physics

Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist)

Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) rather than just read about it. In short: Sean Dougherty is a Canadian astrophysicist who has been involved in a large number of radio astronomical facilities, both Canadian and international. Dougherty obtained a degree in mathematics and physics from the University of Nottingham in 1983, and after that he pursued a doctorate in astrophysics at the University of Calgary, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1993.

Key takeaways

Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Sean Dougherty is a Canadian astrophysicist who has been involved in a large number of radio astronomical facilities, both Canadian and international. Dougherty obtained a degree in mathematics and physics from the University of Nottingham in 1983, and after that he pursued a doctorate in astrophysics at the University of Calgary, where he obtained his Ph.D. in 1993. Dougherty has more than 20 years of expertise in radio astronomy, managing and representing Canadian contributions to international radio astronomical facilities, and also research and development projects. Dougherty has also led the construction and delivery of the WIDAR correlator to the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA). He also led an international consortium that designed the correlator (Central Signal Processor) of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Phase 1 mid-frequency telescope (SKA1-Mid). Dougherty was selected for the position of ALMA Director in July 2017 for a five year period, starting February 21, 2018. In January 2023, his term as ALMA Director was extended an additional 5 years, February 2023 - January 2028. Dougherty was previously the director of the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO), the national facility for radio astronomy in Canada. DRAO is administrated by the NRC Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics. He was a member of the ALMA Board representing the North American executive for four years, and has been the president for the ALMA Budget Committee for two years. Dougherty initiated the efforts for the establishment of the ALMA 2030 Roadmap, which resulted in the launch of the Wideband Sensitivity Upgrade, the first large update of the facility since the inauguration of ALMA in March 2013. Dougherty has more than 180 publications as of January 2024, of which around 85 are refereed.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist)

In research: Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Alumni of the University of Nottingham, Canadian astrophysicists, Living people, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) in simple terms?

Why does Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist) matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Sean Dougherty (astrophysicist).