The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

The Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

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Kirsten Hall

Center for Astrophysics

Kirsten Hall

kirsten.hall@cfa.harvard.edu

About

I am an interdisciplinary scientist, with a Ph.D. focused on Extragalactic Astrophysics, and a 2020 Schmidt Science Fellow conducting postdoctoral research in Climate Science and Atmospheric Physics. Beginning in 2021, I will be an Submillimeter Array (SMA) Fellow here at the CfA. My current research in Climate and Atmospheric science is focused on correlations of greenhouse gases, climate modeling, and retrieval of relevant atmospheric constituents from satellite data. As an astrophysicist, I study the formation and evolution of galaxies and the large-scale structure of the Universe. I am interested in the link between dark matter and normal matter, and the roles that active supermassive black holes and high rates of star formation play in the evolution of galaxies across all of cosmic time. I have broad research interests, and enthusiasm for public outreach and science policy. I am dedicated to creating an equitable environment for all scientists.

Ph.D. Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University; B.S. Physics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Telescopes and Instruments

Spitzer Space Telescope

Infrared light is the key to studying a wide range of astronomical systems, including newborn stars and planets, dust in distant galaxies, and material swirling around black holes. The Spitzer Space Telescope was NASA’s orbiting infrared observatory, and part of NASA’s Great Observatories program, along with the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope. Scientists and engineers at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian led the design, testing, and construction of the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC). The Spitzer Space Telescope was launched in 2003 and retired in 2020.

Visit the Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC Page

Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO)

Scientists study the atmospheres of many worlds with orbiting spacecraft, but Earth is the only planet where we can measure the effects of life — and of the negative impacts of civilization. When it is launched, NASA’s Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) observatory will measure air quality in North America from a geostationary satellite, specifically tracking air pollution in unprecedented detail. The scientific instrument development is led by scientists and engineers at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian and NASA’s Langley Research Center.

Visit the TEMPO Website

The Submillimeter Array - Maunakea, HI

Located near the summit of Maunakea on the Big Island of Hawaii, the Submillimeter Array (SMA) is one of the flagship observatories of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. The observatory consists of eight radio dishes working together as one telescope, giving astronomers a window on a wide range of astronomical objects and phenomena: planets and comets in our own Solar System; the birth of stars and planets; and the supermassive black holes hidden at the centers of the Milky Way and other galaxies. The SMA is operated jointly by the CfA and the Academia Sinica in Taiwan.

Visit the Submillimeter Array Website