My current research interests concern the radio properties of Microquasars, radio emitting X-ray binaries in our own galaxy. These objects show micro-scale versions of the characteristics of the much more distant and powerful quasars, with relativistic jets but with variation of their properties in timescales on minute to days rather than the many years typical of quasars.
The transient nature of these objects has also led me to pursue research into Fast Radio Bursts and also the nano-second wide pulse emitted by cosmic ray air showers interacting in the atmosphere on in the regolith of the moon. We plan to use the facilities at Jodrell Bank to study these objects, initially by investigating the rapid time scale local RF interference environment.
I have given courses on Electronics, Physics of Extragalactic Sources, Astronomy, Physics of the Atmosphere, Data Analysis, Radio Interferometry, Image Processing, Physics of the Interstellar Medium and Stars and Stellar Evolution
Address:
Prof R. E. Spencer,
University of Manchester,
Jodrell Bank Observatory,
Macclesfield,
Cheshire,
SK11 9DL,
UK.