Dan Watson's research is currently focussed on planetary-system and stellar
formation. His observations are mostly carried out at infrared and
submillimeter wavelengths, at which the atmosphere is opaque; hence the
predominance of space, airborne and high-altitude observatories in his work.
He has also recently been guilty of modelling of disks, protostars, and their
outflows, though he usually collaborates with others who are better at
theory and modelling than he is. He maintains his interest in the
development of long-wavelength infrared detector arrays, high-resolution
spectrographs, and high-contrast imaging.
Animation by Robert Hurt, SSC
Dan's publications and citations, via
his Google Scholar profile.
Dan's talk at TEDX Rochester
2018. The theme of the meeting was Space.
ESA Herschel Space Observatory:
Dan is a co-investigator, and leader of the spectroscopy component,
of the Herschel Orion Protostar Survey, an open-time key program on
Herschel for which Tom Megeath (U. Toledo) is PI. He also leads or
participates in several other open-time programs on Herschel.
The IRS: Dan is a
co-investigator on the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared
Spectrograph (IRS), for which the late Jim Houck (Cornell U.) was PI.
Spitzer Space Telescope:
Dan leads IRS_Disks, a team of astronomers mostly from the
Spitzer instrument and project teams, who have conducted an
infrared spectroscopic survey of some 3000 protostars,
protoplanetary-disk systems, and debris-disk systems, mostly lying
within 500 parsecs of the Sun.
Watch the launch of the Spitzer Space
Telescope (then called SIRTF), 25 August 2003, aboard Delta #300.
