Tod Strohmayer is presently the Project Scientist for NASA's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE). RXTE conducts a wide-ranging science program that includes observations of accreting compact objects such as black holes and neutron stars. Strohmayer uses RXTE observations as well as other X-ray facilities (such as XMM-Newton and Chandra) to carry out a diverse research program on the physics of compact stellar remnants, including fast X-ray timing measurements of accreting neutron stars and black holes.

Research Projects

• X-ray timing studies of ultraluminous X-ray sources in nearby galaxies to explore the question of whether some of these objects are intermediate mass black holes
• Fast X-ray timing studies of accreting neutron stars, accreting millisecond pulsars, and X-ray bursting neutron stars

Notable Publications

• "Evidence for an Intermediate-mass Black Hole in NGC 5408 X-1," Strohmayer, Tod E.; Mushotzky, Richard F., 2009, ApJ, 703, 1386.
• "The 2004 Hyperflare from SGR 1806-20: Further Evidence for Global Torsional Vibrations," Strohmayer, Tod E.; Watts, Anna L., 2006, ApJ, 653, 593.