Daniel Batcheldor

Daniel Batcheldor
EducationUniversity of Hertfordshire
Scientific career
FieldsAstronomy, Astrophysics
WorkplacesUniversity of Hertfordshire
Rochester Institute of Technology
Florida Institute of Technology
David Axon

Daniel Batcheldor is an Anglo-American astrophysicist, a former professor at Florida Institute of Technology and Head of the Department of Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences, and Director of the Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope.

Early life and education

In 2000, Batcheldor served as a student support astronomer at the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes with responsibilities for the Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope. He received a bachelor's degree in astronomy from the University of Hertfordshire in 2001, and in 2004 he completed his Ph.D. at the same institution.[citation needed]

Career

In 2010, Batcheldor moved to a faculty position at Florida Institute of Technology and became the Director of the Olin Observatory. In 2014, he became Head of the Department of Physics and Space Sciences at Florida Institute of Technology, until his departure in July 2020.

Contributions

Astrophysics

Batcheldor's work includes the quantification of selection effects in the M–σ relation., the demonstration of low signal-to-noise data in published supermassive black holes mass estimates as well as comparative supermassive black holes mass measurements, and the discovery of a spatially offset supermassive black hole in the galaxy Messier 87.

Instrumentation

Batcheldor led the efforts to calibrate the NICMOS instrument on board the Hubble Space Telescope to enable imaging polarimetry at the level of 1%.

In 2012 he began efforts to bring back to operational status the 1.0-m Jacobus Kapteyn Telescope that had been taken out of service in 2003. This facility is now a remote observatory operated by the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy (SARA). Batcheldor is the principal investigator for the SpectraCAM charge injection device payload that was tested on the Nanoracks External Platform on the International Space Station.

Publications

Batcheldor is author of Astronomy Saves the World: Securing our Future Through Exploration and Education (ISBN 0997247509, ISBN 978-0997247503) that advocates for the introduction of astronomy as part of the core K-12 curriculum.

References

  1. 1 2 Faculty profile of successor David Fleming
  2. 1 2 "Florida Tech To Use Telescope In The Canary Islands". Space Coast Daily.
  3. ↑ "'Fiery object' seen in Palm Bay may never be solved". Florida Today. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "Are lightning strikes becoming more common?". CBS News. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "About Daniel Batcheldor".
  6. ↑ Batcheldor, D. (2010), The M-σ Relation Derived from Sphere of Influence Arguments, Astrophysical Journal Letters., 711, 108.
  7. ↑ Batcheldor, D.; Axon, D.; Valluri, M.; Mandalou, J.; Merritt, D. (2013), O An STIS Atlas of Ca II Triplet Absorption Line Kinematics in Galactic Nuclei, Astronomical Journal., 146, 67.
  8. ↑ Grossman, Lisa (25 May 2010). "Black Hole Found in Unexpected Place". Wired. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  9. ↑ "M87's black holes gets its kicks from merger". Astronomy Now. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  10. ↑ Batcheldor, D.; Robinson, A.; Axon, D. J.; Perlman, E. S.; Merritt, D. (2010), A Displaced Supermassive Black Hole in M87, Astrophysical Journal Letters, 717, 6.
  11. ↑ Batcheldor, D.; Schneider, G.; Hines, D. C.; Schmidt, G. D.; Axon, D. J.; Robinson, A.; Sparks, W.; Tadhunter, C. (2009), High-Accuracy Near-infrared Imaging Polarimetry with NICMOS, Pub. Ast. Soc. Pacific, 121, 153.
  12. ↑ "Imaging technique may help discover Earth-like planets". Phys.org. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  13. ↑ "NanoRacks External Platform Customers Prepping for ISS". NanoRacks. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  14. ↑ "NanoRacks Aims To Offer Research Accommodations on ISS Exterior by Year's End". SpaceNews. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2016.