Astrophysical Sciences and Technology Colloquium: New Astrophysics, New Detectors
Astrophysical Sciences and Technology Colloquium
New Astrophysics, New Detectors
Dr. Bernard Rauscher
Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA
Abstract:
Apart from mirror area, no technology affects an observatory’s potential for scientific discovery more than detectors. In the early 1980s, a few pioneering groups started using infrared missile seekers for astronomy. From there, astronomical IR arrays matured rapidly to eventually enable JWST and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman). In this talk, we review some early JWST science with an eye toward understanding the role played by its H2RG near-IR array detectors. Turning to the future, we discuss the science that Roman’s H4RG detectors will enable. Finally, looking farther into the future, we close with the search for habitable worlds, and some thoughts on what the detectors for that might look like.
Speaker Bio:
Dr. Rauscher is an experimental astrophysicist at NASA Goddard. He is Detector Scientist in the JWST Project Office. Rauscher was Principal Investigator (PI) for the JWST NIRSpec Detector Subsystem, for which he received NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal. Rauscher shared a Congressional Space Act award for his role in developing JWST’s H2RG detectors. Rauscher is senior Detector Scientist in the Roman Project Office. He is detector PI within the Exoplanet Spectroscopy Technologies Work Package at Goddard. Rauscher has a Ph.D. in Astronomy & Astrophysics from the University of Chicago.
Intended Audience:
All are Welcome!
Event Snapshot
When and Where
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This is an RIT Only Event
Interpreter Requested?
No