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Extrasolar planets

Schuyler Wolff

Assistant Research Professor, Steward Observatory
Ph.D.
,
2017
,
The Johns Hopkins University
Office: 
284
Email: 
sgwolff@arizona.edu
Areas of Interest: 
Circumstellar disks, Star and Planet Formation, Extrasolar planets, high contrast imaging

Dr. Wolff studies planet formation processes through in-depth characterization of circumstellar systems and is a member of the JWST NIRCam and MIRI GTO groups. Her focus is on the observation and interpretation of exoplanets and disks at a variety of evolutionary stages viewed using direct imaging techniques. She aims to look for trends in disk properties (estimated lifetimes, dust/gas masses, internal densities etc.) to help distinguish between planet formation models through coherent model fitting of observations coming from the best international telescope facilities paired with tailored and optimized radiative transfer codes.

Jarron Leisenring

Assistant Research Professor, Steward Observatory
Ph.D.
,
2011
,
University of Virginia
Phone: 
(520) 626-2958
Office: 
268
Email: 
jarronl@arizona.edu
Areas of Interest: 
Protoplanetary Disks, Extrasolar planets, high contrast imaging, IR Instrumentation

Jarron's research focuses on the evolution of protoplanetary disks and how it relates to planet formation. In support of these research goals, Jarron contributes towards the development of IR instrumentation projects such as LBTI/LMIRcam and has most recently joined the JWST NIRCam team as an instrument test scientist.

Glenn Schneider

Emeritus Research Professor of Astronomy
Ph.D.
,
1985
,
University of Florida, Gainesville
Phone: 
(520) 621-5865
Office: 
N326
Email: 
gschneid@arizona.edu
Personal website: 
http://nicmosis.as.arizona.edu:8000
Areas of Interest: 
Galactic Astronomy, Infrared Astronomy, Extrasolar planets, Brown Dwarfs, Star Formation, Instrumentation

Dr. Schneider is an Astronomer at Steward Observatory, and the Project Instrument Scientist for HST’s Near Infra-red Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer. His research interests are centered on the formation, evolution, and characterization of extrasolar planetary systems and have focused on the direct detection of sub-stellar and planetary mass companions to young and near-by stars and the circumstellar environments from which such systems arise and interact. In concert with his scientific investigations of circumstellar dust and debris disks, and co-orbital bodies they may harbor, he has played a leading role in the development of very high contrast space-based coronagraphic imaging systems and techniques producing spatially resolved scattered light images of nascent, and more evolved, exoplanetary disks and debris systems.

Olivier Guyon

Astronomer, Steward Observatory, and Professor, College of Optical Sciences
Ph.D.
,
2002
,
Université Pierre et Marie Curie
Phone: 
(520) 626-3701
Email: 
guyon@arizona.edu
Areas of Interest: 
Instrumentation, Extrasolar planets

Olivier Guyon develops and validates innovative techniques for detecting and characterizing Extrasolar planets on current and future ground and space-based telescopes. Olivier's research includes coronagraphy, wavefront sensing techniques for Adaptive Optics, and astrometry. He developed the Phase-Induced Amplitude Apodization (PIAA) coronagraph, an efficient optical device to mask light from a star while preserving light from planets.
Olivier Guyon leads the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) group at the Subaru Telescope to use these new techniques on the Subaru telescope for exoplanet detection and characterization, and is a member of the Magellan extreme-AO (MagAO-X) development team.
Olivier co-founded project PANOPTES, which is creating an international network of small robotic imaging camera built by citizen scientist to identify transiting exoplanets.

Professional Affiliations and Awards: 
  • MacArthur Fellowship, 2012
  • Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), Office of the President of the United States, 2006
  • Daniel GUINIER Award (Young Researcher Award), French Society of Physics, 2003

Josh Eisner

Professor, Department of Astronomy, & Astronomer, Steward Observatory
Ph.D.
,
2005
,
California Institute of Technology
Phone: 
(520) 626-7645
Office: 
N414
Email: 
jeisner@arizona.edu
Personal website: 
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~jeisner/
Areas of Interest: 
Galactic Astronomy and Star Formation, Extrasolar planets, Astrobiology, Instrumentation

Dr. Eisner studies star and planet formation and develops instrumentation and techniques that enable observational probes of these processes. He is currently working to probe potential planet forming zones around young stars with a variety of novel techniques, including adaptive optics, infrared interferometry, millimeter-wave interferometry, and spectro-astrometry. Recent research highlights include the mapping of dust and gas in the terrestrial planet forming region around young stars, and the finding that most stars may lack sufficient material to build planetary systems like our own.

Professional Affiliations and Awards: 
  • Phi Beta Kappa, member
  • Miller Research Fellowship, University of California at Berkeley, 2005-2008
  • Michelson Graduate Fellowship, California Institute of Technology, 2002-2005
  • GBT Student Support Award, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 2003
  • Reed Fellowship, California Institute of Technology, 2000-2001
  • Michelson Summer Research Fellowship, California Institute of Technology, 1999
  • Hoopes Senior Thesis Prize, Harvard University, 1999
  • Leo Goldberg Astronomy Thesis Prize, Harvard University, 1998, 1999
  • NSF Summer Research Fellowship, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 1998

Laird Close

Professor, Department of Astronomy, & Astronomer, Steward Observatory
Ph.D.
,
1995
,
The University of Arizona
Phone: 
(520) 626-5992
Office: 
N428
Email: 
lclose@arizona.edu
Personal website: 
http://athene.as.arizona.edu/~lclose/
Areas of Interest: 
Brown Dwarfs, Adaptive optics, Instrumentation, Infrared Astronomy, Extrasolar planets, Galactic Astronomy, Star Formation, Astrobiology

Laird specializes in novel astronomical observations utilizing new adaptive optics instrumentation. He is utilizing adaptive optics (which removes the blurring effects of the Earth's atmosphere) to study at very high resolution: low-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and extrasolar planets. As well he is interested in massive old AGB stars, young stars in the process of forming, & solar system objects like Titan and binary asteroids. He has been involved in the development of several adaptive optics systems and special high-contrast high resolution infrared cameras. He is the head scientist (PI) of the Magellan Adaptive Secondary AO system in Chile.

Professional Affiliations and Awards: 
  • American Astronomical Society, member
  • CAREER Program Award, National Science Foundation, 2004
  • NSERC Canadian Graduate Fellowship Abroad Award 1991-1995
  • UBC Arthur Crooker Physics Prize, 1989

Daniel Apai

Interim Associate Dean for Research, College of Science; Professor, Departments of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences, & Astronomer, Steward Observatory
Ph.D.
,
2004
,
University of Heidelberg
Phone: 
(520) 621-6534
Office: 
SO N208B
Email: 
apai@arizona.edu
Personal website: 
http://apai.space
Pronunciation of name: 
ao-p-ao-ee
Personal pronouns: 
He/Him/His
Areas of Interest: 
Extrasolar planets, Planetary Atmospheres, Planet Formation, Astrobiology, Novel Space Telescope Architectures

Daniel's research focuses on exoplanets, with a particular emphasis on habitable planets and planetary systems. He leads large programs to understand the formation and habitability of nearby planetary systems (Alien Earths), to search for giant and earth-like exoplanets (Scorpion Survey, Project EDEN), and to characterize and map exoplanet and brown dwarf atmospheres (Cloud Atlas and ACCESS). He also leads the Nautilus Space Observatory concept, a project that explores a radical novel space telescope architecture with the goal of characterizing a thousand potentially earth-like exoplanets.

Daniel’s blog on exoplanet exploration and his research group’s website can be found at http://apai.space.

Professional Affiliations and Awards: 
  • American Astronomical Society
  • International Astronomical Union
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science

J. Roger P. Angel

Regents' Professor, Professor of Astronomy and Optical Sciences, & Astronomer, Steward Observatory
D.Phil.
,
1967
,
Oxford University
Phone: 
(520) 621-6541
Office: 
Steward Room 478
Email: 
angelj@arizona.edu
Areas of Interest: 
Adaptive optics, Instrumentation, Extrasolar planets, Telescope design and optical fabrication, Geoengineering, Concentrating photovoltaic solar energy

Over the past 25 years Professor Angel has been in the forefront of a technological renaissance in telescopes and large optics. The Mirror Lab has made the optics for several telescopes, including the two largest mirrors ever (8.4 m diameter) for the Large Binocular Telescope on Mt. Graham, Arizona and is now making 8.4 m mirrors for the Giant Magellan Telescope and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. Angel has also developed concepts for imaging and searching for primitive life on Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars. He has explored ways to cool the Earth with a space sunshade, and is now working on concentrating photovoltaic systems for solar energy.

Professional Affiliations and Awards: 
  • Kavli Prize in Astrophysics, 2010
  • National Academy of Sciences, member
  • The Royal Society, fellow
  • MacArthur Fellow, 1996-2001
  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences, member
  • Joseph Fraunhofer/Robert M. Burley Prize, Optical Society of America, 2007
  • Joseph Weber Award for Astronomical Instrumentation, 2006
  • St. Peter's College, Oxford University, Honorary Fellow, 1993
  • Newton Lacy Pierce Prize, 1976
  • Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, 1970-1974
  • Henry Koffler Prize, 2002
  • UA Galileo Circle Fellow, 2007
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