Dr. Murray Alexander
Title: Adjunct Professor of Physics
Phone: 204.786.9020
Office: 2L22
Building: Lockhart Hall
Email: mu.alexander@uwinnipeg.ca
Degrees:
Ph.D. (Manchester, 1973)
Courses:
(2024-2025)
- PHYS-3203: Advanced Mechanics (Winter 2025)
Research Interests:
Astrophysics of Binary & Multiple Star Systems
There are two current projects.
- Investigate the long-term dynamics of hierarchical triple and quadruple star systems: their formation and evolution, accounting for tidal friction during close-encounters. Analysis of Kozai-Lidov cycles for individual systems (NO Pup and CN Lyn) and resonances between binaries in a pair of binaries in wide orbit about each other.
- Coupling of gravity-mode oscillations in early-type stars in binary systems: angular momentum transport; orbital precession/nutation; resonances with orbital motion; and observational consequences.
Publications:
Astronomy only:
- Erdem, V. Bakis, Murray Alexander. Absolute parameters of young stars: NO Puppis. Publ. Astronomical Society of Australia, accepted: August 2025.
- Budding, J. Southworth, K. Pavlovski, M.D. Rhodes, W. Zihao, T. Love, M.G. Blackford, T.S. Banks, Murray Alexander. The enigmatic multiple star VV Ori. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 527, 2024, Pages 6389-6405.
- Murray E. Alexander. Orbital precession in short-period hot Jupiter exoplanet systems. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 522, Issue 2, June 2023, Pages 1968–1986.
- Alexander, M.E., "Tidal Resonances in Binary Star Systems", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 227 (1987), pp. 843-861
- Alexander, M.E., "Tidal Resonances in Binary Star Systems. II. Slowly Rotating Stars", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 235 (1988), 1367-1383.
- Alexander, M.E., Simulation of Binary-Single Star and Binary-Binary Scattering. Journ. Computational Physics, 64 (1986), 195-219.
- Alexander, M.E. Precession and nutation in close binary systems. Astrophysics and Space Science 45 (1976), 105-117.
- Alexander, M.E., & Budding, E., Close Binary Systems in Globular Clusters. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 73 (1979), pp. 227-236.
- Alexander, M.E., Chau, W.-Y., and Henriksen, R.N. Orbital Evolution of a Singly-Condensed, Close Binary System by Mass Loss from the Primary and by Accretion Drag on the Condensed Member. Astrophysical Journal, 204 (1976), pp. 179-188.
- Alexander, M.E. The Weak Friction Approximation and Tidal Evolution of Close Binary Systems, Astrophysics & Space Science, 23 (1973), pp. 459-510.