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Adrian Melott

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Adrian Melott
Born (1947-01-07) January 7, 1947 (age 77)
Moundsville, West Virginia, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Texas at Austin
Known forCosmology, astrobiology, paleontology, and geophysics
Scientific career
FieldsPhysics
InstitutionsUniversity of Texas at Austin
University of Pittsburgh
Moscow State University (IREX Fellow)
University of Chicago (Enrico Fermi Postdoctoral Fellow)
University of Kansas
Doctoral advisorDennis Sciama

Adrian Lewis Melott (born January 7, 1947) is an American physicist. He is one of the pioneers of using large-scale computing to investigate the formation of large-scale structure in a Universe dominated by dark matter. He later turned his attention to an area he calls “astrobiophysics”, examining a variety of ways that external events in our galaxy may have influenced the course of life on Earth, including analysis of gamma-ray burst events.[1][2][3]

Life

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Born in Moundsville, West Virginia, his early scientific interest was in physical chemistry, but later changed to study physics at Bethany College in West Virginia.

He became active in the antiwar and educational movements of the 60's, and was drawn into the Unitarian ministry. He attended Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, California and was minister in Tampa, Florida for 7 years. During this time he continued his interest in physics. In 1977 he entered the physics program at the University of Texas at Austin where he met and quickly decided to work with noted cosmologist Dennis W. Sciama. He was among one of three groups who had initiated the numerical simulation of the formation of structure in a Universe dominated by dark matter.

He received his Ph.D. in 1981, and followed with postdoctoral work with Arthur M. Wolfe at Pittsburgh, with the group of Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich in Moscow, and as Enrico Fermi Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago. In 1986 he joined the faculty of the University of Kansas, where he has been ever since.

In 1998–2001, he was active in the “controversy” surrounding evolution in the public school curriculum in Kansas. In 2002, he received the Joseph Burton Forum Award for his central role in organizing public support for the return of modern evolutionary biology to the Kansas public school curriculum[4]

He is married to Gillian, and has two sons, Christopher and Jesse.[citation needed]

Research

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His work in dark matter focused on the formation of what has come to be called the “cosmic web” from Zeldovich pancakes. In 1983, before the existence of such structure was generally accepted, he and collaborators predicted its existence in a Universe dominated by cold dark matter. Later in the 80's, he worked with J. Richard Gott on the topology of large-scale structure, then with Sergei Shandarin[5] on the merging of hierarchical clustering models with the Zel’dovich pancake picture as a description of large-scale structure.

Beginning in 2003, he made an abrupt transition into a new area which began by examining the effects the radiation from a gamma-ray burst (GRB) would have upon the Earth,[6][3][7] and investigating a possible connection between a GRB and the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction.[2][8][1] Later, he investigated the Late Devonian Mass Extinction and its potential association with cataclysmic supernovae,[9] the effects of an end-Pliocene supernova on marine megafauna[10] and on human evolution,[11] the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis,[12][13][14][15] the effects of the 774-775 carbon-14 spike and its association with a solar flare,[16] and the Tunguska event.[17][18] He is also a member of the Comet Research Group,[19] which is best known for sponsoring a collaboration with biblical archaeologists who believe they have discovered the ancient city of Sodom at Tell el-Hammam, Jordan, and that it was destroyed by a comet.[20] On February 15, 2023, the following editor’s note was posted on this group’s paper, "Readers are alerted that concerns raised about the data presented and the conclusions of this article are being considered by the Editors. A further editorial response will follow the resolution of these issues."[21] He showed that 27 and 62 million-year oscillations in fossil biodiversity cut across a variety of data sets and has found clues to their cause,[22][23] which, however, is still an unsolved problem.[24][25]

Melott is a member of the Paleontological Society. He was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society[26] “For groundbreaking studies of the origin and evolution of cosmic structure” in 1996, and received its Joseph A. Burton Forum Award for his educational work in 2002.[27] In 2007, he was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science “For distinguished contributions to cosmological large-scale structure, for organizing public support for teaching evolution, and for interdisciplinary research on astrophysical impacts on the biosphere.”

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Melott, Adrian Lewis; Lieberman, Bruce S.; Laird, C. M.; Martin, L. D.; Medvedev, M. V.; Thomas, Brian C.; Cannizzo, J. K.; Gehrels, N.; Jackman, Charles H. (August 5, 2004). "Did a gamma-ray burst initiate the late Ordovician mass extinction?". International Journal of Astrobiology. 3 (1): 55–61. arXiv:astro-ph/0309415. Bibcode:2004IJAsB...3...55M. doi:10.1017/S1473550404001910. hdl:1808/9204. S2CID 13124815. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Melott, Adrian Lewis; Thomas, Brian C.; Hogan, Daniel P.; Ejzak, Larissa M.; Jackman, Charles H. (July 21, 2005). "Climatic and biogeochemical effects of a galactic gamma ray burst". Geophysical Research Letters. 32 (14): 1–5. arXiv:astro-ph/0503625. Bibcode:2005GeoRL..3214808M. doi:10.1029/2005GL023073. S2CID 6150230. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Thomas, Brian C.; Melott, Adrian Lewis; Jackman, Charles H.; Laird, Claude M.; Medvedev, Mikhail V.; Stolarski, Richard S.; Gehrels, Neil; Cannizzo, John K.; Hogan, Daniel P.; Ejzak, Larissa M. (November 20, 2005). "Gamma-Ray Bursts and the Earth: Exploration of Atmospheric, Biological, Climatic, and Biogeochemical Effects". The Astrophysical Journal. 634 (1): 509–533. arXiv:astro-ph/0505472. Bibcode:2005ApJ...634..509T. doi:10.1086/496914. S2CID 2046052. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  4. ^ "2018 Stanley Corrsin Award Recipient". www.aps.org. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  5. ^ "Sergei Shandarin, Professor". University of Kansas. Archived from the original on June 27, 2010. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  6. ^ Melott, Adrian Lewis; Thomas, Brian C. (May 20, 2011). "Astrophysical Ionizing Radiation and Earth: A Brief Review and Census of Intermittent Intense Sources". Astrobiology. 11 (4): 343–361. arXiv:1102.2830. Bibcode:2011AsBio..11..343M. doi:10.1089/ast.2010.0603. PMID 21545268. S2CID 5092121. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  7. ^ Thomas, Brian C.; Jackman, Charles H.; Melott, Adrian Lewis; Laird, Claude M.; Stolarski, Richard S.; Gehrels, Neil; Cannizzo, John K.; Hogan, Daniel P. (February 28, 2005). "Terrestrial Ozone Depletion due to a Milky Way Gamma-Ray Burst". The Astrophysical Journal. 622 (2): L153–L156. arXiv:astro-ph/0411284. Bibcode:2005ApJ...622L.153T. doi:10.1086/429799. hdl:2060/20050179464. S2CID 11199820. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
  8. ^ Melott, Adrian L.; Thomas, Brian C. (April 8, 2016). "Late Ordovician geographic patterns of extinction compared with simulations of astrophysical ionizing radiation damage". Paleobiology. 35 (3): 311–320. arXiv:0809.0899. doi:10.1666/0094-8373-35.3.311. S2CID 11942132. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  9. ^ Fields, Brian D.; Melott, Adrian Lewis; Ellis, John; Ertel, Adrienne F.; Fry, Brian J.; Lieberman, Bruce S.; Liu, Zhenghai; Miller, Jesse A.; Thomas, Brian C. (September 1, 2020). "Supernova triggers for end-Devonian extinctions". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 117 (35): 21008–21010. arXiv:2007.01887. Bibcode:2020PNAS..11721008F. doi:10.1073/pnas.2013774117. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 7474607. PMID 32817482. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  10. ^ Melott, Adrian Lewis; Marinho, Franciole; Paulucci, Laura (June 11, 2019). "Hypothesis: Muon Radiation Dose and Marine Megafaunal Extinction at the End-Pliocene Supernova". Astrobiology. 19 (6): 825–830. arXiv:1712.09367. Bibcode:2019AsBio..19..825M. doi:10.1089/ast.2018.1902. PMID 30481053. S2CID 33930965. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  11. ^ Melott, Adrian Lewis; Thomas, Brian C. (July 21, 2019). "From Cosmic Explosions to Terrestrial Fires?". The Journal of Geology. 127 (4): 475–481. arXiv:1903.01501. Bibcode:2019JG....127..475M. doi:10.1086/703418. hdl:1808/31444. S2CID 67877046. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  12. ^ Overholt, Andrew C.; Melott, Adrian Lewis (September 2013). "Cosmogenic nuclide enhancement via deposition from long-period comets as a test of the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 377–378: 55–61. arXiv:1307.6557. Bibcode:2013E&PSL.377...55O. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2013.07.029. S2CID 119291750. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  13. ^ Wolbach, Wendy S.; Ballard, Joanne P.; Mayewski, Paul A.; Adejeji, Victor; Bunch, Ted E.; Firestone, Richard B.; French, Timothy A.; Howard, George A.; Israde-Alcántara, Isabel; Johnson, John R.; Kimbel, David; Kinzie, Charles R.; Kurbatov, Andrei; Kletetschka, Gunther; LeCompte, Malcolm A.; Mahaney, William C.; Melott, Adrian Lewis; Maiorana-Boutilier, Abigail; Mitra, Siddhartha; Moore, Christopher R.; Napier, William M.; Parlier, Jennifer; Tankersley, Kenneth B.; Thomas, Brian C.; Wittke, James H.; West, Allen; Kennett, James P. (February 1, 2018). "Extraordinary Biomass-Burning Episode and Impact Winter Triggered by the Younger Dryas Cosmic Impact ~12,800 Years Ago. 1. Ice Cores and Glaciers". The Journal of Geology. 126 (2): 165–184. Bibcode:2018JG....126..165W. doi:10.1086/695703. S2CID 53021110. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  14. ^ Wolbach, Wendy S.; Ballard, Joanne P.; Mayewski, Paul A.; Parnell, Andrew C.; Cahill, Niamh; Adedeji, Victor; Bunch, Ted E.; Domínguez-Vázquez, Gabriela; Erlandson, Jon M.; Firestone, Richard B.; French, Timothy A.; Howard, George A.; Israde-Alcántara, Isabel; Johnson, John R.; Kimbel, David; Kinzie, Charles R.; Kurbatov, Andrei; Kletetschka, Gunther; LeCompte, Malcolm A.; Mahaney, William C.; Melott, Adrian Lewis; Mitra, Siddhartha; Maiorana-Boutilier, Abigail; Moore, Christopher R.; Napier, William M.; Parlier, Jennifer; Tankersley, Kenneth B.; Thomas, Brian C.; Wittke, James H.; West, Allen; Kennett, James P. (February 1, 2018). "Extraordinary Biomass-Burning Episode and Impact Winter Triggered by the Younger Dryas Cosmic Impact ~12,800 Years Ago. 2. Lake, Marine, and Terrestrial Sediments". The Journal of Geology. 126 (2): 185–205. Bibcode:2018JG....126..185W. doi:10.1086/695704. S2CID 53494648. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  15. ^ Wolbach, Wendy S.; Ballard, Joanne P.; Mayewski, Paul A.; Kurbatov, Andrei; Bunch, Ted E.; LeCompte, Malcolm A.; Adejeji, Victor; Israde-Alcántara, Isabel; Firestone, Richard B.; Mahaney, William C.; Melott, Adrian Lewis; Moore, Christopher R.; Napier, William M.; Howard, George A.; Tankersley, Kenneth B.; Thomas, Brian C.; Wittke, James H.; Johnson, John R.; Mitra, Siddhartha; Kennett, James P.; Kletetschka, Gunther; West, Allen (December 5, 2019). "Extraordinary Biomass-Burning Episode and Impact Winter Triggered by the Younger Dryas Cosmic Impact ~12,800 Years Ago: A Reply". The Journal of Geology. 128 (2): 000. doi:10.1086/706265. S2CID 214089445. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  16. ^ Thomas, Brian C.; Melott, Adrian Lewis; Arkenberg, Keith R.; Snyder II, Brock R. (February 12, 2013). "Terrestrial effects of possible astrophysical sources of an AD 774-775 increase in 14C production". Geophysical Research Letters. 40 (825–830): 1237–1240. arXiv:1302.1501. Bibcode:2013GeoRL..40.1237T. doi:10.1002/grl.50222. hdl:1808/14474. S2CID 14253803. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  17. ^ Melott, Adrian Lewis; Thomas, Brian C.; Dreschhoff, Gisela; Johnson, Carey K. (April 1, 2010). "Cometary airbursts and atmospheric chemistry: Tunguska and a candidate Younger Dryas event". Geology. 38 (4): 355–358. arXiv:0907.1067. Bibcode:2010Geo....38..355M. doi:10.1130/G30508.1. S2CID 118411761. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  18. ^ Melott, Adrian Lewis; Overholt, Andrew C. (April 1, 2015). "Comment on "Direct evidence of ancient shock metamorphism at the site of the 1908 Tunguska event" by Vannucchi et al. (Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 409 (2015) 168–174)". Earth and Planetary Science Letters. 415: 213–214. Bibcode:2015E&PSL.415..213M. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2015.01.021. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  19. ^ "Scientists & Members". Comet Research Group. September 10, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  20. ^ Boslough, Mark (2022). "Sodom Meteor Strike Claims Should Be Taken with a Pillar of Salt" (PDF). Skeptical Inquirer. 46 (1): 10–14.
  21. ^ Kincaid, Ellie (February 21, 2023). "Journal investigating Sodom comet paper for data problems". Retraction Watch. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  22. ^ Lieberman, Bruce S.; Melott, Adrian Lewis (August 22, 2017). "Considering the Case for Biodiversity Cycles: Re-Examining the Evidence for Periodicity in the Fossil Record". PLOS ONE. 2 (8): e759. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000759. PMC 1945088. PMID 17712407.
  23. ^ Melott, Adrian L.; Bambach, Richard K. (July 18, 2013). "DO PERIODICITIES IN EXTINCTION—WITH POSSIBLE ASTRONOMICAL CONNECTIONS—SURVIVE A REVISION OF THE GEOLOGICAL TIMESCALE?". The Astrophysical Journal. 773 (1): 6. arXiv:1307.1884. Bibcode:2013ApJ...773....6M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/773/1/6. S2CID 15985292. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  24. ^ Melott, Adrian Lewis; Bambach, Richard K. (January 28, 2014). "Analysis of periodicity of extinction using the 2012 geological timescale". Paleobiology. 40 (2): 177–196. arXiv:1310.4712. doi:10.1666/13047. S2CID 12514146. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  25. ^ Melott, Adrian Lewis; Bambach, Richard K. (September 1, 2010). "Nemesis reconsidered". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 407 (1): L99–L102. arXiv:1007.0437. Bibcode:2010MNRAS.407L..99M. doi:10.1111/j.1745-3933.2010.00913.x. S2CID 7911150.
  26. ^ "Fellowships : Archive (1995-present)". American Physical Society. June 17, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  27. ^ "2002 Joseph A. Burton Forum Award Recipient". American Physical Society. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2021. For his outstanding efforts in helping to restore evolution and cosmology to their proper place in the K-12 scientific curriculum. As both a distinguished cosmologist and respected member of the clergy, he played a key role in helping the people of Kansas reverse their State Board of Education's anti-science action.
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