Skip to main content

Richard Watkins

Professor of Physics; Department Chair

Headshot of Richard Watkins

Contact Information

Salem Campus

Address
Collins Science Center 310
900 State Street
Salem  Oregon  97301
U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6373

Education

  • Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara (1989)
  • B.A., Cornell University (1984)

Professional Interests

Dr. Watkins' research interests include Astrophysics, Cosmology, and Particle
Physics. His current research is focused primarily on measuring flows of
galaxies though the Universe on very large scales. Basically, galaxies are
pulled by gravity into regions where matter is concentrated and out of regions
that are relatively empty. By studying these motions one can learn how the
matter in the Universe is distributed, and how this distribution is changing in
time. This information can, in turn, be used to test models of how the Universe
has evolved, thus illuminating such issues as dark matter and dark energy.

Recent Publications

* Indicates undergraduate co-author.

Richard Watkins, Trey Allen*, Collin James Bradford*, Albert Ramon Jr.*, Alexandra Walker*, Hume A. Feldman, Rachel Cionitti*, Yara Al-Shorman*, Ehsan Kourkchi, and Brent Tully (2023). Analyzing the Large-Scale Bulk Flow using CosmicFlows4: Increasing Tension with the Standard Cosmological Model, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 524, 1885.

Elcio Abdalla et al. (2022). Cosmology Intertwined: A Review of the Particle Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology Associated with the Cosmological Tensions and Anomalies, Journal of High Energy Astrophysics, 34, 49.

Yuyu Wang, Sarah Peery*, Hume A. Feldman, and Richard Watkins (2021). Improved Methods for Estimating Peculiar Velocity Correlation Functions Using Volume Weighting, The Astrophysical Journal, 918, 49.

Yuyu Wang, Nesar Ramachandra, Edgar M. Salazar-Canizales, Hume A. Feldman, Richard Watkins, and Klaus Dolag (2021). Peculiar Velocity Estimation from Kinetic SZ Effect using Deep Neural Networks, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 506, 1427.

 Sarah Peery*, Richard Watkins, and Hume A. Feldman (2018).  Easily Interpretable Bulk Flows: Continuing Tension with the Standard Cosmological Model.  Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 481, 1368.

Yuyu Wang, Christopher Rooney*, Hume A. Feldman, and Richard Watkins (2018).  The Peculiar Velocity Correlation Function.  Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 480, 5332.

Benjamin Mow*, Erik Reinhart*, Samantha Nim*, and Richard Watkins (2016). Rapid Evolution of GSC 03144-595, a New Triple-mode Radially Pulsating High-amplitude Delta-Scuti. The Astronomical Journal. 152, 17. 

R. Watkins and H.A. Feldman (2015). An Unbiased Estimator of Peculiar Velocity with Gaussian Distributed Errors for Precision Cosmology, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 450, 1868.

R. Watkins and H.A. Feldman (2015). Large-scale Bulk Flows from the Cosmicflows-2Catalog. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 447, 132.

D.L. Wiltshire, P.R. Smale, T. Mattson, and R. Watkins (2013). Hubble Flow Variance and the Cosmic Rest Frame. Physical Review D. 88, 083529.

E. Macaulay, H.A. Feldman, P.G. Ferreira, H.J. Jaffe, S. Agarwal, M.J. Hudson, and R. Watkins (2012). Power Spectrum Estimation from Peculiar Velocity Catalogues. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 425, 1709.

S. Agarwal, H.A. Feldman, and R. Watkins. (2012). Testing the Minimum Variance Method for Estimating Large-Scale Velocity Moments. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 424, 2667.

S.J. Turnbull, M.J. Hudson, H.A. Feldman, M. Hicken, R.P. Kirshner, and R. Watkins. (2012). Cosmic Flows in the Nearby Universe from Type Ia Supernovae. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 420, 447.

E. Macaulay, H.A. Feldman, P.G. Ferreira, M.J. Hudson, and R. Watkins. (2011). A Slight Excess of Large Scale Power from Moments of the Peculiar Velocity Field. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 414, 621.

H.A. Feldman, R. Watkins, and M.J. Hudson. (2010). Cosmic Flows on 100 Mpc/h Scales: Standardized Minimum Variance Bulk Flow, Shear, and Octupole Moments. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 392 756.

R. Berry. D. Gray, J. Green, D. Medley, N. Rebol, and R. Watkins. (2009). Photometry of XX Cygni at Pine Mountain Observator: Summer Research Workshop 2009. Small Telescopes and Astronomical Research, eds. R. Genet, J.M. Johnson and V. Wallen, Collins Foundation Press.

R. Watkins, H.A. Feldman, and M.J. Hudson. (2009). Consistently Large Cosmic Flows on Scales of 100h-1 Mpc: A Challenge for the Standard ΛCDM Cosmology. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 392, 743.

 

 

Willamette University

Physics Department

Address
Collins Science Center
Willamette University
900 State Street
Salem Oregon 97301 U.S.A.
Phone
503-370-6894 voice
503-370-6773 fax