Monday, February 09, 2026 at 3:30 pm

JILA auditorium

Chistoph Keller, NSO

"Fun with Photons"

Abstract:

Remote sensing of the universe, including Earth and its atmosphere, largely relies on extracting information from photons/electromagnetic waves. To optimize information extraction, instruments and data analysis have to be looked at as a system. The colloquium will highlight examples of this systems approach to optical instrumentation that I have been involved in over the past few decades. These examples include measurements of the polarization of light from circumstellar matter and exoplanets; aerosol measurements in Earth’s atmosphere; detection of signs of homochirality associated with life; adaptive optics, coronagraphs, and control algorithms for exoplanet characterization; and biomedical applications. I will also discuss some unexpected insights into the reflection of light by optical elements and will conclude by looking ahead to a future where filters and spectrographs may become obsolete.

Back to Speakers