John F.C. Wardle
Professor of Astrophysics
Ph.D., University of Manchester, England, 1969
John Wardle studies powerful extragalactic radio sources and especially the nuclei of quasars using the Very Large Array and the Very Long Baseline Array of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. He specializes in making polarization observations of quasars to map the magnetic fields near the super-massive black holes at the heart of these objects. Recent results include the first detections of circular polarization at milli-arcsecond resolution, and a new technique for measuring the distance to high redshift quasars. Professor Wardle is a member of the Brandeis Astrophysics group.
complete list of publications from ADS
Recently Taught Courses
Introductory Astronomy (Phsc 2b)
Modern Physics (Phys 20b)
Astrophysics (Phys 168b)
Recent Ph.D. Students
Tingdong Chen (2005) "VLBI and VSOP Study of Two Quasar Jets&rdquo" Present Position: Developer, Merkle, Inc., Fremont, CA
Chi (Teddy) Cheung (2004) "Studies of the Kilo-parsec Scale Radio and Optical Emission from X-ray Jets in Active Galactic Nuclei" Present Position: Postdoctoral Fellow, NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
Daniel C. Homan (2000) "Polarization Studies of the Parsec Scale Jets in AGN." Present position: Associate Professor, Department of Physics & Astronomy, Denison University, Granville, OH
Sample of Recent Publications
Wardle, John FC with D. Homan, M. Lister, H. Aller, M. Aller. "Full Polarization Spectra of 3C 279." Astrophysical Journal (2009).
Wardle, John FC, with Roberts, David H.; Lipnick, Scott L.; Selesnick, Philip L.; Slutsky, Simon;. "Structure and Magnetic Fields in the Precessing Jet System SS 433. I. Multifrequency Imaging from 1998." Astrophysical Journal 676. (2008): 585-593.
Wardle, John FC with Cheung, C. C.; Stawarz, L.; Siemiginowska, A.; Harris, D. E; Schwartz, D. A.; Gobeille, D.; Lee, N. P.;. "The Highest Redshift Relativistic Jets." Extragalactic Jets: Theory and Observation from Radio to Gamma Ray, Girdwood, Alaska. Eds. T.A. Rector and D.S. De Young, 21-24 May (2007).
Wardle, John FC with Cheung, C. C.; Lee, N. P.. "Large-Scale Radio and X-ray Jets in the Highest Redshift Quasars." 22nd Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics, Eds. P. Chen et al. also arXiv:astro-ph/0606256. (2006).
Wardle, John FC with Sambruna, Rita M.; Gliozzi, Mario; Donato, Davide; Maraschi, L.; Tavecchio, F.; Cheung, C. C.; Urry, C. Megan. "Deep Chandra and Multicolor HST Follow-up of the Jets in Two Powerful Radio Quasars." Astrophysical Journal 641. 2 (2006): 717-731.
Wardle, John FC with Tavecchio, F.; Maraschi, L.; Sambruna, R. M.; Gliozzi, M.; Cheung, C. C.; Urry, C. Megan,. "Deceleration from Entrainment in the Jet of the Quasar 1136-135?." Astrophysical Journal 641. 2 (2006): 732-739.