David L. Rabinowitz, Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Yale University, New Haven CT 06517

Employment  History                                           RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Research Scientist 1999-present

Physics Department and

Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics

Yale University

 
  • Fabrication and testing of CCDs
  • Construction of the Palomar-Quest 112-CCD mosaic camera
  • Software for robotic operation of Palomar telescope and the Palomar Quest camera
  • Software for object detection and photometry of wide-field survey images
  • Discovery and characterization of lensed quasars, blazars,  supernovae, and the new dwarf planets in the outer solar system (Sedna, Eris)
  • Particle-accelerator radiation testing of CCDs
  • Photometry of Kuiper Belt Objects
  • Supervisor to  undergraduate and graduate students

Research Scientist, 1996-1999

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

California Institute of Technology                        

                                                                                     

                                                                                     

                                                                                     

                                                                                     

  • Development of a fast-readout CCD camera for astrometric planet searches at Keck and Palomar
  • Photometric observations of near-Earth asteroids revealing orbital binaries and space weathering
  • Development of CCD cameras and telescope control software for automated asteroid detection
  • Development of high-volume, on-line image archive
  • Accurate measurement of the NEA population size

Research Associate, 1993-1996                              

with Dr. George W. Wetherill

Carnegie Institution of Washington                     

Department of Terrestrial Magnetism                   

 
  • Dynamical studies detailing the orbital and collisional evolution of near-Earth asteroids
  • Ground-based observations of the tidal disruption of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 just prior to impact 

Research Associate, 1989-1993                              

with Prof. Tom Gehrels

University of Arizona                                              

Lunar and Planetary Laboratory                            

                                                                                     

                                                                                     

                                                                                     

  • Development of hardware and software for real-time detection of asteroids with the Spacewatch Telescope
  • Determination of the size and orbital distribution of near-Earth asteroids, corrected for selection bias
  • Discovery and physical characterization of very small near-Earth asteroids with low eccentricities
  • Discovery of Centaur asteroids Pholus and Nessus

Software Scientist, 1988-1989

World Precision Instruments, Inc.

                                                                                     

  • Development of commercial software for real-time acquisition and analysis of multichannel data

Research Assistant, 1983-1987                               

with Prof. John A. Simpson

Enrico Fermi Institute

University of Chicago                                              

                                                                                     

  • Construction of the Dust Counter and Mass Analyzer (DUCMA) carried to comet Halley by VEGA I and II
  • Studies of the propagation and disintegration of cometary dust as revealed by the DUCMA sensor

Education: Ph.D. Physics, University of Chicago, 1988;  B.S. Physics, Yale University, cum laude, with distinction in the major, 1983.
Honors: Amity High School Hall of Honor, NASA Group Achievement Award, JPL Award for Technical Excellence, Asteroid (5040) Rabinowitz, Sigma Xi Membership, NASA Predoctoral Fellowship, Lewis P. Meyer Scholarship, Yale University.
Committees: NASA Near-Earth Asteroid Review Panel; NASA Planetary Astronomy Review Panel; IAU Working Group on Near-Earth Objects; International Spaceguard Foundation, Founding Member; NASA Origins Program Review Panel; NASA Near-Earth Object Survey Working Group; International Halley Watch Review Committee.
Teaching Experience: Undergraduate thesis advisor, Yale Unic; NRC postdoc and Caltech summer student supervisor, JPL; guest lecturer, University of Arizona; student intern supervisor, University of Chicago.
Skills: 10 years experience constructing CCD cameras, 20 years experience interfacing computers and digital devices; 15 years experience real-time control, data acquisition, pattern recognition on PCs and UNIX Workstations, parallel processing, GUI, animation, Web design; 20 years experience scientific programming – dynamics of cosmic dust, dust streams, near-Earth asteroids, Monte-Carlo analyses; proficient Spanish speaker.
 
Publications

2008. "The Quest Data Processing Software Pipeline", submitted to PASP
Andrews, P., Baltay. C., Bauer, A., Ellman, N., Jerke, J., Lauer, R., & Rabinowitz, D.
 
2008.  "The Palomar-Quest digital synoptic sky survey", Astron. Nachr. 329, 263
Djorgovski, S. G., C. Baltay, C., Mahabal, A. A., Drake, A.J. , Williams,R. ,  Rabinowitz, D. , Graham, M.J., , Donalek, C. ,  Glikman, E. , Bauer, A. , Scalzo, R. , Ellman, N. , & Jerke, J.

2007. "The QUEST Large Area CCD Camera", PASP 119, 1278.
Baltay, C., Rabinowitz, D., Andrews, P., Bauer, A., Ellman, N., Emmet, W., Hudson, R., Hurteau, T., Jerke, J., Lauer, R., Silge, J., Szymkowiak, A., Adams, B., Gebhard, M., Musser, J., Doyle, M., Petrie, H., Smith, R., Thicksten, R., & Geary, J.
 
2007. "Methane and Ethane on the Bright Kuiper Belt Object 2005 FY9". AJ 133, 284
Brown, M. E., Barkume, K. M., Blake, G. A., Schaller, E. L., Rabinowitz, D. L., Roe, H. G., & Trujillo, C. A.

2007. "The Surface of 2003 EL61 in the Near-Infrared", ApJ 655,. 1172
Trujillo, Chadwick A., Brown, Michael E., Barkume, Kristina M., Schaller, Emily L., & Rabinowitz, David L.

2007. "The Diverse Solar Phase Curves of Distant Icy Bodies. I. Photometric Observations of 18 Trans-Neptunian Objects, 7 Centaurs, and Nereid", AJ 133, 26
Rabinowitz, David L., Schaefer, Bradley E., & Tourtellotte, Suzanne W.,

2007. "Nearby Supernova Factory Observations of SN 2006D: On Sporadic Carbon Signatures in Early Type Ia Supernova Spectra", ApJ 654, L53
Thomas, R. C., Aldering, G., Antilogus, P., Aragon, C., Bailey, S., Baltay, C., Baron, E., Bauer, A., Buton, C., Bongard, S., Copin, Y., Gangler, E., Gilles, S., Kessler, R., Loken, S., Nugent, P., Pain, R., Parrent, J., Pécontal, E., Pereira, R., Perlmutter, S., Rabinowitz, D., Rigaudier, G., Runge, K., Scalzo, R., Smadja, G., Wang, L., & Weaver, B. A.,
 
2006. "Nearby Supernova Factory Observations of SN 2005gj: Another Type Ia Supernova in a Massive Circumstellar Envelope", ApJ 650, 510
Aldering, G., Antilogus, P., Bailey, S., Baltay, C., Bauer, A., Blanc, N., Bongard, S., Copin, Y., Gangler, E., Gilles, S., Kessler, R., Kocevski, D., Lee, B. C., Loken, S., Nugent, P., Pain, R., Pécontal, E., Pereira, R., Perlmutter, S., Rabinowitz, D., Rigaudier, G., Scalzo, R., Smadja, G., Thomas, R. C., Wang, L., & Weaver, B. A.,
 
2006. “Photometric Observations Constraining the Size, Shape, and Albedo of 2003 El61, a Rapidly Rotating, Pluto-Sized Object in the Kuiper Belt”, ApJ 639, 1238
Rabinowitz, D. L.,  Barkume, K., Brown, M. E.,  Roe, H., Schwartz, M., Tourtellotte, W., & Trujillo, C. 

2006. "The Nearby Supernova Factory", New Astron. Rev. 50, 436
Copin, Y., Blanc, N., Bongard, S., Gangler, E., Saugé, L., Smadja, G., Antilogus, P., Garavini, G., Gilles, S., Pain, R., Aldering, G., Bailey, S., Lee, B. C., Loken, S., Nugent, P., Perlmutter, S., Scalzo, R., Thomas, R. C., Wang, L., Weaver, B. A., Pécontal, E., Kessler, R., Baltay, C., Rabinowitz, D., & Bauer, A.
 
2006. "Direct Measurement of the Size of 2003 UB313 from the Hubble Space Telescope", ApJ 643, L61
Brown, M. E., Schaller, E. L., Roe, H. G., Rabinowitz, D. L., & Trujillo, C. A.
 
2006. "Satellites of the Largest Kuiper Belt Objects", ApJ 639, L43
Brown, M. E., van Dam, M. A., Bouchez, A. H., Le Mignant, D., Campbell, R. D., Chin, J. C. Y., Conrad, A., Hartman, S. K., Johansson, E. M., Lafon, R. E., Rabinowitz, D. L., Stomski, P. J., Jr., Summers, D. M., Trujillo, C. A., & Wizinowich, P. L.
 
2005. "Keck Observatory Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics Discovery and Characterization of a Satellite to the Large Kuiper Belt Object 2003 EL61", ApJ 632, 45
Brown, M. E., Bouchez, A. H., Rabinowitz, D., Sari, R., Trujillo, C. A., van Dam, M., Campbell, R., Chin, J., Hartman, S., Johansson, E., Lafon, R., Le Mignant, D., Stomski, P., Summers, D., & Wizinowich, P.
 
2005. “Discovery of a planetary-sized object in the scattered Kuiper belt”, ApJ 635, 97
Brown, M.E. , Trujillo, C.A. , & Rabinowitz, D.L.
 
2005. “Near-Infrared Surface Properties of the Two Intrinsically Brightest Minor Planets: (90377) Sedna and (90482) Orcus”, ApJ 627, 1057-1065.
Trujillo, Chadwick A., Brown, Michael E., Rabinowitz, David L., Geballe, Thomas R.
 
2005. "Discovery of a Planetary-sized Object in the Scattered Kuiper Belt", ApJ. 635, 97
Brown, M. E., Trujillo, C. A., & Rabinowitz, D. L.,

2005. “Discovery of a Candidate Inner Oort Cloud Planetoid”, ApJ 617, 645-649.
Brown, Michael E., Trujillo, Chadwick, & Rabinowitz, David,
                                                                                                                                                      
2004. “The QUEST RR Lyrae Survey. I. The First Catalog”, AJ 127, 1158-1175.
Vivas, A. K., Zinn, R., Abad, C., Andrews, P., Bailyn, C., Baltay, C., Bongiovanni, A., Briceño, C., Bruzual, G., Coppi, P., Della Prugna, F., Ellman, N., Ferrín, I., Gebhard, M., Girard, T., Hernandez, J., Herrera, D., Honeycutt, R., Magris, G., Mufson, S., Musser, J., Naranjo, O., Rabinowitz, D., Rengstorf, A., Rosenzweig, P., Sánchez, Ge., Sánchez, Gu., Schaefer, B., Schenner, H., Snyder, J. A., Sofia, S., Stock, J., van Altena, W., Vicente, B., Vieira, K.
                                                                                                                                                      
2004. “Weak lensing from space I: instrumentation and survey strategy”, Astroparticle Physics 20, 377-389.
Rhodes, J., Refregier, A., Massey, R., Albert, J., Bacon, D., Bernstein, G., Ellis, R., Jain, B., Kim, A., Lampton, M., McKay, T., Akerlof, C., Aldering, G., Amanullah, R., Astier, P., Baltay, C., Barrelet, E., Bebek, C., Bergström, L., Bercovitz, J., Bester, M., Bigelow, B., Bohlin, R., Bonissent, A., Bower, C., Brown, M., Campbell, M., Carithers, W., Commins, E., Day, C., Deustua, S., Digennaro, R., Ealet, A., Emmet, W., Eriksson, M., Fouchez, D., Fruchter, A., Genat, J.-F., Gerdes, D., Gladney, L., Goldhaber, G., Goobar, A., Groom, D., Harris, S., Harvey, P., Heetderks, H., Holland, S., Huterer, D., Johnston, W., Karcher, A., Kolbe, W., Krieger, B., Kushner, G., Kuznetsova, N., Lafever, R., Lamoureux, J., Levi, M., Linder, E., Loken, S., Lorenzon, W., Malina, R., Mazure, A., McKee, S., Miquel, R., Morgan, N., Mörtsell, E., Mostek, N., Mufson, S., Musser, J., Nugent, P., Oluseyi, H., Pain, R., Palaio, N., Pankow, D., Perlmutter, S., Pratt, R., Prieto, E., Rabinowitz, D., Robinson, K., Roe, N., Rusin, D., Schubnell, M., Sholl, M., Smadja, G., Smith, R., Smoot, G., Snyder, J., Spadafora, A., Szymkowiak, A., Tarlé, G., Taylor, K., Tilquin, A., Tomasch, A., von der Lippe, H., Vincent, D., Walder, J.-P., Wang, G.
 
2002. Photometric light curve for the Kuiper Belt Object 2000 EB173 on 78 nights, Icarus 160, 52-58.
Schaefer, B. & Rabinowitz, D.
                                                                                                                                                      
2002. “Two Periods of 1999 HF1-Another Binary NEA Candidate”, Icarus 158, 276-280.
Pravec, P., Å arounová, L., Hicks, M. D., Rabinowitz, D. L., Wolf, M., Scheirich, P., Krugly, Y. N.
 
2001. Discovery of the Bright Trans-Neptunian Object 2000 EB173, ApJ 548, L243-247.
Ferrin, I., Rabinowitz, D., Schaefer, B., Snyder, J., Ellman, N., Vicente, B., Rengstorf, A., Depoy, D., Salim, S., Andrews, P., Bailyn, C., Baltay, C., Briceno, C., Coppi, P., Deng, M., Emmet, W., Oemler, A., Sabbey, C., Shin, J., Sofia, S., van Altena, W., Vivas, K., Abad, C., Bongiovanni, A., Bruzual, G., Della Prugna, F., Herrera, D., Magris, G., Mateu, J., Pacheco, R., Sánchez, Ge., Sánchez, Gu., Schenner, H., Stock, J., Vieira, K., Fuenmayor, F., Hernandez, J., Naranjo, O., Rosenzweig, P., Secco, C., Spavieri, G., Gebhard, M., Honeycutt, K., Mufson, S., Musser, J., Pravdo, S., Helin, E., Lawrence, K.
                                                                                                                                                      
2001. “The QUEST RR Lyrae Survey: Confirmation of the Clump at 50 Kiloparsecs and Other Overdensities in the Outer Halo”, ApJ 554, L33-L36. Vivas, A. K., Zinn, R., Andrews, P., Bailyn, C., Baltay, C., Coppi, P., Ellman, N., Girard, T., Rabinowitz, D., Schaefer, B., Shin, J., Snyder, J., Sofia, S., van Altena, W., Abad, C., Bongiovanni, A., Briceño, C., Bruzual, G., Della Prugna, F., Herrera, D., Magris, G., Mateu, J., Pacheco, R., Sánchez, Ge., Sánchez, Gu., Schenner, H., Stock, J., Vicente, B., Vieira, K., Ferrín, I., Hernandez, J., Gebhard, M., Honeycutt, R., Mufson, S., Musser, J., Rengstorf, A.

2000. "Slowly Rotating Asteroid 1999 GU3", Icarus 148, 589-593.
Pravec, Petr, Šarounová, Lenka, Rabinowitz, David L., Hicks, Michael D., Wolf, Marek, Krugly, Yurij N., Velichko, Fiodor P., Shevchenko, Vasilij G., Chiorny, Vasilij G., Gaftonyuk, Ninel M., Genevier, Guy
                                                                                                                                                    
2000. “Two-Period Lightcurves of 1996 FG3, 1998 PG, and (5407) 1992 AX: One Probable and Two Possible Binary Asteroids”, Icarus 146, 190-203
Pravec, P., Å arounová, L., Rabinowitz, D. L., Hicks, M. D., Wolf, M., Krugly, Y. N., Velichko, Fiodor P., Shevchenko, V. G., Chiorny, V. G., Gaftonyuk, N. M., Genevier, G.,
 
2000. "A reduced estimate of the number of kilometre-sized near-Earth asteroids", Nature 403, 165-166
Rabinowitz, D., Helin, E., Lawrence, K., and Pravdo, S.
 
2000. "Physical Observations of 1996 PW and 1997 SE5: Extinct Comets or D-Type Asteroids ?", Icarus 143, 354-359.
Hicks, M. D., Buratti, B. J., Newburn, R. L., and Rabinowitz, D. L.
 
2000. “Two-period lightcurves of 1996 FG3, 1998 PG and  (5407) 1992 AX: One probable and two possible binary asteroids”, Icarus 146, 190-203.
Pravec, P., Sarounova, L., Rabinowitz, D., Hicks, M., Genevier, G., Wolf, M., Krugly, Y.N., Velichko, F.P., Shevchenko, V.G, Chiorny, V.G., and Gaftonyuk, N.M.
 
2000. “Physical observations of 1996 PW and 1997 SE5: extinct comets or D-type asteroids ?”, Icarus 143, 354-359.
Hicks, M. D., B. J. Buratti, R. Newburn Jr., & D. Rabinowitz.
 
1999. “The lightcurve and geometric albedo of 433 Eros during the 1998 apparition”, Icarus 141, 411-414.
Hicks, M.D., Buratti, B.J., Rabinowitz, D.L., and Genevier, G.
 
1999. “Radar and optical observations of asteroid 1998 KY26”, Science. 285, 557-559.
Ostro, S.J., Pravec, P., Benner, L.A.M., Hudson, R.S., Sarounova, L., Hicks, M.D., Rabinowitz, D.L., Scotti, J.V., Tholen, D.J., Wolf, M., Jurgens, R.F., Thomas, M.L., Giorgini, J.D., Chodas, P.W., Yeomans, D.K., Rose, R., Frye, R., Rosema, D., Winkler, R., and Slade, M.A.
 
1998. “The near-Earth asteroid tracking (NEAT) program: an automated system for telescope control, wide-field imaging, and object detection”, AJ 117, 1615-1633.
Pravdo, S. H., D. L. Rabinowitz, E. F. Helin, K. J. Lawrence, R. J. Bamberry, C. C. Clark, S. L. Groom, S. Levin, J. Lorre, S. B. Shaklan, P. Kervin, J. A. Africano, P. Sydney, & V. Soohoo
 
1998. “Size and orbit dependent trends in the colors of Earth-approaching asteroids”, Icarus 134, 342.
Rabinowitz, D. L.
 
1997. “Are main-belt asteroids a sufficient source for the Earth-approaching asteroids? Part II. Predicted vs. observed size distributions”, Icarus  130, 287.
Rabinowitz, D. L.
 
1997. “Are main-belt asteroids a sufficient source for the Earth-approaching asteroids? Part I. Predicted vs. observed orbital distributions”, Icarus 123, 33.
Rabinowitz, D. L.
 
1994. “The size and shape of the near-Earth asteroid belt”, Icarus 111, 364-377.
Rabinowitz, D. L.
 
1993. “Evidence for a near-Earth asteroid belt“, Nature 363, 704-706.Rabinowitz, D. L., Gehrels, T., Scotti, J. V., McMillan, R. S., Perry, M. L., Wisniewski, W., Larson, S. M., Howell, E. S., Mueller, B. E. A.
 
1993. “The size distribution of the earth-approaching asteroids”, ApJ 407, 412-427.
Rabinowitz, D. L.
                                                                                                                                                       
1993. “Dust population of Comet Halley's coma based on the DUSMA experiment”,  Astronomicheskii Vestnik 27, 45-70.
Simpson, J. A., Rabinowitz, D., Tuzzolino, A. J., Perkins, M. A., Ksanfomaliti, L. V.
                                                                                                                                                       
1991. “Near miss of the earth by a small asteroid”, Nature 354, 287-289.
Scotti, J. V., Rabinowitz, D. L., Marsden, B. G.
 
1991. “Detection of earth-approaching asteroids in near real time”, AJ 101, 1518-1529.
Rabinowitz, D. L.
                                                                                                                                                       
1991. “A source map for dust jets observed in the coma of Comet P/Halley”, A&A 200, 225-247.
Rabinowitz, D. L.
                                                                                                                                                           
1987. “The dust coma of comet P/Halley - Measurements on the Vega-1 and Vega-2 spacecraft”, A&A 187, 742-752.
Simpson, J. A., Rabinowitz, D., Tuzzolino, A. J., Ksanfomaliti, L. V., Sagdeev, R. Z.
                                                                                                                                                       
1986. “VEGA Dust Counter and Mass Analyzer Ducma Measurements of Comet Halley's Coma”,  Soviet Astr. .Lett.12, 269.
Simpson, J. A., Sagdeev, R. Z., Tuzzolino, A. J., Perkins, M. A., Ksanfomaliti, L. V., Rabinowitz, D., Lentz, G. A., Afonin, V. V., Keppler, E., Chebotarev, N. G., Ero, J., Ganpantserova, O. F., Goroshkova, N. V., Kosorukov, Y. S., Novikov, B. S., Petrova, E. V., Szabo, L., Umlauft, G., Usikov, D. A., Zharkov, A. V.
                                                                                                                                                       
1986. “Dust counter and mass analyser (DUCMA) measurements of comet Halley's coma from VEGA spacecraft”, Nature 321, 278-280.
Simpson, J. A., Sagdeev, R. Z., Tuzzolino, A. J., Perkins, M. A., Ksanfomality, L. V., Rabinowitz, D., Lentz, G. A., Afonin, V. V., Ero, J., Keppler, E., Kosorokov, J., Petrova, E., Szabo, L., Umlauft, G.,