Rachael Lynn Beaton

PhD Candidate
Jefferson Foundation Graduate Fellow

Contact Information:

  • Email: rlb9n (at) virginia (dot) edu
  • Phone: (434) 924 - 4904
  • Office: Room 106

Quick Links:

Photos (Flickr)
ASTR512: Clock Lab Photo Journal
ASTR512: Dewar Games Photo Journal
Personal Website


I am a rising 4th year graduate student at the University of Virginia. I am currently one of two TA's for ASTR313, the introductory observational astronomy course for majors. On Thursday evenings I operate the 26-inch Clark Refractor for the ASTR121 and ASTR124 Telescope Labs (see my photos here: McCormick Observatory).

I graduated in May 2007 from UVA with a B.A. Astronomy-Physics and Mathematics (graduate prep program) as an Echols and College Science Scholar. For the past four years I have worked with Steven R. Majewski on a number of imaging projects related to picking apart the structure of our own and nearby galaxies. The bulk of my work has centered on the Andromeda Spiral Galaxy (M31), including the discovery and modelling of an inner bar in the disk of M31 using the 6x 2MASS extension survey as well as the discovery of a new dwarf Spheroidal galaxy in the outer most regions of M31's halo (AndXIV).

Currently I am working in the SPLASH collaboration applying the Washington + DD051 photometric giant selection method to the outer regions of M31's stellar halo as well as working with the first UVA imaging data to come from the LBT. In the rare moments when I am not working on Astronomy, I enjoy experimenting with my DSLR and also playing a variety of musical instruments in the Cavalier Bands.

I also (clearly) like bare bones html ;).

Education Background:
  • Summer 2007 - Present: Jefferson Foundation Fellow in Astronomy, UVa
  • May 2007: B.A. with High Distinction; Astronomy-Physics, Mathematics, UVa
  • May 2003: Valedictorian, Altavista High School; Central Virginia Governor's School for Science & Technology
Research Experience:
  • June 2007 - Present: Spectroscopic and Photometric Landscape of Andromeda's Stellar Halo (SPLASH); Advisor: Steven R. Majewski, UVa
  • June 2006 - March 2007: Virginia Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate Scholar - The Gravitational Harrassment of our Dwarf Galactic Neighbors; with Steven R. Majewski, UVa
  • March 2006: Visitor, University of Marseille with E. Athanassoula; Unravelling the Bar in M31
  • June 2005 - June 2006: Harrison Undergraduate Research Scholar - The Gravitational Harrassment of our Dwarf Galactic Neighbors; with Steven R. Majewski, UVa
  • December 2003 - Present: Halo SubStructure Research Group (Various Projects); Advisor - Steven R. Majewski
Teaching Experience:
  • Senior Teaching Assistant: ASTR3130: Observational Astronomy Fall 2010 with Kelsey Johnson.
  • Instructor: ASTR3480: Introduction to Cosmology Summer 2010
  • Teaching Assitant: ASTR3480: Introduction to Cosmology Spring 2010 with John Hawley.
  • Awarded "Lawrence Fredrick Award for Excellence in Teaching" Winter 2010 by the UVA Astronomy Department Teaching Committee.
  • Teaching Assitant: ASTR5110: Astronomical Techniques Fall 2009 (Graduate Level) with Steven R. Majewkski.
  • Teaching Assitant: ASTR130: Introduction to Astronomical Observation Spring 2009 with Steven R. Majewkski.
  • Junior Teaching Assitant: ASTR313: Observational Astronomy Fall 2008 with Steven R. Majewkski.
Outreach:
  • Dark Skies, Bright Kids: Elementary School Weekly "Club"
  • Research Mentor Partnership with Central Virginia Governor's School
  • Reserach Mentor for Several Undergraduates & Young Researchers
  • UVA Public Nights & NRAO Open Houses
  • Being my nerdy self at non-nerdy functions and unleashing the nerditude in others!
(Some) Recent Publications:
  • All Publications via NASA ADS (aka self updating publication list!)
  • Discovery of Andromeda XIV: A Dwarf Spheroidal Dynamical Rogue in the Local Group?
    Majewski, S. R., Beaton, R. L., Patterson, R. J., Kalirai, J. S., Geha, M. C., Munoz, R. R., Sigar, M. A., Guhathakurta, P., Bullock, J., Rich, R. M., Gilbert, K. M. and Reitzel, D. B.
    Astro-ph/0702635v2
  • Unveiling the Boxy Bulge and Bar of the Andromdea Spiral Galaxy
    Beaton, R. L., Majewski, S. R., Guhathakurta, P., Skrutskie, M. F., Cutri, R. M., Good, J., Patterson, R. J., Athanassoula, E., Bureau, M. 2007
    NASA ADS
  • Unravelling the mystery of the M31 bar
    Athanassoula, E., Beaton, R. L. 2006, MNRAS, 370, 1499
    NASA ADS
  • Unveiling the Boxy Bulge and Bar of the Andromeda Spiral Galaxy
    Beaton, R. L., Athanassoula, E., Majewski, S. R., Guhathakurta, P., Skrutskie, M. F., Patterson, R. J., Bureau, M. 2005, Ame rican Astronomical Society Abstracts, 207
    NASA ADS
Observing Experience:
  • KPNO 4-meter with Mosaic: 6 nights Fall 2005, 6 night Fall 2006, 8 nights Fall 2007, 5 nights Fall 2009 (PI), 5 nights Fall 2010 (PI)
  • CTIO 4-meter with Mosaic II: 3 nights Summer 2007 (with David Nidever)
  • SAO MMT with Hectospec: 3 nights Fall 2005, 3 nights Fall 2006, 3 nights Fall 2007
  • ARC 3.5-meter: SPICAM (PI): 1 night Fall 2007, TripleSpec (PI): 1 night Summer 2008, Fall 2008, Spring 2009
  • ARC 3.5-meter: Trained 12 students with ASTR5110 Fall 2009 with Professor S.R. Majewski.
  • Large Binocular Telescope with LBC & LUCIFER(PI): On Site Jan & Mar 2010 (9 nights total); Numerous projects queue observed since 2007
  • Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope with VATT4k imager: 7 nights Spring 2010 (PI)
  • Keck II with DEIMOS: 8 half nights on site Fall 2009 (With UCSC & UCI SPLASH team)
  • Gemini N with GMOS-N: 3 nights on site Summer 2009 (with Tony Sohn & Ricardo Munoz)
  • ... and hopefully much more to come!
Fun News Articles: