Derek Charles Richardson

I joined the Department of Astronomy in August 2000. I have a B.Sc. in Physics and Astronomy from the University of British Columbia (1990) and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Cambridge (1993). My first postdoctoral position was at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics in Toronto (1993 to 1996). I then spent 3 years as a postdoc in the Astronomy Department at the University of Washington in Seattle, followed by 1 year there as a Research Assistant Professor before moving to Maryland. In July 2025, I plan to retire and become Professor Emeritus. My research interests include computational astrophysics, planet formation, planetary ring dynamics, asteroid evolution, and granular dynamics. As a theorist, I'm a faculty member of our department's Center for Theory and Computation.

Research Areas:

Solar System

Computation and Simulation

Research Centers & Collaborations: Center for Theory & Computation

Small Bodies Node

Facilities:

Supercomputing