Staff profile

• Big Bang Nucleosynthesis
• Cosmology
• Fundamental Physics
• The First Stars

Chapter in book

• Big Bang nucleosynthesis
  
  Cooke, R. (2026). Big Bang nucleosynthesis (pp. 159-183). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-21439-4.00046-8

Journal Article

• Unmixed metals: variations in the enrichment of z ∼ 4 sub-damped Lyman α systems
  
  Berg, T. A. M., Welsh, L. A., Cooke, R. J., Christensen, L., D’Odorico, V., Ellison, S. L., & López, S. (2025). Unmixed metals: variations in the enrichment of z ∼ 4 sub-damped Lyman α systems. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 541(3), 2405-2423. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf1133
• Efficient search for extremely metal-poor galaxies in the local universe using convolutional neural networks
  
  Cheng, T., & Cooke, R. J. (2025). Efficient search for extremely metal-poor galaxies in the local universe using convolutional neural networks. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 540(1), 128-142. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf690
• A determination of the cosmic microwave background temperature using Galactic molecules
  
  Cooke, R., & Welsh, L. (2025). A determination of the cosmic microwave background temperature using Galactic molecules. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 536(2), 1980-1999. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stae2738
• KBSS-InCLOSE. I. Design and First Results from the Inner Circumgalactic Medium of QSO Line-of-sight Emitting Galaxies at z ∼ 2–3 * * Some of the data presented herein were obtained at Keck Observatory, which is a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.
  
  Nuñez, E. H., Steidel, C. C., Kirby, E. N., Rudie, G. C., Prusinski, N. Z., Chen, Y., Zhuang, Z., Strom, A. L., Erb, D. K., Pettini, M., Welsh, L., Rupke, D. S. N., & Cooke, R. J. (2024). KBSS-InCLOSE. I. Design and First Results from the Inner Circumgalactic Medium of QSO Line-of-sight Emitting Galaxies at z ∼ 2–3 * * Some of the data presented herein were obtained at Keck Observatory, which is a private 501(c)3 non-profit organization operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. The Astrophysical Journal, 976(1), Article 41. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad70b6
• A survey of extremely metal-poor gas at cosmic noon: Evidence of elevated [O/Fe]
  
  Welsh, L., Cooke, R., Fumagalli, M., Pettini, M., & Rudie, G. C. (2024). A survey of extremely metal-poor gas at cosmic noon: Evidence of elevated [O/Fe]. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 691, Article A285. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202451147
• Robust Support for Semi-automated Reductions of Keck/NIRSPEC Data Using PypeIt
  
  Carvalho, A. S., Doppmann, G., Westfall, K. B., Pelliccia, D., Prochaska, J. X., Hennawi, J., Davies, F. B., Brodheim, M., Wang, F., & Cooke, R. (2024). Robust Support for Semi-automated Reductions of Keck/NIRSPEC Data Using PypeIt. Research Notes of the AAS, 8(10), Article 271. https://doi.org/10.3847/2515-5172/ad8bb5
• Cosmology and fundamental physics with the ELT-ANDES spectrograph
  
  Martins, C., Cooke, R., Liske, J., Murphy, M., Noterdaeme, P., Schmidt, T., Alcaniz, J. S., Alves, C. S., Balashev, S., Cristiani, S., Di Marcantonio, P., Génova Santos, R., Gonçalves, R. S., González Hernández, J. I., Maiolino, R., Marconi, A., Marques, C. M. J., Melo e Sousa, M. A. F., Nunes, N. J., … Zanutta, A. (2024). Cosmology and fundamental physics with the ELT-ANDES spectrograph. Experimental Astronomy, 57(1), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-024-09928-w
• Towards ultra metal-poor DLAs: linking the chemistry of the most metal-poor DLA to the first stars
  
  Welsh, L., Cooke, R., Fumagalli, M., & Pettini, M. (2023). Towards ultra metal-poor DLAs: linking the chemistry of the most metal-poor DLA to the first stars. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 525(1), 527-541. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad2181
• MUSE Analysis of Gas around Galaxies (MAGG) – IV. The gaseous environment of z ∼ 3–4 Ly α emitting galaxies
  
  Lofthouse, E. K., Fumagalli, M., Fossati, M., Dutta, R., Galbiati, M., Arrigoni Battaia, F., Cantalupo, S., Christensen, L., Cooke, R. J., Longobardi, A., Murphy, M. T., & Prochaska, J. X. (2023). MUSE Analysis of Gas around Galaxies (MAGG) – IV. The gaseous environment of z ∼ 3–4 Ly α emitting galaxies. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 518(1), 305-331. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stac3089
• Primordial Helium-3 Redux: The Helium Isotope Ratio of the Orion Nebula*
  
  Cooke, R. J., Noterdaeme, P., Johnson, J. W., Pettini, M., Welsh, L., Peroux, C., Murphy, M. T., & Weinberg, D. H. (2022). Primordial Helium-3 Redux: The Helium Isotope Ratio of the Orion Nebula*. Astrophysical Journal, 932(1), Article 60. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac6503
• Vacuum Ultraviolet Fourier-transform Spectroscopy of 16O and 18O
  
  Lai, K., Manalili, D., Ubachs, W., Cooke, R., Pettini, M., de Oliveira, N., & Salumbides, E. (2022). Vacuum Ultraviolet Fourier-transform Spectroscopy of 16O and 18O. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 260(2), Article 37. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/ac6350
• MUSE analysis of gas around galaxies (MAGG) – III. The gas and galaxy environment of z = 3–4.5 quasars
  
  Fossati, M., Fumagalli, M., Lofthouse, E., Dutta, R., Cantalupo, S., Arrigoni Battaia, F., Fynbo, J., Lusso, E., Murphy, M., Prochaska, J., Theuns, T., & Cooke, R. (2021). MUSE analysis of gas around galaxies (MAGG) – III. The gas and galaxy environment of z = 3–4.5 quasars. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 503(2), 3044-3064. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab660
• The stochastic enrichment of Population II stars
  
  Welsh, L., Cooke, R., & Fumagalli, M. (2021). The stochastic enrichment of Population II stars. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 500(4), 5214-5228. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3342
• MUSE Analysis of Gas around Galaxies (MAGG) - II: Metal-enriched halo gas around z ∼ 1 galaxies
  
  Dutta, R., Fumagalli, M., Fossati, M., Lofthouse, E. K., Prochaska, J. X., Battaia, F. A., Bielby, R. M., Cantalupo, S., Cooke, R. J., Murphy, M. T., & O’Meara, J. M. (2020). MUSE Analysis of Gas around Galaxies (MAGG) - II: Metal-enriched halo gas around z ∼ 1 galaxies. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 499(4), 5022-5046. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa3147
• A limit on Planck-scale froth with ESPRESSO
  
  Pettini, M., Fumagalli, M., Welsh, L., & Cooke, R. (2020). A limit on Planck-scale froth with ESPRESSO. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 494(4), 4884-4890. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa440
• The PHLEK Survey: A New Determination of the Primordial Helium Abundance
  
  Hsyu, T., Cooke, R. J., Prochaska, J. X., & Bolte, M. (2020). The PHLEK Survey: A New Determination of the Primordial Helium Abundance. Astrophysical Journal, 896(1), Article 77. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab91af
• A bound on the 12C/13C ratio in near-pristine gas with ESPRESSO
  
  Pettini, M., Fumagalli, M., Cooke, R., & Welsh, L. (2020). A bound on the 12C/13C ratio in near-pristine gas with ESPRESSO. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 494(1), 1411-1423. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa807
• The ACCELERATION programme: I. Cosmology with the redshift drift★
  
  Cooke, R. (2020). The ACCELERATION programme: I. Cosmology with the redshift drift★. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 492(2), 2044-2057. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz3465
• Determining the primordial helium abundance and UV background using fluorescent emission in star-free dark matter haloes
  
  Sykes, C., Fumagalli, M., Cooke, R., & Theuns, T. (2020). Determining the primordial helium abundance and UV background using fluorescent emission in star-free dark matter haloes. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 492(2), 2151-2160. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz3573
• MUSE Analysis of Gas around Galaxies (MAGG) - I: Survey design and the environment of a near pristine gas cloud at z ≈ 3.5
  
  Lofthouse, E. K., Fumagalli, M., Fossati, M., O’Meara, J. M., Murphy, M. T., Christensen, L., Prochaska, J. X., Cantalupo, S., Bielby, R. M., Cooke, R. J., Lusso, E., & Morris, S. L. (2020). MUSE Analysis of Gas around Galaxies (MAGG) - I: Survey design and the environment of a near pristine gas cloud at z ≈ 3.5. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 491(2), 2057-2074. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz3066
• PypeIt: The Python Spectroscopic Data Reduction Pipeline
  
  Prochaska, J., Hennawi, J., Westfall, K., Cooke, R., Wang, F., Hsyu, T., Davies, F., Farina, E., & Pelliccia, D. (2020). PypeIt: The Python Spectroscopic Data Reduction Pipeline. Journal of Open Source Software, 5(56), Article 2308. https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.02308
• The MUSE Ultra Deep Field (MUDF). II. Survey design and the gaseous properties of galaxy groups at 0.5 < z < 1.5
  
  Fossati, M., Fumagalli, M., Lofthouse, E., D’Odorico, V., Lusso, E., Cantalupo, S., Cooke, R., Cristiani, S., Haardt, F., Morris, S., Peroux, C., Prichard, L., Rafelski, M., Smail, I., & Theuns, T. (2019). The MUSE Ultra Deep Field (MUDF). II. Survey design and the gaseous properties of galaxy groups at 0.5 < z < 1.5. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 490(1), 1451-1469. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz2693
• Modelling the chemical enrichment of Population III supernovae: The origin of the metals in near-pristine gas clouds
  
  Welsh, L., Cooke, R., & Fumagalli, M. (2019). Modelling the chemical enrichment of Population III supernovae: The origin of the metals in near-pristine gas clouds. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 487(3), 3363-3376. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz1526
• Fluorescent rings in star-free dark matter haloes
  
  Sykes, C., Fumagalli, M., Cooke, R., Theuns, T., & Benítez–Llambay, A. (2019). Fluorescent rings in star-free dark matter haloes. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 487(1), 609-621. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stz1234
• Measurement of the primordial helium abundance from the intergalactic medium
  
  Cooke, R., & Fumagalli, M. (2018). Measurement of the primordial helium abundance from the intergalactic medium. Nature Astronomy, 2(12), 957-961. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-018-0584-z
• Searching for the lowest metallicity galaxies in the local universe
  
  Hsyu, T., Cooke, R. J., Prochaska, J. X., & Bolte, M. (2018). Searching for the lowest metallicity galaxies in the local universe. Astrophysical Journal, 863(2), Article 134. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aad18a
• One Percent Determination of the Primordial Deuterium Abundance
  
  Cooke, R. J., Pettini, M., & Steidel, C. C. (2018). One Percent Determination of the Primordial Deuterium Abundance. Astrophysical Journal, 855(2), Article 102. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aaab53
• Origins of carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars
  
  Sharma, M., Theuns, T., Frenk, C. S., & Cooke, R. J. (2018). Origins of carbon-enhanced metal-poor stars. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 473(1), 984-995. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx2392
• The Little Cub: Discovery of an Extremely Metal-poor Star-forming Galaxy in the Local Universe
  
  Hsyu, T., Cooke, R. J., Prochaska, J. X., & Bolte, M. (2017). The Little Cub: Discovery of an Extremely Metal-poor Star-forming Galaxy in the Local Universe. Astrophysical Journal, 845(2), Article L22. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/aa821f
• Discovery of the most metal-poor damped Lyman-α system
  
  Cooke, R. J., Pettini, M., & Steidel, C. C. (2017). Discovery of the most metal-poor damped Lyman-α system. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 467(1), 802-811. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx037
• The primordial abundance of deuterium: ionization correction
  
  Cooke, R., & Pettini, M. (2016). The primordial abundance of deuterium: ionization correction. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 455(2), 1512-1521. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv2343
• The Primordial Deuterium Abundance of the Most Metal-poor Damped Lyman-alpha System
  
  Cooke, R., Pettini, M., Nollett, K., & Jorgenson, R. (2016). The Primordial Deuterium Abundance of the Most Metal-poor Damped Lyman-alpha System. Astrophysical Journal, 830(2), Article 148. https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637x/830/2/148
• Discovery of a Damped Ly-alpha Absorber at z = 3.3 along a Galaxy Sight-line in the SSA22 Field
  
  Mawatari, K., Inoue, A., Kousai, K., Hayashino, T., Cooke, R., Prochaska, J., Yamada, T., & Matsuda, Y. (2016). Discovery of a Damped Ly-alpha Absorber at z = 3.3 along a Galaxy Sight-line in the SSA22 Field. Astrophysical Journal, 817(2), Article 161. https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637x/817/2/161
• Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and the Helium Isotope Ratio
  
  Cooke, R. (2015). Big Bang Nucleosynthesis and the Helium Isotope Ratio. Astrophysical Journal, 812. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/812/1/l12
• The History of R-Process Enrichment in the Milky Way
  
  Shen, S., Cooke, R., Ramirez-Ruiz, E., Madau, P., Mayer, L., & Guedes, J. (2015). The History of R-Process Enrichment in the Milky Way. Astrophysical Journal, 807, Article 115. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/807/2/115
• Unveiling the Secrets of Metallicity and Massive Star Formation Using DLAs along Gamma-Ray Bursts
  
  Cucchiara, A., Fumagalli, M., Rafelski, M., Kocevski, D., Prochaska, J., Cooke, R., & Becker, G. (2015). Unveiling the Secrets of Metallicity and Massive Star Formation Using DLAs along Gamma-Ray Bursts. Astrophysical Journal, 804(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/804/1/51
• The most metal-poor damped Lyα systems: An insight into dwarf galaxies at high redshift
  
  Cooke, R., Pettini, M., & Jorgenson, R. (2015). The most metal-poor damped Lyα systems: An insight into dwarf galaxies at high redshift. Astrophysical Journal, 800(1), Article 12. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/800/1/12
• Carbon-enhanced Metal-poor Stars: Relics from the Dark Ages
  
  Cooke, R., & Madau, P. (2014). Carbon-enhanced Metal-poor Stars: Relics from the Dark Ages. Astrophysical Journal, 791(2), Article 116. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/791/2/116
• Precision Measures of the Primordial Abundance of Deuterium
  
  Cooke, R., Pettini, M., Jorgenson, R., Murphy, M., & Steidel, C. (2014). Precision Measures of the Primordial Abundance of Deuterium. Astrophysical Journal, 781(1), Article 31. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/781/1/31
• The explosion energy of early stellar populations: the Fe-peak element ratios in low-metallicity damped Ly-alpha systems
  
  Cooke, R., Pettini, M., Jorgenson, R., Murphy, M., Rudie, G., & Steidel, C. (2013). The explosion energy of early stellar populations: the Fe-peak element ratios in low-metallicity damped Ly-alpha systems. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 431, 1625-1637. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt282
• A broad iron line in LMC X-1
  
  Steiner, J., Reis, R., Fabian, A., Remillard, R., McClintock, J., Gou, L., Cooke, R., Brenneman, L., & Sanders, J. (2012). A broad iron line in LMC X-1. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 427, 2552-2561. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.22128.x
• The cold veil of the Milky Way stellar halo
  
  Deason, A., Belokurov, V., Evans, N., Koposov, S., Cooke, R., Peñarrubia, J., Laporte, C., Fellhauer, M., Walker, M., & Olszewski, E. (2012). The cold veil of the Milky Way stellar halo. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 425(4), 2840-2853. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21639.x
• A new, precise measurement of the primordial abundance of deuterium
  
  Pettini, M., & Cooke, R. (2012). A new, precise measurement of the primordial abundance of deuterium. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 425, 2477-2486. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21665.x
• A new candidate for probing Population III nucleosynthesis with carbon-enhanced damped Ly-alpha systems
  
  Cooke, R., Pettini, M., & Murphy, M. (2012). A new candidate for probing Population III nucleosynthesis with carbon-enhanced damped Ly-alpha systems. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 425, 347-354. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21470.x
• The most metal-poor damped Lyα systems: insights into chemical evolution in the very metal-poor regime
  
  Cooke, R., Pettini, M., Steidel, C., Rudie, G., & Nissen, P. (2011). The most metal-poor damped Lyα systems: insights into chemical evolution in the very metal-poor regime. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 417(2), 1534-1558. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19365.x
• A carbon-enhanced metal-poor damped Ly$\alpha$ system: probing gas from Population III nucleosynthesis?
  
  Cooke, R., Pettini, M., Steidel, C., Rudie, G., & Jorgenson, R. (2011). A carbon-enhanced metal-poor damped Ly$\alpha$ system: probing gas from Population III nucleosynthesis? Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 412, 1047-1058. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17966.x
• A newly discovered DLA and associated Ly-alpha emission in the spectra of the gravitationally lensed quasar UM673A,B
  
  Cooke, R., Pettini, M., Steidel, C., King, L., Rudie, G., & Rakic, O. (2010). A newly discovered DLA and associated Ly-alpha emission in the spectra of the gravitationally lensed quasar UM673A,B. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 409, 679-693. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17331.x
• Does the Universe accelerate equally in all directions?
  
  Cooke, R., & Lynden-Bell, D. (2010). Does the Universe accelerate equally in all directions? Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 401, 1409-1414. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15755.x
• Ionization Cone in the X-Ray Binary LMC X-1
  
  Cooke, R., Bland-Hawthorn, J., Sharp, R., & Kuncic, Z. (2008). Ionization Cone in the X-Ray Binary LMC X-1. Astrophysical Journal, 687. https://doi.org/10.1086/593169
• Spectacular Trailing Streamers near LMC X-1: The First Evidence of a Jet?
  
  Cooke, R., Kuncic, Z., Sharp, R., & Bland-Hawthorn, J. (2007). Spectacular Trailing Streamers near LMC X-1: The First Evidence of a Jet? Astrophysical Journal, 667, L163-L166. https://doi.org/10.1086/522517