Jennifer Hoffman

Professor, Womble Chair; Director of Chamberlain Observ

Faculty
College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Physics & Astronomy

jennifer.hoffman@du.edu

303-871-2268 (Office)

http://www.grammai.org/jhoffman

Personal

Physics Building, 2112 E. Wesley Ave. Denver, CO 80208

What I do

I am a full professor and astronomer who is committed to the idea that science is for everyone and science needs everyone! I work to make my professional communities accessible, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming for all students.

Specialization(s)

astronomy, astrophysics, computational physics

Professional Biography

I earned my Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Wisconsin and held a National Science Foundation Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC Berkeley before joining the faculty at DU. I hold the Womble Chair of Astronomy and direct DU's historic Chamberlin Observatory. My research interests focus on the late stages of massive stellar evolution, in particular on the role of binary stars in shaping supernova explosions. I use a combination of observational spectropolarimetry and 3-D computational modeling to explore these research questions. I also see my roles as an educator and mentor as a vital part of my scholarship. In all these arenas, I work to expand opportunities and remove barriers to participation in physics and astronomy for people from historically underrepresented groups.

Degree(s)

Ph.D., Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2002

Professional Affiliations

American Astronomical Society
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society

Research

I use a combination of observational spectropolarimetry and numerical/computational Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations to characterize the circumstellar material around massive binary stars and supernovae.

Areas of Research

stellar evolution

supernovae

binary stars

polarimetry

radiative transfer

science education

Key Projects

Collaborative Research: Asymmetry is Destiny: Structure and Fate of Wolf-Rayet Binary Systems
GPOL+NIRI: Commissioning the GPOL Facility Polarization Modulator on Gemini North
Collaborative Research: The Aspherical Nature and Evolution of Supermovae
Double Vision: New Views of Colliding-Wind Binary Systems

Featured Publications

Murphy, S. M., Vyas, D. K., Hoffman, J. L., Jenck, C. S., Washburn, B. A., Hunnicutt, K. E., et al. (2021). Streetlights positively affect the presence of an invasive grass species. Ecology and Evolution, 11(15), 10320-10326. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7835

Shrestha, M., Neilson, H. R., Hoffman, J. L., Ignace, R., & Fullard, A. G. (2021). Polarization simulations of stellar wind bow shock nebulae--II. The case of dust scattering. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 500(4), 4319-4337. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3508

Fullard, A. G., St-Louis, N., Moffat, A. F. J., Piirola, V. E., Manset, N., & Hoffman, J. L. (2020). A Multi-Wavelength Search for Intrinsic Linear Polarization in Wolf-Rayet Winds. The Astronomical Journal, 159, 214.

Shrestha, M., Neilson, H. R., Hoffman, J. L., & Ignace, R. (2018). Polarization Simulations of Stellar Wind Bow Shocks. I. The Case of Electron Scattering. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 477, 1365. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/477/1/1365/4942281?guestAccessKey=4b4189b5-4b19-4d7a-8b0a-00c7349641bb

Fullard, A. G., Hoffman, J. L., DeKlotz, S., Azancot Luchtan, D., Cooper, K., & Nordsieck, K. H. (2018). Spectropolarimetry of the WR + O Binary WR42. Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 2(2), 37. Retrieved from https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2515-5172/aac5fb

Lomax, J. R., Nazé, Y., Hoffman, J. L., Russell, C. M. P., de Becker, M., Corcoran, M. F., et al. (2015). V444 Cyg X-ray and polarimetric variability: Radiative and Coriolis forces shape the wind collision region. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 573, A43. Retrieved from https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2015/01/aa24468-14/aa24468-14.html

Presentations

Hoffman, J. L., Fetrow, K., Broder, E. D., Murphy, S. M., Tinghitella, R., & Hart, Q. (2018). Astronomy in Denver: Effects of a summer camps on girls' preconceived notions of careers in STEM. American Astronomical Society. Denver, CO: American Astronomical Society.

Hoffman, J. L., DeKlotz, S., Cooper, K., Slay, H., & William, G. G. (2018). Astronomy in Denver: The polarization evolution of the luminous Type Ib SN 2012au. American Astronomical Society Meeting #232. Denver, CO: American Astronomical Society.

Hoffman, J. L., Fullard, A. G., & Nordsieck, K. H. (2018). Polarized Light Curves Illuminate Wind Geometries in Wolf-Rayet Binary Stars. American Astronomical Society Meeting #231. Washington, DC: American Astronomical Society .

Awards

Astronomer in Residence, Grand Canyon Conservancy
Physics & Astronomy Teacher of the Year, DU Society of Physics Students
DU Faculty Career Champion (nominated)
NSM Outstanding Faculty Service Award, DU Natural Sciences & Mathematics