Marcia J Rieke
- Professor, Astronomy
- Regents Professor
- Astronomer, Steward Observatory
- Endowed Chair, Dr Elizabeth Roemer - Steward Observatory
- Member of the Graduate Faculty
Biography
Marcia Rieke is a Regents Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. Her research interests include infrared observations of the center of the Milky Way and of other galactic nuclei and observation of the infrared sky at as faint a level as possible to study distant galaxies. These research interests have driven her to characterize and develop large-format, low-noise infrared detector arrays. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She came to the University of Arizona in 1976 as a postdoctoral fellow and has been there ever since. She has served as the Deputy Principal Investigator on NICMOS, (the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer for the Hubble Space Telescope), the Outreach Coordinator for the Spitzer Space Telescope, and now is the Principal Investigator for the near-infrared camera (NIRCam) for the James Webb Space Telescope. She also has been active in using Arizona’s groundbased telescopes. She served at the Vice Chair for Program Prioritization for Astro2010, the most recent decadal survey of astronomy and astrophysics. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the National Academy of Sciences.
Degrees
- Sc.D. Physics
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- The Distribution of Celestial Infrared Sources
Work Experience
- University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (1975 - Ongoing)
Awards
- Van Biesbroeck Prize
- Van Biesbroeck Prize Committee, Fall 1980
- Exceptional Public Service Medal
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Fall 2014
- Lyman Spitzer Lecturer
- Princeton University, Fall 2014
- NSF Faculty Award for Women
- National Science Foundation, Fall 2014
- Galileo Circle
- College of Science , University of Arizona, Summer 2014
- Mortar Board Citation Award
- Mortar Board Senior Honor Society, Summer 2014
- Robert H. Goddard Award for Achievement in Science
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Spring 2014
Interests
Research
Distant galaxies, exoplanets, infrared light sensors
Courses
2025-26 Courses
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Directed Research
ASTR 492 (Fall 2025)
2024-25 Courses
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Dissertation
ASTR 920 (Spring 2025) -
Dissertation
ASTR 920 (Fall 2024)
2023-24 Courses
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Dissertation
ASTR 920 (Spring 2024) -
Dissertation
ASTR 920 (Fall 2023) -
Research
ASTR 900 (Fall 2023)
2022-23 Courses
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Dissertation
ASTR 920 (Spring 2023) -
Research
ASTR 900 (Spring 2023) -
Dissertation
ASTR 920 (Fall 2022) -
Research
ASTR 900 (Fall 2022)
2021-22 Courses
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Dissertation
ASTR 920 (Spring 2022) -
Research
ASTR 900 (Spring 2022) -
Dissertation
ASTR 920 (Fall 2021) -
Research
ASTR 900 (Fall 2021)
2020-21 Courses
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Dissertation
ASTR 920 (Spring 2021) -
Research
ASTR 900 (Spring 2021) -
Dissertation
ASTR 920 (Fall 2020) -
Research
ASTR 900 (Fall 2020)
2019-20 Courses
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Research
ASTR 900 (Spring 2020) -
Research
ASTR 900 (Fall 2019)
2018-19 Courses
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Honors Thesis
ASTR 498H (Spring 2019) -
Research
ASTR 900 (Spring 2019) -
Honors Thesis
ASTR 498H (Fall 2018) -
Research
ASTR 900 (Fall 2018)
2015-16 Courses
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The Physical Universe
ASTR 170B1 (Spring 2016)
Scholarly Contributions
Journals/Publications
- More infoA successful theory of star formation should predict the number of objects as a function of their mass produced through star-forming events. Previous studies in star-forming regions and the solar neighborhood have identified a mass function increasing from the hydrogen-burning limit down to about 10 MJ. Theory predicts a limit to the fragmentation process, providing a natural turnover in the mass function down to the opacity limit of turbulent fragmentation, thought to be near 1-10 MJ. Programs to date have not been sensitive enough to probe the hypothesized opacity limit of fragmentation. We present the first identification of a turnover in the initial mass function below 12 MJ within NGC 2024, a young star-forming region. With JWST/NIRCam deep exposures across 0.7-5 μm, we identified several free-floating objects down to roughly 3 MJ with sensitivity to 0.5 MJ. We present evidence for a double power-law model increasing from about 60 MJ to roughly 12 MJ, consistent with previous studies, followed by a decrease down to 0.5 MJ. Our results support the predictions of star and brown dwarf formation theory, identifying the theoretical turnover in the mass function and suggesting the fundamental limit of turbulent fragmentation to be near 3 MJ
Proceedings Publications
Reviews
- More infoWe use a 24 mu m - selected sample containing more than 8000 sources to study the evolution of star- forming galaxies in the redshift range from z = 0 to z similar to 3. We obtain photometric redshifts for most of the sources in our survey using a method based on empirically built templates spanning from ultraviolet to mid- infrared wavelengths. The accuracy of these redshifts is better than 10% for 80% of the sample. The derived redshift distribution of the sources detected by our survey peaks at around z 0: 6 1: 0 ( the location of the peak being affected by cosmic variance) and decays monotonically from z similar to 1 to z similar to 3. We have fitted infrared luminosity functions in several redshift bins in the range 0 < z less than or similar to 3. Our results constrain the density and/ or luminosity evolution of infrared- bright star- forming galaxies. The typical infrared luminosity ( L*) decreases by an order of magnitude from z similar to 2 to the present. The cosmic star formation rate ( SFR) density goes as ( 1+ z) (4. 0 +/- 0. 2) from z= 0 to 0.8. From z= 0. 8 z similar to 1. 2, the SFR density continues rising with a smaller slope. At 1: 2 < z 10(11) L(circle dot)) to the total SFR density increases steadily from z similar to 0 up to z similar to 2.5, forming at least half of the newly born stars by z similar to 1. 5. Ultraluminous infrared galaxies ( L(TIR) > 10(12) L(circle dot)) play a rapidly increasing role for z greater than or similar to 1.3.
