Cody LaMarche

Astronomy & Space Sciences

Education

I am currently a sixth-year Ph.D. candidate in the department of astronomy at Cornell University, working with Gordon Stacey. My research focuses on studying star formation in galaxies during the epoch of both peak star formation and AGN activity, at redshift 1 to 3. Studying this period in the cosmic star formation history is critical to understanding how galaxies amassed their present-day stellar populations and how those stellar populations co-evolved with the supermassive black holes in the galactic nuclei. To conduct these studies, I observe the ionized, neutral, and molecular phases of the ISM in high-redshift galaxies, using primarily the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA), the Herschel Space Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope.

Beyond research, I am actively involved in both teaching and outreach. I was a teaching assistant for introductory astronomy (1101/1102) for four semesters, including two semesters as the head T.A., and for observational astronomy (4410) for one semester. I have also been involved with “Expanding Your Horizons” and “Focus for Teens”, initiatives for introducing high-school students to careers in STEM fields, for the past several years.

I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Vermont, where I received B.S. degrees in both Physics and Mathematics, working with Prof. Madalina Furis on probing the properties of organic semiconductor thin films using visible optics.

Outside of astronomy, I enjoy playing the piano and am an avid classical music concertgoer.

Departments and programs

Astronomy

Overview

My name is Cody Lamarche, and I am a fifth-year Astronomy graduate student here at Cornell. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Vermont, where I received B.S. degrees in both Physics and Mathematics. While there, I conducted research under the guidance of Dr. Madalina Furis, in the field of experimental condensed-matter physics. Using optics, we probed the electronic properties of organic semiconductor thin-films, which may, one day, replace silicon as the material of choice in electronic devices.

Here at Cornell, I hope to move into instrumentation, applying my optics background to astronomy. I am also a teaching assistant for Astronomy 1102 this spring.

Research Focus

Advisor: Professor Gordon Stacey

ISM and star formation in high-redshift galaxies, AGN/SF feedback, Far-IR/sub-millimeter astronomy

Publications

C. Lamarche, G. Stacey, D. Brisbin, et al., “CO-Dark Star Formation and Black Hole Activity in 3C 368 at z = 1.131: Coeval Growth of Stellar and Supermassive Black Hole Masses”, ApJ, 836, 123

C. Lamarche, A. Verma, A. Vishwas, G. Stacey, et al., “Observing Star Formation on Sub-Kiloparsec Scales in the High-Redshift Galaxy SDP.11 Using Gravitational Lensing”, (submitted to ApJ)