Daniel Apai (born 1977) is a professor and astrophysicist at The University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. He is known for his studies of astrobiology, extrasolar planets, and the formation of planetary systems. He is the principal investigator of the Earths in Other Solar Systems team of NASA's Nexus for Exoplanet System Studies and the Hubble Space Telescope Cloud Atlas Treasury program, and Project EDEN, a large survey for habitable planets in the immediate solar neighborhood. He is leading the Nautilus Space Observatory space telescope concept and co-leading the technology development underpinning it.
Apai's work includes detailed comparative studies of planet formation around sun-like stars and low-mass stars; his team has discovered that the structure and evolution of protoplanetary disks depends on stellar mass. He used, for the first time, multi-epoch near-infrared radial velocity measurements to demonstrate that many O-type stars have massive companions at the time of their formation. Apai has also used the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope to carry out pioneering observations to map condensate clouds in brown dwarf and exoplanet atmospheres. These studies demonstrated that brown dwarfs at the L- to T spectral type transition have clouds with varying thickness,[1] and that many brown dwarfs have zonal circulation and planetary-scale waves.[2] Daniel Apai was also a member of the team that [3] discovered and imaged the super-jupiter [3]Beta Pictoris b around the star Beta Pictoris.
Nautilus Space Observatoryedit
In 2016, Apai assembled a group of optical scientists, astrophysicists, and aerospace engineers to address a key technological challenge to scaling up astronomical space telescopes, with the goal of proposing a novel space telescope to NASA to survey a thousand extrasolar planets for atmospheric signatures of life (biosignatures). This effort led to the successful development of a new optical technology, Multi-Order Diffractive Engineered Material (MODE) lenses, that combine refraction with diffraction to form high-quality images with an ultra-light optical element that can be cost-effectively fabricated. By replacing expensive and technologically challenging primary mirrors, the MODE technology has the potential to enable production of low-cost but large-aperture space telescopes. In an ‘’Astronomical Journal’’ paper published in 2019, Apai and his team described a large and relatively low-cost array of identical unit telescopes that combines light incoherently, providing a light-collecting area equivalent of a single 50 m-diameter telescope. This concept is named the Nautilus Space Observatory (aka Nautilus Deep Space Observatory). With a light-collecting area about 100 times greater than that of the James Webb Space Telescope and ten times greater than that of the LUVOIR space telescope concept, Nautilus Deep Space Observatory is designed to survey extrasolar planets for biosignatures in a 10–100 times larger sample than other space telescope concepts yet envisioned. The first such unit space telescope, with a notional 8.5m-diameter lens, was proposed as the Nautilus Probe to the Astronomy 2020 Decadal Survey.
Publications and Booksedit
Daniel Apai is an author of over 400 professional publications, including over 200 refereed papers. He co-edited (with Dante Lauretta) the book Protoplanetary Dust, published by Cambridge University Press.
Honoursedit
In 2024, Apai was [1][elected Fellow] of the American Association for the Advancement of Science "For distinguished contributions to the field of astrobiology and astrophysics, particularly for advancements in our understanding of habitable exoplanets and planetary systems."
^Apai, Daniel; Karalidi, Theodora & Marley, M. S. (2017). "Zones, spots, and planetary-scale waves beating in brown dwarf atmospheres". Science. 357 (6352): 683–687. Bibcode:2017Sci...357..683A. doi:10.1126/science.aam9848. PMID 28818943.
^ abLagrange, Anne-Marie; Bonnefoy, Mickael; Chauvin, G. & Apai, Daniel (2010). "A Giant Planet Imaged in the Disk of the Young Star β Pictoris". Science. 329 (5987): 57–61. arXiv:1006.3314. Bibcode:2010Sci...329...57L. doi:10.1126/science.1187187.
January 01, 1970
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Daniel Apai born 1977 is a professor and astrophysicist at The University of Arizona in Tucson Arizona He is known for his studies of astrobiology extrasolar planets and the formation of planetary systems He is the principal investigator of the Earths in Other Solar Systems team of NASA s Nexus for Exoplanet System Studies and the Hubble Space Telescope Cloud Atlas Treasury program and Project EDEN a large survey for habitable planets in the immediate solar neighborhood He is leading the Nautilus Space Observatory space telescope concept and co leading the technology development underpinning it Daniel ApaiBorn 1977 01 11 January 11 1977 age 47 Szeged HungaryNationalityAmerican HungarianAlma materSzeged University Diploma University of Heidelberg PhD Known forextrasolar planet searches and characterization astrobiologyAwardsAAAS FellowScientific careerFieldsAstrophysics Astrobiology Planetary Sciences Space TelescopesInstitutionsThe University of ArizonaDoctoral advisorThomas Henning Contents 1 Career 2 Work 3 Nautilus Space Observatory 4 Publications and Books 5 Honours 6 See also 7 ReferencesCareer editDaniel Apai was born in Szeged Hungary in 1977 and grew up in Budapest Hungary He studied physics at the University of Szeged Hungary and the University of Jena Germany and received a diploma as research physicist in 2000 After graduation he was awarded a German Academic Exchange Service Doctoral Fellowship and began his doctoral studies at the University of Jena under the supervision of Thomas Henning on observational studies of young stars In 2002 he moved to the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy Heidelberg Germany and he received his Ph D from the University of Heidelberg in 2004 In 2004 he was the recipient of the Patzer Price Between 2004 and 2008 Daniel Apai has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Steward Observatory s NASA Astrobiology Institute node on high contrast adaptive optics direct imaging searches for extrasolar planets In 2008 Apai took on a position at the Space Telescope Science Institute as an assistant astronomer at the institute s Science Policy Group In 2011 he moved back to faculty of the University of Arizona s Steward Observatory and Lunar and Planetary Laboratory where he is full professor since 2021 He also held short term visiting positions at The University of Texas at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy Heidelberg and at The University of Bern In 2022 Apai became Interim Associate Dean for Research at the College of Science of the University of Arizona Work editApai s work includes detailed comparative studies of planet formation around sun like stars and low mass stars his team has discovered that the structure and evolution of protoplanetary disks depends on stellar mass He used for the first time multi epoch near infrared radial velocity measurements to demonstrate that many O type stars have massive companions at the time of their formation Apai has also used the Hubble Space Telescope and the Spitzer Space Telescope to carry out pioneering observations to map condensate clouds in brown dwarf and exoplanet atmospheres These studies demonstrated that brown dwarfs at the L to T spectral type transition have clouds with varying thickness 1 and that many brown dwarfs have zonal circulation and planetary scale waves 2 Daniel Apai was also a member of the team that 3 discovered and imaged the super jupiter 3 Beta Pictoris b around the star Beta Pictoris Nautilus Space Observatory editIn 2016 Apai assembled a group of optical scientists astrophysicists and aerospace engineers to address a key technological challenge to scaling up astronomical space telescopes with the goal of proposing a novel space telescope to NASA to survey a thousand extrasolar planets for atmospheric signatures of life biosignatures This effort led to the successful development of a new optical technology Multi Order Diffractive Engineered Material MODE lenses that combine refraction with diffraction to form high quality images with an ultra light optical element that can be cost effectively fabricated By replacing expensive and technologically challenging primary mirrors the MODE technology has the potential to enable production of low cost but large aperture space telescopes In an Astronomical Journal paper published in 2019 Apai and his team described a large and relatively low cost array of identical unit telescopes that combines light incoherently providing a light collecting area equivalent of a single 50 m diameter telescope This concept is named the Nautilus Space Observatory aka Nautilus Deep Space Observatory With a light collecting area about 100 times greater than that of the James Webb Space Telescope and ten times greater than that of the LUVOIR space telescope concept Nautilus Deep Space Observatory is designed to survey extrasolar planets for biosignatures in a 10 100 times larger sample than other space telescope concepts yet envisioned The first such unit space telescope with a notional 8 5m diameter lens was proposed as the Nautilus Probe to the Astronomy 2020 Decadal Survey Publications and Books editDaniel Apai is an author of over 400 professional publications including over 200 refereed papers He co edited with Dante Lauretta the book Protoplanetary Dust published by Cambridge University Press Honours editIn 2024 Apai was 1 elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science For distinguished contributions to the field of astrobiology and astrophysics particularly for advancements in our understanding of habitable exoplanets and planetary systems See also editNautilus Deep Space ObservatoryReferences edit Apai Daniel Radigan Jacqueline amp Buenzli Esther 2013 HST Spectral Mapping of L T Transition Brown Dwarfs Reveals Cloud Thickness Variations The Astrophysical Journal 768 2 121 136 arXiv 1303 4151 Bibcode 2013ApJ 768 121A doi 10 1088 0004 637X 768 2 121 S2CID 118861458 Apai Daniel Karalidi Theodora amp Marley M S 2017 Zones spots and planetary scale waves beating in brown dwarf atmospheres Science 357 6352 683 687 Bibcode 2017Sci 357 683A doi 10 1126 science aam9848 PMID 28818943 a b Lagrange Anne Marie Bonnefoy Mickael Chauvin G amp Apai Daniel 2010 A Giant Planet Imaged in the Disk of the Young Star b Pictoris Science 329 5987 57 61 arXiv 1006 3314 Bibcode 2010Sci 329 57L doi 10 1126 science 1187187 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Daniel Apai amp oldid 1223134814, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
