Christopher Martin

Partner Investigator

Caltech

Biography

Christopher Martin has 40 years of experience in Space UV and ground-based experimental astrophysics. He has led multiple successful sounding rocket, balloon, Shuttle, and ground-based experiments. He led the successful UV survey Explorer mission the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX). Recently he has been developing experimental and observational techniques for detecting and mapping emission from the Intergalactic Medium. These include Faint Intergalactic Medium Redshifted BALLoon (FIREBALL, the first UV integral field and multi-object spectrograph), which had its first successful science flight in June, 2009, the Palomar Cosmic Web Imager (PCWI, first light 2010) and the Keck Cosmic Web Imager (KCWI, first light April 2017), which is obtaining the first images of the Cosmic Web at redshift 2-3. In collaboration with JPL, he is developing a new generation of high quantum efficiency, low noise photon-counting CCD detectors which make possible the first UV IGM mapping mission, XCWI. Areas of expertise include: Complex systems analysis, modeling, and optimization; Instrument design and modeling; optical design of imaging and spectroscopic systems; requirements development, flowdown, verification; system engineering. Developing novel data analysis codes (end-to-end) required for the correct interpretation of large and novel datasets. Scientific interpretation of analyzed data; system integration, testing, and alignment; electronics design, command and control, telemetry; mechanical and thermal design; UV/optical detectors, UV optics and coatings; X-ray detectors; observatory pointing and tracking control; flight system simulations, integration and test; project management; risk management; international partnering; field operations; observation planning; flight operations. Public and private fund raising. Community leadership and strategic planning during times of diminishing public funds.