Kevin Marshall, PhD
- Chair of Physics and Astronomy
- Associate Professor
- Technology
Affiliated Programs
Education
- PhD, Astronomy (2006)
Georgia State University (GA)
About Me
At Widener, the size of our department allows our faculty to give each of our students a highly personalized education. Students work side by side with faculty members not only in the classroom and in the lab, but also on research. I believe that the best way to learn something is by doing it and not just listening to a lecture.
My classes involve a large number of active-engagement techniques where students put into practice important concepts. These include collaborative group problem solving, peer instruction, and interactive lecture demonstrations. I work hard to incorporate best practices from physics education research into my classroom experience.
Research Interests
My research is focused on high-energy variability in active galactic nuclei. Some galaxies have super massive black holes at their centers, which are actively pulling in matter. As gas falls into the black hole, it heats up and emits tremendous amounts of light. High-energy radiation (such as X-rays and gamma-rays) comes from the innermost regions near the black hole.
I study how these objects vary in brightness over time and use analysis techniques to put constraints on the physical parameters and geometry of the central black hole.
Publications
- Maune, J.D., Eggen, J.R., Miller, H.R., Marshall, K., et al. (2014). The extreme behavior of the radio-loud narrow-line seyfert 1 galaxy J0849+5108. The Astrophysical Journal, 794, 93.
- Marshall, K. et al. (2009). Multiwavelength variability of the broad line radio galaxy 3C 120. The Astrophysical Journal, 696, 601.
- Marshall, K. et al. (2008). Correlated X-ray and optical variability in Markarian 509. The Astrophysical Journal, 677, 880.
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
American Astronomical Society (AAS), American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT)