his B.A. from Harvard, his Ph.D at the University of Chicago, and then carried out post-doctoral work at the University of Cambridge. From 1971 to 1995, Ostriker was a professor at Princeton, and served as Provost...
(Princeton University), he developed the three-phase model of the interstellar medium, which has been widely used to organize and interpret observational data.
His research on quasars has included development of the relativistic blast wave model for variability, introduction of reverberation mapping
Reverberation mapping
Reverberation mapping is to-day a statistical method within astrophysics preferably used in connection with velocity analysis of gaseous discs around supermassive compact objects. The technique is used to measure the size of the broad emission-line region and mass of the alleged central black hole...
to analyze variable emission line profiles, the two-phase model for quasar emission line regions, and the development of the theory of coronae and winds from accretion disks.
He has developed a self-regulated model for the structure and evolution of molecular cloud
Molecular cloud
A molecular cloud, sometimes called a stellar nursery if star formation is occurring within, is a type of interstellar cloud whose density and size permits the formation of molecules, most commonly molecular hydrogen ....
s, and for the rate of star formation
Star formation
Star formation is the process by which dense parts of molecular clouds collapse into a ball of plasma to form a star. As a branch of astronomy star formation includes the study of the interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds as precursors to the star formation process and the study of young...
within these clouds.
He established the Berkeley Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics Group with Richard Klein to develop the technique of adaptive mesh refinement
Adaptive mesh refinement
In numerical analysis, adaptive mesh refinement is a method of adaptive meshing. Central to any Eulerian method is the manner in which it discretizes the continuous domain of interest into a grid of many individual elements...
for numerical simulations of astrophysical fluid dynamics
Fluid dynamics
In physics, fluid dynamics is a sub-discipline of fluid mechanics that deals with fluid flow—the natural science of fluids in motion. It has several subdisciplines itself, including aerodynamics and hydrodynamics...
.
In his three decades as a professor at UCB, he has advised many graduate students and postdoctoral research fellows.