DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY

Ronald Taam's primary research interests are in the area of astrophysical hydrodynamics of gas flows, close binary systems, accretion disks, nature of x-ray bursts, and in the area of stellar dynamics as related to the secular evolution of galaxies.  In particular, he studies the ignition and propagation of nuclear burning fronts in stars, the structure and evolution of accretion disks surrounding compact stars (stellar mass and supermassive black holes), the evolution of close double-star systems, and the formation and evolution of structures in galaxies.  Taam's recent research accomplishments in stellar astrophysics have included a systematic study of the three-dimensional hydrodynamic interaction of two stars in a close binary system.  In addition, he has also investigated the nature of the spiral/ring-like structures observed in the circumstellar envelopes of asymptotic giant branch stars. On the extragalactic scale, he has investigated a two component model for the accretion flow onto supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei and has investigated the formation and evolution of stellar bars in galaxies, important for the gas fueling of active galactic nuclei.

Awards and Honors

• Fellow, American Physical Society
• Astronomical Society of the Republic of China Heaven Quest Award
• Honorary Academician, Academia Sinica

Selected Publications

• D. J. Lin, A. Bayliss, and R. E. Taam
  Low Mach Number Modeling Of Type I X-Ray Burst Deflagrations
  Astrophysical Journal 653, 545 (2006)
• N. Ivanova, C. O. Heinke, R. A. Rasio, et al.
  Formation And Evolution Of Compact Binaries In Globular Clusters. I. Binaries With White Dwarfs
  Monthly Notices Of The Royal Astronomical Society 372, 1043 (2006)
• D. J. Deloye and R. E. Taam
  The Turn-On Of Mass Transfer In AM CVn Binaries: Implications For RX J0806+1527 And RX J1914+2456
  Astrophysical Journal 649, L99 (2006)
• W. Becker, M. Kramer, A. Jessner, et al.
  A Multiwavelength Study of the Pulsar PSR B1929+10 and Its X-Ray Trail
  Astrophysical Journal 645, 1421 (2006)
• K. S. Cheng, R. E. Taam, and W. Wang
  Pulsar Wind Nebulae and the X-Ray Emission of Nonaccreting Neutron Stars
  Astrophysical Journal 617, 480 (2004)
• K. Belczynski and R. E. Taam
  On the Chandra X-Ray Sources in the Galactic Center
  Astrophysical Journal 616, 1159 (2004)