Robert Morgan CV

Education

Ph.D. in Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2017-2022

• Focus: Machine Learning Methods for Detecting Rare Objects in Astronomical Survey Datasets.

M.A. in Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2017-2019

B.S. in Physics, Wayne State University, 2013-2017

B.S. in Mathematics, Wayne State University, 2013-2017

Supplemental Education

Large Synoptic Survey Telescope Data Science Fellowship Program 2018-2021

• Topics: Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Bayesian Statistics, Visualization, Software Engineering, Databases, Algorithmic Efficiency, Object-Oriented Programming, Image Analysis, Teaching Data Science

Publications

As the Corresponding Author

DeepZipper: A Novel Deep Learning Architecture for Lensed Supernovae Identification. Morgan et al. 2021. Accepted for presentation at the 2021 Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems.

Expediting DECam Multimessenger Counterpart Searches with Convolutional Neural Networks. Shandonay and Morgan et al. 2021. Submitted. arXiv: 2106.11315

Deeplenstronomy: A dataset simulation package for strong gravitational lensing. Morgan et al. 2021. Published in JOSS, Volume 6, Issue No. 58. arXiv: 2102.02830 DOI: 10.21105/joss.02854

Constraints on the Physical Properties of GW190814 through Simulations Based on DECam Follow-up Observations by the Dark Energy Survey. Morgan et al. 2020. Published in ApJ, Volume 901, Issue No. 1. arXiv: 2006.07385 DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/abafaa

A DECam Search for Explosive Optical Transients Associated with IceCube Neutrino Alerts. Morgan et al., 2019. Published in ApJ, Volume 883, Issue No. 2. arXiv: 1907.07193 DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ab3a45

Linearization and Stability Analysis of Nonlinear Problems. Morgan, 2015. Published in the Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Mathematics Journal, Volume 16, Issue No. 2. Link to Article

As a Contributing Author

SOAR/Goodman Spectroscopic Assessment of Candidate Counterparts of the LIGO–Virgo Event GW190814. Tucker et al 2021. Submitted. arXiv: 2109.13351

Kilpatrick, Charles D et al. “The Gravity Collective: A Search for the Electromagnetic Counterpart to the Neutron Star-Black Hole Merger GW190814”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2106.06897. (2021).

Birrer, Simon et al. “lenstronomy II: A gravitational lensing software ecosystem”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2106.05976. (2021).

Vega-Ferrero, J et al. “Pushing automated morphological classifications to their limits with the Dark Energy Survey”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. (2021).

Machine Learning for Searching the Dark Energy Survey for Trans-Neptunian Objects. Henges et al. 2020. Submitted. arXiv: 2009.12856

A Statistical Standard Siren Measurement of the Hubble Constant from the LIGO/Virgo Gravitational Wave Compact Object Merger GW190814 and Dark Energy Survey Galaxies. Palmese et al. 2020. Published in ApJ, Volume 900, Issue No. 2. arXiv: 2006.14961 DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/abaeff

A DESGW Search for the Electromagnetic Counterpart to the LIGO/Virgo Gravitational Wave Binary Neutron Star Merger Candidate S190510g. Garcia et al. 2020. Accepted by ApJ. arXiv: 2007.00050

Supernova Siblings: Assessing the Consistency of Properties of Type Ia Supernovae that Share the Same Parent Galaxies. Scolnic et al. Published in ApJ, Volume 896, Issue No. 1. arXiv: 2002.00974 DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ab8735

Studies of Lepton Flavor Violation at the LHC. Bhattacharya et al., 2018. Published in Physics Letters B, Volume 785, Issue No. 165. arXiv: 1802.06082 DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2018.08.037

On the Evolution of the Inner Disk Radius with Flux in the Neutron Star Low-Mass X-ray Binary Serpens X-1. Chiang et al., 2016. Published in ApJ, Volume 831, Issue No. 45. arXiv: 1604.08626 DOI: 10.3847/0004-637X/831/1/45

As a DES Builder

DES Builder Publications are listed at the end of the document.

Talks

Invited Seminars

DeepZipper: A Novel Deep Learning Architecture for Lensed Supernovae Identification

• Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Cosmic Physics Center (Nov 2, 2021)

• LIneA - Laboratório Interinstitucional de e-Astronomia (2021)

Optical Follow-up Observations of the Neutron Star-Black Hole Merger S190814bv by The Dark Energy Survey

• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Colloquium (2020)

At Conferences

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Algorithms in DES Analyses

• American Astronomical Society Conference (remote), 2021

Optical Follow-up Observations of the Neutron Star-Black Hole Merger S190814bv by The Dark Energy Survey

• American Physical Society April Meering, Washington D.C. (remote), 2020 Link to Talk

Recent Results from Multimessenger Follow-ups by the Dark Energy Survey

• Midwest Conference on Supernovae and Transients, Columbus, OH, 2019 Link to Talk

A DECam Search for Explosive Optical Transients Associated with IceCube Neutrinos

• International Cosmic Ray Conference, Madison, WI, 2019 Link to Talk

• American Physical Society April Meeting, Denver, CO, 2019 Link to Talk

At Collaboration Meetings

Detailed Comparisons of Photometric Supernova Classifiers

• Dark Energy Survey Collaboration Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, June 2019

KN-Classify: A Machine Learning Tool for Kilonova Detection in Rapid Optical Follow-ups

• Dark Energy Survey Collaboration Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, June 2019

A DECam Search for Explosive Optical Transients Associated with IceCube Neutrinos

• IceCube Collaboration Meeting, Madison WI, May 2019
• Dark Energy Survey Collaboration Meeting, Campinas, Brazil, December 2018
• Dark Energy Survey Collaboration Meeting, College Station, TX, May 2018

Poster Presentations

On the Evolution of the Inner Disk Radius with Flux in the Neutron Star Low-Mass X-ray Binary Serpens X-1

• Wayne State University Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Fair, October 2016
• Wayne State University Liberal Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Fair, April 2016 ..- Awarded Second Place Poster
• Wayne State University Physics Department Undergraduate Research Fair, November 2015 ..- Awarded Second Place Poster
• Wayne State University Annual Summer Undergraduate Research Mini-Symposium, August 2015 ..- Awarded First Place Poster

Undergraduate Students Mentored

• Adam Shandonay. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Developing Convolution Neural Networks for Artifact Detection in Astronomical Difference Imaging.
• Tristan Bachmann. University of Chicago. Models of Optical Emission from Binary Black Hole Mergers.
• Nora Shermann. University of Michigan. Searches for Optical Emission from Binary Black Hole Mergers.
• Jacqueline Beran. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Searches for Supernovae and Tidal Disruption Events in Coincidence with IceCube Neutrinos. ..-Publication: Searching for Explosive Optical Counterpars to IceCube Neutrinos

Graduate Fellowships

• Universities Research Association Fermilab Visiting Scholar Program Fellow
• Legacy Survey of Space and Time Corporation Data Science Fellowship Program Fellow

Software

Personal Contributions

• deeplenstronomy ..- A simulation package for astronomical images of strong graviataional lensing (available on PyPi)
• DES_Followups ..- A simulation and machine learning classification pipeline utilized in multiple publications (1, 2, 3)

Open-Source Contributions

• lenstronomy ..- Incorporated a ZTF observing mode accompanied with unit tests

Contributions to the Broader Field of Astronomy

Observing and Proposals

National Optical Astronomy Observatory Proposals:

• Revealing the Sources of High-Energy Astrophysical Neutrinos (2017B-0239, 2017B-0243, 2018A-0256, 2018B-0312, 2019A-0240)
• The DECam Search & Discovery Program for Optical Signatures of Gravitational Wave Events (2019A-0205, 2019B-0372)

Observing:

• Observed 7 nights for the Dark Energy Survey on the Blanco 4m Telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile
• Observed 3 nights for the DECam Local Volume Exploration on the Blanco 4m Telescope remotely from Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Realtime Notices Sent to the Astronomical Community

• Gamma-Ray Coordinates Network: GCN 24480 GCN 25302 GCN 25336 GCN 25373 GCN 25398 GCN 25423 GCN 25425 GCN 25438 GCN 25486 GCN 25540 GCN 27366 GCN 27227
• Transient Name Server: Several postings

Seminar Series Organized

• 11 Graduate Student Professional Development Seminars: https://rmorgan10.github.io/UWMadisonPGSC-PD/
• 4 Graduate Student Research Seminars: https://rmorgan10.github.io/FROGS/
• 5 Physics and Astsonomy Anti-Racism Coalition Python Semianrs: https://paarc.info/events/python-seminars/

Undergraduate Scholarships

• 2018 Humphry Fellowship ($2,500)
• 2017 Humphry Fellowship ($2,500)
• 2016 Outstanding Achievement in Physics ($1,200)
• 2016 Saperstein Physics and Society Scholarship ($750)
• 2016 Folley Outstanding Achievement in Mathematics ($1,000)
• 2015 David de Lisa Mathematics Scholarship ($1,000)
• 2015 Outstanding Achievement in Physics ($750)
• 2014 Outstanding Achievement in Physics ($750)
• 2013 WSU University Scholarship ($62,500)
• 2013 National Merit Scholarship ($3,000)

Undergraduate Awards

• 2017 Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
• 2016 Inducted into Sigma Pi Sigma National Physics Honors Society
• 2016 Second Place Poster Presentation at WSU Liberal Arts and Sciences Research Fair
• 2016 Mathematics Problem of the Week Winner
• 2015 Second Place Poster Presentation at WSU Physics Department Research Fair
• 2015 First Place Poster Presentation at WSU Undergraduate Research Mini-Symposium
• 2015 Mathematics Problem of the Week Winner
• 2014 Mathematics Problem of the Week Winner
• 2014 Mathematics Computer Lab Tutor of the Year
• 2013 Mathematics Problem of the Week Winner
• 2013 National Merit Scholar
• 2013 National AP Scholar

Additional Experience

Teaching

Role: Graduate Teaching Assistant, UW-Madison

Instructed an introductory electricity and magnetism course for undergraduate engineering students during the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters. I designed worksheets, quizzes, and lesson plans for roughly 100 students.

Role: Undergraduate Mathematics Computer Lab Tutor, Wayne State University

Guided students through algebra problems from 2013 to 2017. Named the Mathematics Computer Lab Tutor of the Year in 2014.

Outreach

Role: Wonders of Physics Volunteer, UW-Madison

Performed and explained physics demonstrations for children ages 0-15 at the Wisconsin Science Festival (2018), STEMfest at Northern Illinois University (2017), and Girl Scout Science Day at UW-Madison (2017).

Role: Camp Cosmos Counselor, Wayne State University

Responsible for guiding ~20 middle school students in science activities and field trips during a week-long summer camp (2017).

Leadership: WSU Club Soccer

Role: President, Coach, Treasurer, and Player for the Wayne State Club Soccer Program from 2014-2017

Organized a soccer program at the club-collegiate level. Ran tryouts, coordinated community volunteering efforts, reserved fields, managed budgets, fundraised, purchased new balls and jerseys, coordinated travel, planned practices, and managed and played in games. Brought a full-size soccer field to the WSU campus for the first time in school history. In all three years, the program was a top team in the league and stayed in the black financially.

DES Builder Publications

Probing galaxy evolution in massive clusters using ACT and DES: splashback as a cosmic clock. Adhikari et al. 2020. Submitted. arXiv: 2008.11663

The Effect of Environment on Type Ia Supernovae in the Dark Energy Survey Three-Year Cosmological Sample. Kelsey et al. 2020. Submitted. arXiv: 2008.12101

The WaZP galaxy cluster sample of the Dark Energy Survey Year 1. Aguena et al. 2020. Submitted. arXiv: 2008.08711

The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: A Catalog of > 4000 Sunyaev-Zel’dovich Galaxy Clusters. Hilton et al. 2020. Submitted. arXiv: 2009.11043

Kelsey, Lisa et al. “The effect of environment on Type Ia supernovae in the Dark Energy Survey three-year cosmological sample”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 501. 4(2021): 4861–4876.

Aguena, Michel et al. “The WaZP galaxy cluster sample of the dark energy survey year 1”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 502. 3(2021): 4435–4456.

Adhikari, Susmita et al. “Probing galaxy evolution in massive clusters using ACT and DES: splashback as a cosmic clock”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2008.11663. (2020).

To, C et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Results: Cosmological Constraints from Cluster Abundances, Weak Lensing, and Galaxy Correlations”. Physical review letters 126. 14(2021): 141301.

Muir, Jessica et al. “DES Y1 results: Splitting growth and geometry to test $\Lambda$ CDM”. Physical Review D 103. 2(2021): 023528.

Fortino, WF et al. “Reducing ground-based astrometric errors with Gaia and Gaussian processes”. The Astronomical Journal 162. 3(2021): 106.

Costanzi, Matteo et al. “Cosmological constraints from DES Y1 cluster abundances and SPT multiwavelength data”. Physical Review D 103. 4(2021): 043522.

Doux, Cyrille et al. “Dark energy survey internal consistency tests of the joint cosmological probes analysis with posterior predictive distributions”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 503. 2(2021): 2688–2705.

Porredon, Anna et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 results: Optimizing the lens sample in a combined galaxy clustering and galaxy-galaxy lensing analysis”. Physical Review D 103. 4(2021): 043503.

Doux, Cyrille et al. “Consistency of cosmic shear analyses in harmonic and real space”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 503. 3(2021): 3796–3817.

Sevilla-Noarbe, Ignacio et al. “Dark energy survey year 3 results: Photometric data set for cosmology”. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 254. 2(2021): 24.

Gatti, Marco et al. “Dark energy survey year 3 results: weak lensing shape catalogue”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 504. 3(2021): 4312–4336.

Stringer, Katelyn M et al. “Identifying RR lyrae variable stars in six years of the dark energy survey”. The Astrophysical Journal 911. 2(2021): 109.

Friedrich, O et al. “Dark Energy Survey year 3 results: covariance modelling and its impact on parameter estimation and quality of fit”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 508. 3(2021): 3125–3165.

Gatti, M et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: Clustering Redshifts–Calibration of the Weak Lensing Source Redshift Distributions with redMaGiC and BOSS/eBOSS”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2012.08569. (2020).

Vincenzi, M et al. “The Dark Energy Survey supernova programme: modelling selection efficiency and observed core-collapse supernova contamination”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 505. 2(2021): 2819–2839.

Everett, S et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: Measuring the Survey Transfer Function with Balrog”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2012.12825. (2020).

Mucesh, Sunil et al. “A machine learning approach to galaxy properties: joint redshift–stellar mass probability distributions with Random Forest”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 502. 2(2021): 2770–2786.

Myles, Justin et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 results: redshift calibration of the weak lensing source galaxies”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 505. 3(2021): 4249–4277.

Hartley, WG et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: Deep Field Optical+ Near-Infrared Images and Catalogue”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2012.12824. (2020).

Cawthon, R et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: Calibration of Lens Sample Redshift Distributions using Clustering Redshifts with BOSS/eBOSS”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2012.12826. (2020).

Lemos, P et al. “Assessing tension metrics with Dark Energy Survey and Planck data”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. (2021).

Grandis, Sebastian et al. “Exploring the contamination of the DES-Y1 cluster sample with SPT-SZ selected clusters”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 504. 1(2021): 1253–1272.

Penton, Andrew et al. “OzDES Reverberation Mapping Program: Lag recovery reliability for 6-year CIV analysis”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2101.06921. (2021).

Napier, KJ et al. “No Evidence for Orbital Clustering in the Extreme Trans-Neptunian Objects”. The Planetary Science Journal 2. 2(2021): 59.

Hilton, Matt et al. “The atacama cosmology telescope: A catalog of> 4000 Sunyaev–Zel’dovich galaxy clusters”. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 253. 1(2021): 3.

Varga, TN et al. “Synthetic Galaxy Clusters and Observations Based on Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Data”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2102.10414. (2021).

Yu, Zhefu et al. “OzDES Reverberation Mapping Program: The first Mg II lags from five years of monitoring”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2103.01973. (2021).

Drlica-Wagner, A et al. “The DECam Local Volume Exploration Survey: Overview and First Data Release”. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 256. 1(2021): 2.

Grayling, M et al. “Understanding the extreme luminosity of DES14X2fna”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 505. 3(2021): 3950–3967.

Andrade-Oliveira, F et al. “Galaxy Clustering in Harmonic Space from the Dark Energy Survey Year 1 Data: Compatibility with Real-Space Results”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. (2021).

Lee, S et al. “Galaxy-galaxy lensing with the DES-CMASS catalogue: measurement and constraints on the galaxy-matter cross-correlation”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2104.11319. (2021).

Lee, S et al. “Probing gravity with the DES-CMASS sample and BOSS spectroscopy”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2104.14515. (2021).

Shin, T et al. “The mass and galaxy distribution around SZ-selected clusters”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 507. 4(2021): 5758–5779.

Wiseman, P et al. “Rates and delay times of type Ia supernovae in the Dark Energy Survey”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2105.11954. (2021).

Jeffrey, Niall et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 results: Curved-sky weak lensing mass map reconstruction”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 505. 3(2021): 4626–4645.

Hilton, M et al. “VizieR Online Data Catalog: Sunyaev-Zel’dovich galaxy clusters surveyed by ACT (Hilton+, 2021)”. VizieR Online Data Catalog. (2021): J–ApJS.

Rodr'\iguez-Monroy, M et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: Galaxy clustering and systematics treatment for lens galaxy samples”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2105.13540. (2021).

Chen, Angela et al. “Constraints on dark matter to dark radiation conversion in the late universe with DES-Y1 and external data”. Physical Review D 103. 12(2021): 123528.

Golden-Marx, Jesse B et al. “The Observed Evolution of the Stellar Mass-Halo Mass Relation for Brightest Central Galaxies”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2107.02197. (2021).

Rosell, A Carnero et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: Galaxy Sample for BAO Measurement”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2107.05477. (2021).

Wetzell, V et al. “Velocity Dispersions of Clusters in the Dark Energy Survey Y3 redMaPPer Catalog”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2107.07631. (2021).

Abbott, TMC et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: A 2.7\% measurement of Baryon Acoustic Oscillation distance scale at redshift 0.835”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2107.04646. (2021).

Carnero Rosell, A et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: Galaxy Sample for BAO Measurement”. arXiv e-prints. (2021): arXiv–2107.

Ferrero, I et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 Results: Galaxy mock catalogs for BAO analysis”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2107.04602. (2021).

Lokken, M et al. “Superclustering with the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and Dark Energy Survey: I. Evidence for thermal energy anisotropy using oriented stacking”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2107.05523. (2021).

Cheng, Ting-Yun et al. “Galaxy morphological classification catalogue of the Dark Energy Survey Year 3 data with convolutional neural networks”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 507. 3(2021): 4425–4444.

Gatti, M et al. “Cross-correlation of DES Y3 lensing and ACT/\(\\)\backslash$it Planck$$ $ thermal Sunyaev Zel’dovich Effect I: Measurements, systematics tests, and feedback model constraints”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2108.01600. (2021).

Pandey, S et al. “Cross-correlation of DES Y3 lensing and ACT/\(\\)\backslash$it Planck$$ $ thermal Sunyaev Zel’dovich Effect II: Modeling and constraints on halo pressure profiles”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2108.01601. (2021).

Abbott, TMC et al. “The Dark Energy Survey Data Release 2”. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 255. 2(2021): 20.

Guise, E et al. “Multi-wavelength Optical and NIR Variability Analysis of the Blazar PKS 0027-426”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2108.13386. (2021).

Bernardinelli, Pedro H et al. “A search of the full six years of the Dark Energy Survey for outer Solar System objects”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2109.03758. (2021).

Akhazhanov, A et al. “Finding quadruply imaged quasars with machine learning. I. Methods”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2109.09781. (2021).

Cordero, Juan P et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 results: Marginalisation over redshift distribution uncertainties using ranking of discrete realisations”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2109.09636. (2021).

Bernardinelli, Pedro H et al. “C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein): the nearly spherical cow of comets”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2109.09852. (2021).

O’Donnell, JH et al. “The DES Bright Arcs Survey: Candidate Strongly Lensed Galaxy Systems from the Dark Energy Survey 5,000 Sq. Deg. Footprint”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2110.02418. (2021).

MacCrann, N et al. “Dark Energy Survey Y3 results: Blending shear and redshift biases in image simulations”. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. (2021).

Tavangar, K et al. “From the Fire: A Deeper Look at the Phoenix Stream”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2110.03703. (2021).

Gatti, M et al. “Dark Energy Survey Year 3 results: cosmology with moments of weak lensing mass maps”. arXiv preprint arXiv:2110.10141. (2021).