David Robert Ciardi | |
|---|---|
 Ciardi at 2009 Kepler Launch | |
| Born | (1969-07-17)17 July 1969 (age 56) |
| Alma mater | University of Wyoming,Boston University |
| Known for | Exoplanet science, infrared instrumentation and observations |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astrophysics |
| Institutions | Caltech,University of Florida |
| Thesis | Star Formation in the Filamentary Dark Cloud GF-9: a Multi-Wavelength Intra-Cloud Comparative Study (1997) |
| Doctoral advisor | Charles E. (Chick) Woodward |
David Robert Ciardi (born 17 July 1969) is an Americanastronomer. He received a bachelor's degree in physics and astronomy fromBoston University in 1991, and a Ph.D. in physics from theUniversity of Wyoming in 1997.
Ciardi has published refereed journal articles across a wide range of topics, including exoplanets,[1][2][3][4] star formation,[5] interstellar dust,[6] molecular clouds,[7] and evolved stars.[8][9] His observations ofVega usinglong-baseline interferometry with thePalomar Testbed Interferometer were the first to spatially resolve thedebris disk around this star and to show that dust was present within 1 AU of the star - akin to the interplanetary dust in theSolar System that produces thezodiacal light.[10] This work led to the discovery of dust in the inner regions around other stars and leading to the discovery of a gap between the inner dust ring and the outer dust ring in many systems - the existence of which is still not understood.[11] Ciardi is a member of the Kepler Science Team and using data from theKepler space telescope mission, Ciardi has published landmark works on the fundamental nature of stellar variability[12] and the relative sizes of planets in multi-planet systems[1] and has contributed to more than 250 exoplanet discovery papers, including many of theKepler Mission discoveries and being the principal investigator of thePalomar Transient Factory Orion Transit Survey[13] and co-discoverer of the first transiting planet around a newly formedT Tauri star in the 3-million-year-oldstar cluster surrounding25 Orionis.[2]
Ciardi completed his PhD at the University of Wyoming in 1997, and remained in Laramie for another year as a post-doctoral fellow. He left Wyoming to become a post-doc at the University of Florida, ostensibly to work on theWide Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) mission. The unfortunate failure of WIRE's main telescope immediately following launch sidetracked that research path; however, Ciardi remained at Florida and became a staff member with the infrared instrumentation group where he worked on an array of infrared instruments, including T-ReCS for the 8m telescopeGemini South andCanariCam for the 10mGran Telescopio Canarias. In 2002, Ciardi took a staff astronomer position at theNASA Exoplanet Science Institute; he served as the NExScI Chief Scientist from 2017-204 and is currently the NExScI Deputy Director and is a Member of the Professional Staff atCaltech.
In 2016, Ciardi was awarded theNASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal for his work on Kepler and his contributions to the confirmation of Kepler's exoplanets which have led to the characterization of planets ranging in size from Jupiters to Earths. TheNASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal is awarded to individuals for unusually significant scientific contributions toward achievement of aeronautical or space exploration goals. Asteroid26312 Ciardi was named in his honor.[14] The officialnaming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 18 May 2019 (M.P.C. 114954).[15] In September 2019, Ciardi, as part of theTESS team, was awarded theNASA Silver Achievement Medal.
The following is the historic path of Ciardi's advisors - otherwise known as his academic lineage - spanning two centuries of scientific achievement.
| Scientist | Year of Ph.D. | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Woodward | 1987 | University of Rochester |
| Judy Pipher | 1971 | Cornell University |
| Martin Harwit | 1960 | MIT |
| William Allis | 1925 | University of Nancy |
Authority control databases: Academics |
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