Erin Wells Bonning - Department of Astronomy, Yale University

Erin Wells Bonning
Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics
Department of Physics
Yale University
P.O. Box 208121
New Haven, CT, 06520-8121
RESEARCH
INTERESTS
phone: (203) 432-9766
fax: (203) 432-5048
erin.bonning@yale.edu
http://www.astro.yale.edu/ewb4
Astrophysics of strongly gravitating systems. Multiwavelength observations and
theoretical modeling of active galactic nuclei, with a focus on blazars. Electromagnetic
signatures of binary black hole mergers and post-merger recoils. Sources of
gravitational radiation, binary black holes, numerical relativity.
EDUCATION University of Texas at Austin
EMPLOYMENT Yale University
STUDENTS
SUPERVISED
Doctor of Philosophy, Physics, 2004
• Dissertation: Computational and Astrophysical Studies of Black
Hole Spacetimes
• Advisor: Professor Richard Matzner
St. John’s College, Annapolis, Maryland
Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts, 1997
◦ Debra Fine Postdoctoral Fellow, 2008–present
Southwestern University
◦ Instructor, Physics Department, Fall 2007
Observatoire de Paris à Meudon
◦ Marie Curie Fellow, Laboratoire Univers et Théories, 2004-2007
University of Texas at Austin
◦ NASA GSRP Fellow, 2002-2004
◦ Assistant Instructor & TA, 1999-2001
◦ Graduate Research Fellow, 1998-1999
Naval Research Lab
◦ Associate Software Engineer, X-ray astronomy group, 1997-1998
James Kim, Yale undergraduate, Senior thesis. Measuring black hole masses
through X-ray variability.
Jedidah Isler, Yale graduate student. Measuring blazar accretion disk luminosity
through correlated variability.
Padraig Cleary, Yale graduate student. Supervisor for first-year observational
project. Developing methods for detecting recoiling black holes in AGN.
Matthew Adams, Yale undergraduate, Senior research project. Likelihood analysis
of Fermi data for blazar PKS 2052-47.
Elizabeth Henderson, Amherst College undergraduate, Summer Undergraduate
Research Fellowship (SURF) program participant. AGN point source and
host galaxy modeling with GALFIT.
Kevin Green, Yale undergraduate, Senior Thesis. Constructing and modeling
multiwavelength spectral energy distributions of blazars.

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TEACHING
EXPERIENCE
SUCCESSFUL
PROPOSALS
CO-AUTHORED
PROFESSIONAL
SERVICE
Yale University
◦ Guest Lecturer, Galaxies and Cosmology (undergraduate non-majors),
“Gravitational waves and binary black holes,” Spring 2010, Fall 2011
◦ Guest Lecturer, Gravity, Astrophysics, and Cosmology (undergraduate
physics and astronomy majors), “Observations of supermassive black holes,”
Spring 2010
◦ Guest Lecturer, High Energy Astrophysics (graduate students), “Blazars
and astrophysical jets,” Fall 2009
Southwestern University
◦ Instructor, Physics Lab. Introductory physics laboratory for science majors,
Fall 2007.
University of Texas at Austin
◦ Assistant Instructor, Introductory Physical Science I: Mechanics and Heat.
Taught integrated laboratory and lecture based class oriented towards education
majors, 2000–2001
◦ Teaching Assistant, Laboratory for Physics 303K (Engineering Physics I).
Supervised and graded lab work in mechanics, heat, and wave phenomena,
1999–2000
◦ Guest Lecturer, Galaxies, Quasars, & The Universe (undergraduate nonmajors).
Lectured on “Relativity and Black Holes” for classes of over 100
students. Led review sessions in general relativity, Spring 2004 & Fall 2007.
− “Locating the blazar emission site with Fermi variability,” Fermi Cycle 4, PI
M. Georganopoulos
− “Fermi pointed observations and multiwavelength coverage of the quasars
3C 279 and 4C 21.35 during exceptional γ ray flares,” Fermi Cycle 4, PI
M. Errando
− “Measuring AGN black hole masses in the Chandra Deep Fields,” Chandra
Cycle 12, PI M. Urry
− “An X-ray Survey of Stripe 82,” XMM-Newton AO-10, PI M. Urry
− “A Systematic Chandra Survey of AGN in Major Mergers – How many Binary
AGN are out there?” Chandra Cycle 12, PI K. Schawinski
− “SMARTS photometry of bright Fermi blazars,” Fermi Cycle 3, PI C. Bailyn
− “Measuring the high energy emission of millisecond X-ray pulsars in outburst,”
INTEGRAL AO-7, AO-6, AO-5, AO-4, PI M. Falanga
− Referee for Astrophysical Journal, ApJ Letters, Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Society, MNRAS Letters, Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y
Astrofísica.
− Proposal Review Panelist for NASA Astrophysics Theory Program, Fermi
Guest Investigator program, Chandra, HST, and Swift.
− Organizer of Yale Department of Astronomy/YCAA Seminar (2009-present)
and journal club (2008-2009).
− Organizer of one-day conference “New England Regional Quasar and AGN
Meeting,” May 2011.

Erin W. Bonning pg. 3/5
PUBLICATIONS
Refereed Publications
19. “SMARTS Optical and infrared monitoring of 12 gamma-ray bright blazars,” E. Bonning,
C.M. Urry, C. Bailyn, M. Buxton, R. Chatterjee, P. Coppi, G. Fossati, J. Isler, L.
Maraschi, ApJ, submitted (2011)
18. “Time variability analysis of the SMARTS monitoring of Fermi blazars”, R. Chatterjee,
C. Bailyn, E. W. Bonning, M. Buxton, P. Coppi, J. Isler, C. M. Urry, ApJ,submitted,
[arXiv:1101.3815] (2011)
17. “LBQS 0103-2753: A binary quasar in a major merger,” G. Shields, D. Rosario, V.
Junkkarinen, S. Chapman, E. Bonning, T. Chiba, ApJ, in press, [arXiv:1109.1524]
16. “The accreting X-ray millisecond pulsar IGR J17511–3057”, M. Falanga, L. Kuiper, J.
Poutanen, D. Galloway, E. W. Bonning, et al., A&A, 529, 68 (2011)
15. “ Search for Binary Active Galactic Nuclei: Double-peaked [O III] AGNs in the Sloan
Digital Sky Survey K. L. Smith, G. A. Shields, E. W. Bonning, C. C. Mullen, & S.
Salviander, ApJ, 716, 866 (2010)
14. “Multiwavelength monitoring of the enigmatic Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 PMN J0948+0022
in March-July 2009”, with the Fermi/LAT Collaboration, ApJ, 707, 727 (2009)
13. “The Quasar SDSS J105041.35+345631.3: Black Hole Recoil or Extreme Double-Peaked
Emitter?”, G. A. Shields, D. J. Rosario, K. L. Smith, E. W. Bonning, et al., ApJ, 707,
936 (2009)
12. “Correlated variability in the blazar 3C 454.3”, E. W. Bonning, C. Bailyn, C. M. Urry,
M. Buxton, G. Fossati, L. Maraschi, P. Coppi, R. Scalzo, J. Isler, & A. Kaptur, ApJ
Letters, 697, 81 (2009)
11. “Comment on the black hole recoil candidate quasar SDSS J092712.65+294344.0”, G. A.
Shields, E. W. Bonning, S. Salviander, ApJ, 696, 1367, (2009)
10. “Powerful flares from recoiling black holes in quasars”, G. A. Shields, E. W. Bonning,
ApJ, 682, 758 (2008)
9. “Recoiling black holes in quasars”, E. W. Bonning, G. A. Shields, & S. Salviander, ApJ
Letters, 661, 13 (2007)
8. “Accretion disk temperatures and continuum colors in QSOs”, E. W. Bonning, L. Cheng,
G. A. Shields, S. Salviander, & K. Gebhardt, ApJ, 659, 211 (2007)
7. “The black hole mass – galaxy bulge relationship for QSOs in the SDSS DR3”, S. Salviander,
G. Shields, K. Gebhardt, & E. W. Bonning, ApJ, 662, 131 (2007)
6. “Simultaneous INTEGRAL and RXTE observations of the accreting millisecond pulsar
HETE J1900.1-2455”, M. Falanga, J. Poutanen, E. W. Bonning, et al., A&A, 464, 1069,
(2007)
5. “INTEGRAL and RXTE observations of the accreting millisecond pulsar
IGR J00297+5934 in outburst,” M. Falanga, L. Kuiper, J. Poutanen, E. W.
Bonning, et al., A&A, 444, 15 (2005)
4. “INTEGRAL high energy observations of 2S 0114+65,” E. W. Bonning & M. Falanga,
A&A Letters, 436, L31-L34 (2005)
3. “QSO narrow [O III] line width and host galaxy luminosity,” E. W. Bonning, G. Shields,
S. Salviander, & R. J. McLure, ApJ, 626, 89-94 (2005)
2. “Physics and initial data for multiple black hole spacetimes,” E. W. Bonning, P. Marronetti,
D. Neilsen, & R. Matzner, Phys. Rev. D, 68, 044019 (2003)
1. “Towards stable evolutions of excised black hole spacetimes via the ADM equations:
A spherically symmetric test,” L. Lehner, M. Huq, M. Anderson, E. W. Bonning, D.
Schaefer, R. Matzner, Phys. Rev. D, 62, 44037 (2000)

Erin W. Bonning pg. 4/5
PUBLICATIONS, CONT’D
Astronomer’s Telegrams
11. “Optical-IR re-brightening of the blazar PKS 0208-512,” R. Chatterjee, C. Bailyn, E.
Bonning, et al., ATel 3591, (2011)
10. “SMARTS optical and IR observations of PKS 1424-41,” E. Bonning, C. Bailyn, M.
Buxton, R. Chatterjee, P. Coppi, J. Isler, M. Urry, L. Maraschi, & G. Fossati, ATel
3337, (2011)
9. “Optical and infrared observations of PKS 1124-186,” E. Bonning, et al. ATel 3212,
(2011)
8. “Continued optical and IR flaring in 3C 454.3’”, E. Bonning, et al. , ATel 3022, (2010)
7. “CRATES J0531-4827 is in an historically bright optical and IR state”, E. Bonning, et
al., ATel 2941, (2010)
6. “Optical and IR flare of blazar PKS B 1730-130 (NRAO 530)”, E. Bonning, et al., ATel
2764, (2010)
5. “Optical and IR flare of blazar PKS B 1622-297”, M. Buxton, C. Bailyn, E. Bonning, R.
Chatterjee, P. Coppi,J. Isler, R. Scalzo, M. Urry, L. Maraschi & G. Fossati, ATel 2522,
(2010)
4. “Strong optical and IR brightening in the blazar 3C 454.3”, E. Bonning, et al., ATel
2332, (2009)
3. “Possible Optical and IR flare of blazars 0235+164 and 1622-297”, M. Buxton, C. Bailyn,
E. Bonning, R. Chatterjee, P. Coppi, J. Isler, R. Scalzo, M. Urry, L. Maraschi & G.
Fossati, ATel 2207, (2009)
2. “Optical and IR flare of 3C 454.3”, M. Buxton, C. Bailyn, E. Bonning, R. Chatterjee,
P. Coppi,J. Isler, R. Scalzo, M. Urry, L. Maraschi & G. Fossati, ATel 2181, (2009)
1. “Optical and IR flare of blazars 3C 454.3 and 3C 279”, M. Buxton, C. Bailyn, E. Bonning,
R. Chatterjee, P. Coppi,J. Isler, R. Scalzo, M. Urry, L. Maraschi & G. Fossati, ATel 2155,
(2009)
Non-refereed Publications
6. “Variability in the blazar 3C 454.3”, E. W. Bonning et al., in Accretion and Ejection in
AGN: A Global View, ASP Pacific Conference Series, eds. L. Maraschi, G. Ghisellini,
R. Della Ceca and F. Tavecchio
5. “ Quasars with a kick – black hole recoil in quasars”, G. A. Shields, E. W. Bonning &
S. Salviander, in Black Holes. Poster Papers from the Space Telescope Science Institute
Symposium, April 2007, ed. Livio, M. & Koekemoer, A., STScI, [arXiv:0707.3625]
4. “Evolution of the black hole – bulge relationship in QSOs”, G. A. Shields, S. Salviander,
& E. W. Bonning, New Astronomy Review, 50, 809, (2006)
3. “The black hole mass – galaxy bulge relationship for QSOs in the SDSS DR3”, S. Salviander,
G. A. Shields, K. Gebhardt, and E. W. Bonning, New Astronomy Review, 50,
803, (2006)
2. “The black hole mass – galaxy bulge relationship for QSOs in the SDSS DR3”, Salviander,
S., Shields, G. A., Gebhardt, K., & Bonning, E. W., in ASP Conf. Ser. 352: New
Horizons in Astronomy: Frank N. Bash Symposium, ed. Kannappan, S. J., Redfield, S.,
Kessler-Silacci, J. E., Landriau, M.& Drory, N., (2006)
1. “QSO host galaxy luminosity and [O III] line width as a surrogate for stellar velocity
distribution”, E. W. Bonning, G. A. Shields, S. Salviander, & R. J. McLure, in Revista
Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica Conference Series, ed. S. Torres-Peimbert. & G.
MacAlpine, (2005)

Erin W. Bonning pg. 5/5
INVITED
TALKS
IAU Symposium 285, ”New Horizons in Time Domain Astronomy,” Oxford, UK
2011
Fermi User Support Workshop, New York University, December 2010.
Committee for Space Research (COSPAR), Time Variability at High Energies: a
Probe of AGN Physics, Bremen, Germany, July 2010
New England Regional Quasar/AGN Meeting, Boston University, May 2010
Yale University, Astronomy Department Cosmology Seminar, April 2010
American Physical Society, Division of Astrophysics invited talk, Washington,
DC, February 2010
University of Texas at Austin, Astronomy Department Colloquium, February 2010
Yale University, Professional Seminar, December 2009
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Institute for Theory and Computation
Luncheon Forum, December 2009
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, High Energy Astrophysics Division,
December 2009
Rochester Institute of Technology, Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation
Colloquium, November 2009
Wesleyan University, Astronomy Department Colloquium, October 2009
Accretion and Ejection in AGN: A Global View, Como, Italy, June 2009
Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Seminar, April 2008
OUTREACH Docent, Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History Great Hall of Dinosaurs,
February 2009–present.
Host of public observing nights at Leitner Family Observatory (Yale) and Painter
Hall Observatory (UT Austin).
Yale Science Pathways, presenter and mentor for New Haven Public School students
on careers and research in astronomy, 2011
New Haven Science Fair judge (2008–2010)
Public talk, Silliman College (Yale) Fellows dinner, ‘Black holes and astrophysical
jets,’ Fall 2009.
Colloquium, Yale Institute for Sacred Music, ‘Seen through a glass, darkly: the
universe revealed through astronomical observations,’ Fall 2010.
Yale Peabody Museum Exhibition: Black Holes: Space Warps & Time Twists.
Featured, along with other Yale astronomers, in special section highlighting
black hole research at Yale. Exhibit tour guide, aid to teacher training
sessions.
REFERENCES Research and education/outreach references available by request.