FACULTY PROFILES

Kedron P. Silsbee

Assistant Professor
Physics

Office Building: Physical Sciences Building
Office Room: 215B
Phone:
Email: kpsilsbee@utep.edu

Bio

No info available.

Education

Ph D in Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University (2017)
MA in Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University (2014)

Publications

The first detection of cosmic-ray excited H2 in interstellar space Nature Astronomy (in press), Shmuel Bialy, Amit Chemke, David Neufeld, James Page, Alexei Ivlev, Sirio Belli, Brandt Gaches, Benjamin Godard, Thomas Bisbas, Paola Caselli, Arshia Jacob, Marco Padovani, Christian Rab, Kedron P. Silsbee, Troy Porter.
Mapping the Cosmic-Ray Ionization Rate in the Local Galaxy with H_3^+ the Astrophysical Journal (2026), Nick Indriolo, Alexei Ivlev, Theodore Pellegrin, Marta Obolentseva, Paola Caselli, Arshia Jacob, David Neufeld, Kedron P. Silsbee, Mark Wolfire.
The Effect of Weak Cosmic-ray Heating Events on the Desorption of H2 the Astrophysical Journal 989 1 (2025), Olli Sipilä, Kedron P. Silsbee, Naomi Carbajal, Paola Caselli, Marco Padovani.
A Rotational Disruption Crisis for Zodiacal Dust ApJ Letters 982 2 (2025), Kedron P. Silsbee, Brandon S. Hensley, Jamey R. Szalay, Petr Pokorny, Jeong-Gyu Kim.
Reevaluation of the Cosmic-Ray Ionization Rate in Diffuse Clouds The Astrophysical Journal 973 2 (2024), Marta Obolentseva, Alexei Ivlev, Kedron P. Silsbee, David Neufeld, Paola Caselli, Gordian Edenhofer, Nick Indriolo, Thomas Bisbas, David Lomeli.
The Densities in Diffuse and Translucent Molecular Clouds: Estimates from Observations of C2 and from Three-dimensional Extinction Maps The Astrophysical Journal 973 2 (2024), David Neufeld, Daniel Welty, Alexei Ivlev, Paola Caselli, Gordian Edenhofer, Nick Indriolo, Marta Obolentseva, Kedron P. Silsbee, Paule Sonnentrucker, Mark Wolfire.

Presentations

How effectively are pre-stellar cores shielded from external cosmic rays? (2025), Volume Austin, Kedron P. Silsbee.
Cosmic Ray Abundance and Transport in Molecular Clouds (2025), Volume Los Alamos, Kedron P. Silsbee.
Excessively rapid centrifugal disruption of micron-sized dust in the solar system (2025), Volume National Harbor, Maryland, Kedron P. Silsbee, Brandon Hensley, Jamey Szalay, Peter Pokorny.
Constraints on the rotational disruption of dust based on the survival of the zodiacal cloud (2024), Volume Socorro, New Mexico, Kedron P. Silsbee, Brandon Hensley, Jamey Szalay, Peter Pokorny.
Growth, drift and pile-up of planetesimals in binary systems (2024), Kedron P. Silsbee.
planetesimal growth and drift in eccentric disks (2024), Kedron P. Silsbee.
Stellar spectra and parallax measurements to constrain UV flux in the solar neighborhood (2023), Volume El Paso, Leonith Rodriguez, Kedron P. Silsbee.
The impossibility of growing mm-sized dust grains in-situ in protostellar envelopes (2023), Volume Socorro, NM, Kedron P. Silsbee.

Grants

Probing the cosmic ray ionization rate with H2 rovibrational line emission - the Taurus survey (01/01/2026 - 12/31/2028) - Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Modeling the variability of the cosmic ray ionization rate within 500 parsecs from Earth (09/01/2025 - 08/31/2028) - NSF
From Dust to Planetesimals: Gas-particle Interactions in Binary Systems (01/01/2025 - 12/31/2025) - NASA

Current/Future Courses

Term	Course	Section	Syllabus
Spring 2026	PHYS 3359 - Astrophysics	28081	Syllabus
Spring 2026	PHYS 6296 - Doctoral research	26516
Spring 2026	PHYS 6296 - Doctoral research	28411
Spring 2026	PHYS 6396 - Doctoral Research	26515
Spring 2026	PHYS 6696 - Graduate Research in Physics	28425
Spring 2026	PHYS 2321 - Introductory Electromagnetism	23912	Syllabus
Spring 2026	PHYS 2321 - Introductory Electromagnetism	23918	Syllabus
Spring 2026	PHYS 2321 - Introductory Electromagnetism	23919	Syllabus
Spring 2026	PHYS 2321 - Introductory Electromagnetism	25037
Spring 2026	PHYS 2321 - Introductory Electromagnetism	25038
Spring 2026	PHYS 2121 - Laboratory for PHYS 2321	23924	Syllabus
Spring 2026	PHYS 2121 - Laboratory for PHYS 2321	23925
Spring 2026	PHYS 2121 - Laboratory for PHYS 2321	25019
Spring 2026	PHYS 2121 - Laboratory for PHYS 2321	25020
Spring 2026	PHYS 5399 - Thesis	25447
Spring 2026	RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research	24512

Past Courses

Select Term:

Term	Course	Section	Syllabus
Fall 2025	PHYS 6296 - Doctoral research	16420
Fall 2025	PHYS 6396 - Doctoral Research	18026
Fall 2025	ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System	14634
Fall 2025	PHYS 1403 - General Physics I	10261	Syllabus
Fall 2025	RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research	11573
Spring 2025	PHYS 6381 - Astrophysics	28014	Syllabus
Spring 2025	PHYS 6296 - Doctoral research	28037
Spring 2025	PHYS 6396 - Doctoral Research	28036
Spring 2025	PHYS 5393 - Special Topics in Physics	28053
Spring 2025	PHYS 5399 - Thesis	26441
Spring 2025	PHYS 4377 - Undergrad Resrch Probs Physics	22802
Spring 2025	RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research	25110
Spring 2025	RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research	25213
Fall 2024	PHYS 6296 - Doctoral research	17884
Fall 2024	ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System	16598	Syllabus
Fall 2024	PHYS 1403 - General Physics I	10291	Syllabus
Fall 2024	PHYS 5396 - Graduate Research in Physics	18143
Fall 2024	PHYS 5398 - Thesis	17901
Fall 2024	PHYS 4377 - Undergrad Resrch Probs Physics	18123
Fall 2024	RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research	11739
Spring 2024	PHYS 3359 - Astrophysics	27207	Syllabus
Spring 2024	ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System	26186	Syllabus
Spring 2024	PHYS 5396 - Graduate Research in Physics	21349
Spring 2024	PHYS 5399 - Thesis	28168
Spring 2024	PHYS 4377 - Undergrad Resrch Probs Physics	23155
Spring 2024	RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research	26139
Summer 2023	PHYS 4377 - Undergrad Resrch Probs Physics	30712
Summer 2023	RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research	36209
Spring 2023	ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System	20525	Syllabus
Spring 2023	PHYS 5396 - Graduate Research in Physics	21469
Spring 2023	PHYS 4377 - Undergrad Resrch Probs Physics	23490
Spring 2023	RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research	27804
Spring 2023	RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research	28036

Course Evaluations

Term	Course	Section	Evaluation
Fall 2025	ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System	14634	Evaluation
Fall 2025	PHYS 1403 - General Physics I	10261	Evaluation
Fall 2024	ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System	16598	Evaluation
Fall 2024	PHYS 1403 - General Physics I	10291	Evaluation
Spring 2024	PHYS 3359 - Astrophysics	27207	Evaluation
Spring 2024	ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System	26186	Evaluation
Spring 2023	ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System	20525	Evaluation

Bio

No info available.

Ph D in Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University (2017)
MA in Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University (2014)

Publications

The first detection of cosmic-ray excited H2 in interstellar space Nature Astronomy (in press), Shmuel Bialy, Amit Chemke, David Neufeld, James Page, Alexei Ivlev, Sirio Belli, Brandt Gaches, Benjamin Godard, Thomas Bisbas, Paola Caselli, Arshia Jacob, Marco Padovani, Christian Rab, Kedron P. Silsbee, Troy Porter.
Mapping the Cosmic-Ray Ionization Rate in the Local Galaxy with H_3^+ the Astrophysical Journal (2026), Nick Indriolo, Alexei Ivlev, Theodore Pellegrin, Marta Obolentseva, Paola Caselli, Arshia Jacob, David Neufeld, Kedron P. Silsbee, Mark Wolfire.
The Effect of Weak Cosmic-ray Heating Events on the Desorption of H2 the Astrophysical Journal 989 1 (2025), Olli Sipilä, Kedron P. Silsbee, Naomi Carbajal, Paola Caselli, Marco Padovani.
A Rotational Disruption Crisis for Zodiacal Dust ApJ Letters 982 2 (2025), Kedron P. Silsbee, Brandon S. Hensley, Jamey R. Szalay, Petr Pokorny, Jeong-Gyu Kim.
Reevaluation of the Cosmic-Ray Ionization Rate in Diffuse Clouds The Astrophysical Journal 973 2 (2024), Marta Obolentseva, Alexei Ivlev, Kedron P. Silsbee, David Neufeld, Paola Caselli, Gordian Edenhofer, Nick Indriolo, Thomas Bisbas, David Lomeli.

Presentations

How effectively are pre-stellar cores shielded from external cosmic rays? (2025), Volume Austin, Kedron P. Silsbee.
Cosmic Ray Abundance and Transport in Molecular Clouds (2025), Volume Los Alamos, Kedron P. Silsbee.
Excessively rapid centrifugal disruption of micron-sized dust in the solar system (2025), Volume National Harbor, Maryland, Kedron P. Silsbee, Brandon Hensley, Jamey Szalay, Peter Pokorny.
Constraints on the rotational disruption of dust based on the survival of the zodiacal cloud (2024), Volume Socorro, New Mexico, Kedron P. Silsbee, Brandon Hensley, Jamey Szalay, Peter Pokorny.
Growth, drift and pile-up of planetesimals in binary systems (2024), Kedron P. Silsbee.

Probing the cosmic ray ionization rate with H2 rovibrational line emission - the Taurus survey (01/01/2026 - 12/31/2028) Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI)
Modeling the variability of the cosmic ray ionization rate within 500 parsecs from Earth (09/01/2025 - 08/31/2028) NSF
From Dust to Planetesimals: Gas-particle Interactions in Binary Systems (01/01/2025 - 12/31/2025) NASA

Current/Future Courses

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 3359 - Astrophysics

Section

28081

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 6296 - Doctoral research

Section

26516

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 6296 - Doctoral research

Section

28411

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 6396 - Doctoral Research

Section

26515

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 6696 - Graduate Research in Physics

Section

28425

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 2321 - Introductory Electromagnetism

Section

23912

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 2321 - Introductory Electromagnetism

Section

23918

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 2321 - Introductory Electromagnetism

Section

23919

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 2321 - Introductory Electromagnetism

Section

25037

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 2321 - Introductory Electromagnetism

Section

25038

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 2121 - Laboratory for PHYS 2321

Section

23924

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 2121 - Laboratory for PHYS 2321

Section

23925

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 2121 - Laboratory for PHYS 2321

Section

25019

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 2121 - Laboratory for PHYS 2321

Section

25020

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

PHYS 5399 - Thesis

Section

25447

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2026

Course

RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research

Section

24512

Syllabus

Past Courses

Select Term:

Term

Fall 2025

Course

PHYS 6296 - Doctoral research

Section

16420

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

PHYS 6396 - Doctoral Research

Section

18026

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System

Section

14634

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

PHYS 1403 - General Physics I

Section

10261

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research

Section

11573

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

PHYS 6381 - Astrophysics

Section

28014

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

PHYS 6296 - Doctoral research

Section

28037

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

PHYS 6396 - Doctoral Research

Section

28036

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

PHYS 5393 - Special Topics in Physics

Section

28053

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

PHYS 5399 - Thesis

Section

26441

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

PHYS 4377 - Undergrad Resrch Probs Physics

Section

22802

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research

Section

25110

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2025

Course

RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research

Section

25213

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2024

Course

PHYS 6296 - Doctoral research

Section

17884

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2024

Course

ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System

Section

16598

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2024

Course

PHYS 1403 - General Physics I

Section

10291

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2024

Course

PHYS 5396 - Graduate Research in Physics

Section

18143

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2024

Course

PHYS 5398 - Thesis

Section

17901

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2024

Course

PHYS 4377 - Undergrad Resrch Probs Physics

Section

18123

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2024

Course

RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research

Section

11739

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2024

Course

PHYS 3359 - Astrophysics

Section

27207

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2024

Course

ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System

Section

26186

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2024

Course

PHYS 5396 - Graduate Research in Physics

Section

21349

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2024

Course

PHYS 5399 - Thesis

Section

28168

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2024

Course

PHYS 4377 - Undergrad Resrch Probs Physics

Section

23155

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2024

Course

RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research

Section

26139

Syllabus

Term

Summer 2023

Course

PHYS 4377 - Undergrad Resrch Probs Physics

Section

30712

Syllabus

Term

Summer 2023

Course

RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research

Section

36209

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2023

Course

ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System

Section

20525

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2023

Course

PHYS 5396 - Graduate Research in Physics

Section

21469

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2023

Course

PHYS 4377 - Undergrad Resrch Probs Physics

Section

23490

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2023

Course

RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research

Section

27804

Syllabus

Term

Spring 2023

Course

RSRC 4033 - Undergraduate Research

Section

28036

Syllabus

Term

Fall 2025

Course

ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System

Section

14634

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2025

Course

PHYS 1403 - General Physics I

Section

10261

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2024

Course

ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System

Section

16598

Evaluation

Term

Fall 2024

Course

PHYS 1403 - General Physics I

Section

10291

Evaluation

Term

Spring 2024

Course

PHYS 3359 - Astrophysics

Section

27207

Evaluation

Term

Spring 2024

Course

ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System

Section

26186

Evaluation

Term

Spring 2023

Course

ASTR 1307 - Elem Astronomy-Solar System

Section

20525

Evaluation

Kedron P. Silsbee

Bio

Education

Scholarly and Creative Activity

Grants

Courses

Course Evaluations