Postdoctoral Fellowship: AAPF: Novel Direct Imaging of Superconducting Detectors for Millimeter-Wave to X-Ray Astrophysics and Cosmology

Samantha Walker is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at Cornell University. This project will work toward validating and commissioning instruments on future millimeter and X-ray telescopes by better understanding the characteristics of key components of the detectors. Commissioning data from the Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope will be used to measure cluster properties that can be compared to results from X-ray measurements. Walker will also develop STEM learning experiences for summer research programs at Cornell.

The project will use scanning SQUID microscopy to directly image the magnetic response of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) and transition edge sensors (TESs) for millimeter, sub-millimeter, and X-ray astrophysics instruments to improve the detector technology for future development. Walker will also participate in the deployment of the first-light instrument Mod-Cam for CCAT, and use it to measure cluster properties and compare with X-ray measurements.

The improvement of these detectors will help to enable multi-wavelength studies of galaxy clusters, probing their formation and evolution over cosmic time.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.