Ronald Snell

Ph.D. University of Texas 1979

B.A. University of Kansas 1973

My primary interest is the study of the properties of molecular clouds within the Milky Way. Molecular gas can be readily probed using millimeter and submillimeter wavelength spectroscopy. Such data can provide information on the mass, density, temperature, spatial structure, kinematics and chemistry of the gas within these molecular clouds. Much of my observational work in the past was done using the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory 14-m telescope, the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) and Herschel Space Telescope. My current studies are making use of the Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) and ALMA. 

I teach courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level. One of my primary undergraduate courses is ASTRO 228 (Stars and Galaxies), which is the first course in a series of astrophysics courses to be taken by astronomy majors. At the graduate level, I have been teaching ASTRO 741 (Interstellar Medium) for many years and this course is one of the core graduate courses. I also have strong interest in radio astronomy techniques, and in the past have taught an undergraduate hands-on course on this subject. Recently, I completed a two-volume advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate text on radio astronomy. I hope in the future to revive the undergraduate radio astronomy course.