EDUCATION:

• PhD in Astrophysics, 1990, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
• BS in Physics & Computer Science, 1983, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY

RESEARCH DESCRIPTION: 

Most of my research focuses understanding the physical properties of star formation regions by studying the thermal emission from dust and spectral emission from molecular lines. These observations, done with radio and infrared telescopes from around the world, probe the deep dark interiors of the star forming clouds. From the data, we can estimate the temperatures, density, and abundances of the these clouds. More recently, am also using 3-D X-ray imaging to study historical artifacts and art works using the Madison Accelerator Laboratory at JMU.

PUBLICATIONS:

C. J. Davis, A. Chrysotomou, J. Hatchell, J. G. A. Wouterlout, J. V. Buckle, D. Nutter, M. Fich, C. Brunt, H. Butner, B. Cavanaugh, & 24 coauthors, “The JCMT Legacy Survey of the Gould Belt: a first look at Taurus with HARP,” 2010, MNRAS, 405, 759.

M. Saul, M. Cunningham, J. Rathborne, W. Walsh, & H. M. Butner, “Prestellar Cores in the Coalsack,” 2011, ApJ , 738, 152.

H. M. Butner, S. B. Charnley, C. Ceccarelli, S. D. Rogers, J. R. Pardo, B. Parise, J. Cernicharo, & G. Davis, “Discovery of Interstellar Heavy Water,” 2007, ApJ Letters, 659L, 137.