David Gerdes

David Gerdes (born 1964) is an American astrophysicist and professor at the University of Michigan. He is known for his research on trans-Neptunian objects, particularly for his discovery of the dwarf planet, 2014 UZ224.

David Gerdes
Born1964 (age 56–57)[1]
NationalityAmerican
OccupationUniversity professor, astrophysicist
Education
Scientific career
FieldsPhysics, Astronomy
Institutions
ThesisSearch for high-mass resonances decaying to emu in pp collisions at square root = 1.69 TeV. (2006)
Doctoral advisorMelvyn Shochet
Websitewww-personal.umich.edu/~gerdes/

Education

Gerdes completed his undergraduate education in physics at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota in 1986. From 1986 to 1987, he studied applied mathematics and theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge under a Churchill Scholarship.[2] From 1987 to 1992, he studied at the University of Chicago, eventually obtaining a PhD in physics.[3]

Career

Gerdes began teaching in the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Michigan in 1992. From 1996 to 1999, he was a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University.[3]

Johns Hopkins University

At Johns Hopkins University, Gerdes contributed to the search for the Higgs boson particle. He helped design a piece of the Large Hadron Collider called the forward pixel detector, a critical component of the accelerator.[4]

University of Michigan

In 1994, Gerdes and his team at Fermilab made the first observations of the top quark subatomic particle.[4]

Using data collected from the Dark Energy Survey between 2013 and 2016, Gerdes led a team of physicists and students at the University of Michigan which discovered a previously unknown dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt.[5] The dwarf planet was known informally as DeeDee until it was given its official designation of 2014 UZ224.[6] Gerdes helped to develop the camera used to make the discovery, although it was designed to create a map of distant galaxies.[7]

Gerdes is currently involved in efforts to locate a theorized ninth planet in the solar system. He suggested that the planet may have been captured in the same photos that 2014 UZ224 was found in, and stated that he was "... excited about our chances of finding it."[7]

Awards and distinctions

References
  1. Allen, Robert (2017-08-16). "Telescope chain spanning U.S. will create unprecedented eclipse video". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  2. "The Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States". Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  3. "Gerdes, David W." Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  4. Venere, Emil (1998-01-26). "The Johns Hopkins Gazette". Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  5. Meer, Jennifer (2016-10-13). "University astronomy professor discovers new dwarf planet". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  6. "Meet 'DeeDee,' a distant, dim member of our solar system". National Radio Astronomy Observatory. 2017-04-12. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  7. Palca, Joe (2016-10-11). "A Friend For Pluto: Astronomers Find New Dwarf Planet In Our Solar System". NPR. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  8. "APS Fellow Archive". Retrieved 2018-05-07.
  9. "Provost's Teaching Innovation Prize". Retrieved 2018-05-07.
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