Anne M. Hofmeister's research interests include classical physics applied to astronomy, heat transfer, and dust in space.
The oblate shape, which appears in the universe from scales of rocky planets to spiral galaxies, arises from gravitational equilibrium during spin, as was discovered by Newton and Maclaurin some 300 years ago. In astronomy, orbits have been the focus rather than spin. In a collaborative effort with R.E. Criss (EPS) and E.M. Criss (Panasonic Avionics) I am developing and applying equations describing spin to astronomical objects.
The mass of spiral galaxies determined from the Virial theorem of spin (http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/ 10.1139/cjp-2016-0625) agrees closely with luminosity (Figure). Large amounts of dark matter are not required to account for tangentially velocities in these immense objects if the motions of spin are considered (see e.g., images of triangulum or the sunflower galaxy). Related studies are in review and underway.
The 2019 textbook, Measurements, Mechanisms, and Models of Heat Transport, offers an interdisciplinary approach to the dynamic response of matter to energy input. Using a combination of fundamental principles of physics, recent developments in measuring time-dependent heat conduction, and analytical mathematics, this timely reference summarizes the relative advantages of currently used methods, and remediates flaws in modern models and their historical precursors.