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Ricardo Muñoz Vidal
Associate Professor
Training and contact
PhD in Astrophysics, 2008, University of Virginia, VA, USA. Postdoctoral Associate: 2008-2011, Yale University, CT, USA.
Research Topics:Near-Field Cosmology, Dwarf Galaxies, Galactic Structure, Local Volume.
Area of interest
My current research interests focus primarily on the evolution of dwarf galaxies (particularly dwarf spheroidal galaxies and ultra-faint systems) and their interactions with our Milky Way. My work includes observational and computational studies (N-body simulations) of these systems with the aim of understanding the role that galactic tides play in shaping their structural and kinematic properties. Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are the faintest and possibly the darkest (dark matter-dominated) type of galaxy in the universe. Besides being interesting systems in their own right, they provide significant constraints on current cosmological models at small scales and may potentially teach us something about the nature of dark matter.
Biography
Ricardo R. Muñoz holds a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Virginia, USA. He subsequently held a postdoctoral position at Yale University, New Haven, USA, from November 2010. Dr. Muñoz is a professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Chile, where he has been an associate professor since 2017.
Along with a robust research program focused on Near-Field Cosmology (see previous section), since joining the University of Chile, Dr. Muñoz has been particularly active in administrative roles, both in community service and within the Department of Astronomy. For four and a half years, Dr. Muñoz served as President of the Chilean Telescope Allocation Committee (CNTAC), responsible for allocating telescope time to the Chilean community through international agreements signed by the University of Chile (currently managing more than 20 telescopes). In addition, Dr. Muñoz has been a member of several national committees, such as the Gemini-Conicyt Committee and the Fondecyt Research Group on Astronomy, Cosmology, and Particles. He has been the Chilean representative on the AURA Management Council for LSST (AMCL) and is one of the founders of the Chilean Participation Group (CPG) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) scientific collaboration. Within the Department of Astronomy, Dr. Muñoz has served as a Postgraduate Advisor and, more recently, as the head of Administration and Finance.
He is a member of the Astronomical Societies of Chile and the Americas (SOCHIAS and AAS).
Along with a robust research program focused on Near-Field Cosmology (see previous section), since joining the University of Chile, Dr. Muñoz has been particularly active in administrative roles, both in community service and within the Department of Astronomy. For four and a half years, Dr. Muñoz served as President of the Chilean Telescope Allocation Committee (CNTAC), responsible for allocating telescope time to the Chilean community through international agreements signed by the University of Chile (currently managing more than 20 telescopes). In addition, Dr. Muñoz has been a member of several national committees, such as the Gemini-Conicyt Committee and the Fondecyt Research Group on Astronomy, Cosmology, and Particles. He has been the Chilean representative on the AURA Management Council for LSST (AMCL) and is one of the founders of the Chilean Participation Group (CPG) in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-IV) scientific collaboration. Within the Department of Astronomy, Dr. Muñoz has served as a Postgraduate Advisor and, more recently, as the head of Administration and Finance.
He is a member of the Astronomical Societies of Chile and the Americas (SOCHIAS and AAS).
Courses, Projects, Recent Publications
- Chemistry
- Astrophysics of Galaxies
- General Astronomy
- Galactic Astronomy
- Introduction to Astrobiology
