NASA has awarded Justin R. Crepp, the Freimann Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Notre Dame, with an Early Occupation Fellowship. He is the only awardee in the nation to acquire the fellowship in the Origins of Solar Techniques system. Crepp’s task, “Working at the Diffraction Limit: New Exoplanetary Science in the Era of ‘Extreme’ Adaptive Optics,” was chosen by means of a competitive proposal process, followed by peer overview in a second round of evaluation.
With funding from NASA, Crepp will construct the world’s very first diffraction-constrained Doppler spectrometer. The instrument notion, named “iLocater”, will record ultra-exact radial velocity measurements of close by stars at infrared wavelengths, and uncover Earth-like planets orbiting the smallest and most common stars in the galaxy — the so-called “M-dwarfs.” It will also characterize their orbits and possibly the planets’ atmospheres to search for indications of daily life.
ILocater will be designed and constructed at the experimental astrophysics laboratory in Nieuwland Science Hall at the University of Notre Dame. Crepp and his crew aim to check a prototype model of the instrument employing the new .8-meter Sarah L. Krizmanich telescope situated on the rooftop of the Jordan Science Hall. ILocater will ultimately be delivered to the Huge Binocular Telescope in southeast Arizona, with first-light observations slated for spring 2016.
“This is not only a wonderful honor for Professor Crepp, but it will let Notre Dame to construct an instrument for the Big Binocular Telescope that could revolutionize the search for Earth-like exoplanets,” mentioned Christopher Kolda, chair of the Department of Physics.
Gregory Crawford, dean of the College of Science at the University of Notre Dame, stated, “Justin Crepp’s revolutionary iLocator is an example of the large-impact science that the University of Science accomplishes to lead the area of astronomy forward in technologies and strategies.”
Get in touch with: Justin Crepp, 574-631-4092, jcrepp@nd.edu
NASA awards career fellowship to Notre Dame astrophysicist
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