Dr. Gudmundur Stefansson wins Trumpler Award for Outstanding PhD Dissertation
THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2020 ROBERT J. TRUMPLER AWARD (PRESENTED IN 2021) IS DR. GUDMUNDUR KARI STEFANSSON, WHO COMPLETED HIS PHD IN ASTRONOMY AT THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY IN 2019.
His dissertation, “Extreme Precision Photometry and Radial Velocimetry from the Ground,“ is described by one of his nominators as “the broadest and deepest demonstration of expertise in precision astronomical instrumentation I have seen.” Another nominator called Stefansson “a multidimensional talent who has demonstrated ability and depth in astronomical instrument hardware, data analysis, and observational astrophysics.” As a testament to the importance of his work, Dr. Stefansson was awarded a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship, a Leifur Eiríksson Foundation Fellowship, and is currently a Henry Norris Russell Postdoctoral Fellow at Princeton University.
Stefansson’s thesis characterized and developed a revolutionary innovation for achieving high precision differential photometry from the ground where the atmosphere and limitations inherent in the astronomical detectors used make precise measurements of stellar brightness exceedingly difficult. In differential photometry, the brightness of a star is simultaneously compared to the brightness of other nearby stars. Stefansson’s Engineered Diffuser—a nanofabricated piece of optic—is capable of molding the image of a star into a broad and stabilized shape on the detector, substantially improving such brightness measurements. One nominator called his breakthrough “startling in its simplicity,” adding that “this operational simplicity is very important since it allows widespread adoption.” Currently, Stefansson’s Engineered Diffuser is being used by an increasing number of telescopes around the world to better study extrasolar planets including at the Apache Point Observatory, Mt. Palomar Observatory, the Nordic Optical Telescope, and by the Las Cumbres Network.
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