User:Planetsrcool/sandbox
Geronimo Villanueva | |
|---|---|
| File:Geronimovillanueva.jpg | |
| Born | April 9, 1978 |
| Nationality | Argentina, Italy, American |
| Education | Freiburg University, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research |
| Known for | Mars ocean hypothesis, organics on Atmosphere of Mars and molecular spectroscopy modelling. |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Planetary astronomy |
| Website | astrobiology |
Geronimo L. Villanueva (born April 9, 1978) is a planetary astronomer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.[1]. His work on high-resolution molecular spectroscopy of planetary and cometary atmospheres led the International Astronomical Union to name minor planet 9724 after Villanueva[2], while the American Astronomical Society honored him in 2015 with the Urey Prize (young planetary scientist of the year). His research ranges from instrument design and development of the highest resolution spectrometer for the airborne SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy), to quantum mechanical molecular modeling, to observational astronomy and data analysis. Some of his contributions include the identification of an ancient ocean on Mars, sensitive searches of primordial water in comets, and the search and possible discovery of organics on Mars.
Early life
Villanueva is a Mendoza, Argentina native, having lived in several provinces of Argentina (Mendoza, Córdoba, Santiago del Estero, Buenos Aires) and in Asunción, Paraguay. His heritage is Italian, Spanish and French. He earned his undergrad studies, and Master at Universidad de Mendoza. He conducted his Ph.D. research in Germany at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research from 2001 to 2004, graduating in November 2004 at the Freiburg University. He was awarded a National Research Council (United States) fellowship in 2005 to conduct planetary research at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
Career
Villanueva is known in the scientific community for his planetary spectroscopy work and spectral databases / models applicable to planets, comets and small icy bodies. He led the first mapping of water D/H on Mars, revealing an ancient ocean on Mars and unexpected strong isototopic anomalies across the planet; he led the first astronomical measurement of water D/H of a periodic comet; and he led the most comprehensive search for organics in the Martian atmosphere (Villanueva+2013, Icarus). He is the lead developer of non-LTE radiative transfer models and quantum molecular models at GSFC resulting in billions of spectral lines suitable for cometary, planetary and astrophysical sciences, including exoplanets, and discoverer of multiple isotopic carbon dioxide bands on Mars at infrared wavelengths. During his Ph.D thesis, he was the designer and developer of the highest resolution spectrometer onboard SOFIA, and developed a full non-linear dynamical General Circulation Model (GCM) for Mars.
Honors, awards and accolades
In 2015 the American Astronomical Society awarded Villanueva with Harold C. Urey Prize (Young planetary scientist of the year), while in 2014 the International Astronomical Union named minor planet 1981EW17 “(9724) Villanueva”, in honor to Dr. Villanueva’s research contributions in the area of high-resolution molecular spectroscopy of planetary and cometary atmospheres. He has received several awards at NASA, his research has highlighted several times (e.g., article of the day (NASA Astrophysics Data System, Oct/12/2011), lead author and co-author of three Astronomy Pictures of the Day (Dec/22/2014, Jan/19/2009, Feb/21/2009), and lead author of one of the most popular planetary articles of 2013 (ranked by Elsevier journals).
Social activism
He is an advocate for Space Exploration and Astronomy to under-privileged communities, frequently participating public outreach activities, and chosen as science communicator by the U.S. State Department and Shakira's Barefoot Foundation to promote science in developing regions.
Footnotes
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