Charles L. Bennett

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Charles L. Bennett
ProfessorCharlesLBennett.jpg
Born
Charles Leonard Bennett

(1956-11-16)November 16, 1956
New Brunswick, New Jersey
Alma mater University of Maryland (BS, 1978)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD, 1984)
Scientific career
Fields Astrophysics
Institutions Goddard Space Flight Center
Johns Hopkins University
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Doctoral advisor Bernard F. Burke

Charles L. Bennett (born November 1956) is an American observational astrophysicist. He is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, the Alumni Centennial Professor of Physics and Astronomy and a Gilman Scholar at Johns Hopkins University. [1] He is the Principal Investigator of NASA's highly successful Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP). [1]

Contents

His National Academy of Sciences (NAS) membership citation states, "As leader of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) mission, Bennett has helped quantify, with unprecedented precision and accuracy, many key properties of the universe, including its age, the dark and baryonic matter content, the cosmological constant, and the Hubble constant." [2] Membership is a great honor bestowed upon the most distinguished scholars in engineering and the sciences. [3]

He was awarded the National Academy of Sciences Henry Draper Medal in 2005 [4] and the Comstock Prize in Physics in 2009, [5] both for his leadership of WMAP. Bennett received the Harvey Prize in 2006 for, "the precise determination of the age, composition and curvature of the universe." [6] Bennett shared the 2010 Shaw Prize in astronomy with Lyman A. Page, Jr. and David N. Spergel, both of Princeton University, for their work on WMAP. [7] The 2012 Gruber Cosmology Prize was awarded to "Charles L. Bennett and the WMAP Team" for "transforming our current paradigm of structure formation from appealing scenario into precise science." "By observing the relic radiation from the early universe, Charles L. Bennett and the WMAP team established the Standard Cosmological Model." [8] Bennett was named the 2013 Karl G. Jansky Prize Lecturer. [9]

In 2015 Bennett was awarded the Caterina Tomassoni and Felice Pietro Chisesi Prize "For Dr. Bennett's leadership in two experiments on the Cosmic Microwave Background that literally changed our view of the Universe: COBE-DMR, leading to the discovery of primordial spatial fluctuations in the CMB, and WMAP, leading to precise measurements of the cosmological parameters and establishing -de facto- the Standard Cosmological Model". [10] Bennett was named for the 2017 Isaac Newton Medal and Prize: "Professor Charles L Bennett, the leader of the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), has had a transformative effect in cosmology. WMAP has, through its incredibly precise measurements of temperature fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), revolutionized our understanding of the universe. It transformed cosmology from an order-of-magnitude game to a precision experimental science." [11] The American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAAS) awarded its 2021 Rumford Prize to Dr. Bennett "For his contributions to the field of cosmology."  AAAS President, David Oxtoby, said, “Professor Bennett’s spectacular work helped transform cosmology into an integral component in the quest for the fundamental laws of physics. His trailblazing work gives us an unprecedented, precise view of the universe, and more importantly, reminds us of the joys and possibilities of scientific discovery.” [12]

Bennett is a Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Physical Society. [1] In 2002, ISI named him the most Highly Cited Researcher in space science worldwide. [1] He is an author of the top two "Super Hot Papers in Science" published since 2003. [13] In 2004, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. [14]

Before leading WMAP, Bennett was the Deputy Principal Investigator for the Differential Microwave Radiometers (DMR) instrument on the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) mission that discovered the anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation. Bennett led the effort to rebuild the radiometer front-end microwave components that succeeded in significantly enhancing the sensitivity of the DMR instrument. The Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) Science Team also precisely measured the spectrum of the cosmic microwave background radiation.

Prior to 2005, Bennett was a Senior Scientist for Experimental Cosmology, Goddard Senior Fellow, and Infrared Astrophysics Branch Head at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. [1] Bennett was at the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism during the summers from 1976 to 1978. [1]

Awards

Bennett's awards include: [1]

Education

Bennett received his B.S. from University of Maryland, College Park in physics and astronomy cum laude with High Honors in astronomy, which is part of the University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. [1]

1984 Ph.D. in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [1]

Publications

Bennett has more than 91,000 citations in Google Scholar and an h-index of 80. [17]

Highly Cited Articles (more than 2000 citations)

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmic microwave background</span> Trace radiation from the early universe

The cosmic microwave background is microwave radiation that fills all space in the observable universe. It is a remnant that provides an important source of data on the primordial universe. With a standard optical telescope, the background space between stars and galaxies is almost completely dark. However, a sufficiently sensitive radio telescope detects a faint background glow that is almost uniform and is not associated with any star, galaxy, or other object. This glow is strongest in the microwave region of the radio spectrum. The accidental discovery of the CMB in 1965 by American radio astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson was the culmination of work initiated in the 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe</span> NASA satellite of the Explorer program

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), originally known as the Microwave Anisotropy Probe, was a NASA spacecraft operating from 2001 to 2010 which measured temperature differences across the sky in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) – the radiant heat remaining from the Big Bang. Headed by Professor Charles L. Bennett of Johns Hopkins University, the mission was developed in a joint partnership between the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Princeton University. The WMAP spacecraft was launched on 30 June 2001 from Florida. The WMAP mission succeeded the COBE space mission and was the second medium-class (MIDEX) spacecraft in the NASA Explorer program. In 2003, MAP was renamed WMAP in honor of cosmologist David Todd Wilkinson (1935–2002), who had been a member of the mission's science team. After nine years of operations, WMAP was switched off in 2010, following the launch of the more advanced Planck spacecraft by European Space Agency (ESA) in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cosmic Background Explorer</span> NASA satellite of the Explorer program

The Cosmic Background Explorer, also referred to as Explorer 66, was a NASA satellite dedicated to cosmology, which operated from 1989 to 1993. Its goals were to investigate the cosmic microwave background radiation of the universe and provide measurements that would help shape our understanding of the cosmos.

Observational cosmology is the study of the structure, the evolution and the origin of the universe through observation, using instruments such as telescopes and cosmic ray detectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mollweide projection</span> Pseudocylindrical equal-area map projection

The Mollweide projection is an equal-area, pseudocylindrical map projection generally used for maps of the world or celestial sphere. It is also known as the Babinet projection, homalographic projection, homolographic projection, and elliptical projection. The projection trades accuracy of angle and shape for accuracy of proportions in area, and as such is used where that property is needed, such as maps depicting global distributions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Spergel</span> American astrophysicist

David Nathaniel Spergel is an American theoretical astrophysicist and the Emeritus Charles A. Young Professor of Astronomy on the Class of 1897 Foundation at Princeton University. Since 2021, he has been the President of the Simons Foundation. He is known for his work on the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) project. In 2022, Spergel accepted the chair of NASA's UAP independent study team.

Edward L. (Ned) Wright is an American astrophysicist and cosmologist. He has worked on space missions including the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), and Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyman Page</span> American astrophysicist

Lyman Alexander Page, Jr. is the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Physics at Princeton University. He is an expert in observational cosmology and one of the original co-investigators for the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) project that made precise observations of the electromagnetic radiation from the Big Bang, known as cosmic background radiation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta 5000</span>

The Delta 5000 series was an American expendable launch system which was used to conduct an orbital launch in 1989. It was a member of the Delta family of rockets. Although several variants were put forward, only the Delta 5920 was launched. The designation used a four digit numerical code to store information on the configuration of the rocket. It was built from a combination of spare parts left over from earlier Delta rockets, which were being retired, and parts from the Delta II 6000-series, which was just entering service.

Cold Big Bang is a designation used in cosmology to denote an absolute zero temperature at the beginning of the Universe, instead of a (hot) Big Bang.

In cosmology, decoupling is a period in the development of the universe when different types of particles fall out of thermal equilibrium with each other. This occurs as a result of the expansion of the universe, as their interaction rates decrease up to this critical point. The two verified instances of decoupling since the Big Bang which are most often discussed are photon decoupling and neutrino decoupling, as these led to the cosmic microwave background and cosmic neutrino background, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haro 11</span> Galaxy in the constellation Sculptor

Haro 11 (H11) is a small galaxy at a distance of 300,000,000 light-years (redshift z=0.020598). It is situated in the southern constellation of Sculptor. Visually, it appears to be an irregular galaxy, as the ESO image to the right shows. H11 is named after Guillermo Haro, a Mexican astronomer who first included it in a study published in 1956 about blue galaxies. H11 is a starburst galaxy that has 'super star clusters' within it and is one of nine galaxies in the local universe known to emit Lyman continuum photons (LyC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Licia Verde</span> Italian cosmologist and theoretical physicist (born 1971)

Licia Verde is an Italian cosmologist and theoretical physicist and currently ICREA Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Barcelona. Her research interests include large-scale structure, dark matter, dark energy, inflation and the cosmic microwave background.

Michele Limon is an Italian research scientist at the University of Pennsylvania. Limon studied physics at the Università degli Studi di Milano in Milan, Italy and completed his post-doctoral work at the University of California, Berkeley. He has been conducting research for more than 30 years and has experience in the design of ground, balloon and space-based instrumentation. His academic specialties include Astrophysics, Cosmology, Instrumentation Development, and Cryogenics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiranya Peiris</span> British astrophysicist who studies the big bang

Hiranya Vajramani Peiris is a British astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge, University College London, and Stockholm University, best known for her work on the cosmic microwave background radiation. She was one of 27 scientists who received the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics in 2018 for their "detailed maps of the early universe."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Dunkley</span> British astrophysicist

Joanna Dunkley is a British astrophysicist and Professor of Physics at Princeton University. She works on the origin of the Universe and the Cosmic microwave background (CMB) using the Atacama Cosmology Telescope, the Simons Observatory and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST).

Gary F. Hinshaw is a cosmologist and physics professor at the University of British Columbia. Hinshaw worked on the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) whose observations of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) have provided significant insights into cosmology. He holds both US and Canadian citizenship.

Norman C. Jarosik is a US astrophysicist. He has worked on the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) whose observations of Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR) have provided significant insights into cosmology.

In cosmological inflation, within the slow-roll paradigm, the Lyth argument places a theoretical upper bound on the amount of gravitational waves produced during inflation, given the amount of departure from the homogeneity of the cosmic microwave background (CMB).

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Brief Biography of Charles L. Bennett". Johns Hopkins University . Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  2. ↑ "Charles L. Bennett, Johns Hopkins University". National Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  3. ↑ "National Academies members". National Academies. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  4. ↑ "Henry Draper Medal". National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  5. ↑ "Comstock Prize in Physics". National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  6. ↑ "Harvey Prize Winners". Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  7. ↑ "Announcement and Citation - Astronomy - 2010". Shaw Prize. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  8. ↑ "2012 Gruber Cosmology Prize Press Release". The Gruber Foundation. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  9. ↑ "Jansky Prize". National Radio Astronomy Observatory . Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  10. ↑ "Tommasoni Prizes". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  11. ↑ "2017 Isaac Newton Medal and Prize". Institute of Physics awards > International Medal. Institute of Physics. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  12. ↑ "Pioneering Astrophysicist Charles L. Bennett Receives Rumford Prize". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
  13. ↑ "Super Hot Papers in Science Published Since 2003". The Thomson Corporation. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter B" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences . Retrieved June 15, 2011.
  15. ↑ "NASA and COBE Scientists Win Top Cosmology Prize". NASA. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  16. ↑ "Charles Bennett". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  17. ↑ "Charles L. Bennett". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
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