Todd Thompson

Todd Thompson is a Professor of Astronomy and Physics at The Ohio State University, holding the Allan H. Markowitz Endowed Chair in Astronomy. He serves as Department Chair and a University Distinguished Scholar. His research focuses on theoretical astrophysics, including core-collapse supernovae, neutron star formation, gamma-ray bursts, and starburst galaxy dynamics. Thompson earned his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona and held postdoctoral fellowships at UC Berkeley and Princeton University.

He teaches advanced courses like Atomic and Radiative Processes in Astrophysics and leads the All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN). Thompson has received the Sloan Fellowship, Simons Fellowship, and Ohio State's highest teaching award. His work bridges analytic and numerical methods, exploring stellar feedback, galactic winds, and compact object dynamics.

Key contributions include studies on magnetar-driven supernovae, r-process nucleosynthesis in protoneutron star winds, and cosmic-ray-driven outflows. Thompson collaborates widely, authoring over 100 publications and mentoring numerous graduate students. His lab focuses on transient phenomena and galaxy evolution through large-scale surveys like ASAS-SN.