Location
Age
Area of FocusAbout John's Work
John Carlstrom is an experimental astrophysicist who solves astronomical problems with instruments of his own design and construction.
Carlstrom co-designed and built the first interferometer operating at submillimeter wavelengths, an innovation which enabled the study of major problems concerning the properties of accretion disks around young solar-type stars. He also co-designed and built the first millimeter wavelength interferometric imaging polarimeter, which allows astrophysicists to investigate the role of magnetism in star formation. His devices have also led to more accurate measurements of the rate of cosmic expansion. Carlstrom's contributions motivate revisions of current cosmological models and advance the field of experimental astronomy.
Biography
Carlstrom is the Subramanyan Chandrasekhar Professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, where he has taught since 1995. He was a Millikan Research Fellow in astrophysics at the California Institute of Technology (1989-91) where he also taught (1991-1995). He has published numerous articles in such journals as the Astrophysical Journal and Nature.
Carlstrom received an A.B. (1981) from Vassar College and a Ph.D. (1988) from the University of California, Berkeley.
Last updated January 1, 2005
Published on July 1, 1998
