: 610-519-4884

: david.chuss@villanova.edu

: Mendel Science Center,

Room 262C, Villanova, PA

David T. Chuss, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Physics, Villanova University
Dr. Chuss is an expert in Astronomical Polarimetry. As such, he develops instrumentation to study the polarization of long wavelength light from astrophysical phenomenon to learn about the universe. Dr. Chuss has used this technique to study the physics of magnetic fields in our Milky Way’s center, and has applied these techniques to study the origins of the universe. His instrumentation efforts have led to several adventures including five trips to the South Pole and numerous trips to mountain tops in Hawaii, Arizona, and Chile.

Education

Ph. D. Northwestern University
2002
M.S. Pennsylvania State University
1997
B.S. Villanova University
1995

Work Experience

Astrophysicist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
2004-2015
National Research Council Associate, NASA GSFC
2002-2004

Current Projects

The Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS)

CLASS is an array of 4 telescopes currently under construction in the Atacama Desert in Chile. CLASS will measure the polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) at four frequencies at the largest angular scales to search for the polarized imprint on the CMB from inflationary gravitational waves.

CLASS Website
CLASS at Wikipedia

The High-resolution Airborne Widefield Camera (HAWC+)

HAWC+ is a polarimeter for NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). HAWC+ will provide array polarimetry from 50-300 microns. This instrument will measure magnetic fields and provide new insights into the role of magnetic fields in star formation as well into the physics of the dust itself.

HAWC+ Website
SOFIA Website

Selected Publications

``A Projected Estimate of the Reionization Optical Depth Using the CLASS Experiment's Sample-Variance Limited E-Mode Measurement,'' Duncan J. Watts, Bingjie Wang, Aamir Ali, John W. Appel, Charles L. Bennett, David T. Chuss, Sumit Dahal, Joseph R. Eimer, Thomas Essinger-Hileman, Kathleen Harrington, Gary Hinshaw, Jeffrey Iuliano, Tobias A. Marriage, Nathan J. Miller, Ivan L. Padilla, Matthew Petroff, Karwan Rostem, Edward J. Wollack, Zhilei Xu, The Astrophysical Journal, accepted (2018)
``A software-based lock-in measurement for student laboratories,'' D.T. Chuss, American Journal of Physics, 86, 154-158 (2018).
``A cryogenic thermal source for detector array characterization,'' D.T. Chuss, K. Rostem, E.J. Wollack, L. Berman, F. Colazo, M. DeGeorge, K. Helson, M. Sagliocca, Review of Scientific Instruments, 88, 104501 (2017)
``Recovery of Large Angular Scale CMB Polarization for Instruments Employing Variable-delay Polarization Modulators,'' N.J. Miller, D.T. Chuss, T.A. Marriage, E.J. Wollack, J.W. Appel, C.L. Bennett, J. Eimer, T. Essinger-Hileman, D.J. Fixsen, K. Harrington, S.H. Moseley, K. Rostem, E.R. Switzer, D.J. Watts, ApJ, 818,151 (2016).
``Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS) Focal Plane Development,'' D.T. Chuss, A. Ali, M. Amiri, J. Appel, C.L. Bennett, F. Colazo, K.L. Denis, R.D\"{u}nner,T. Essinger-Hileman, J. Eimer, P. Fluxa, D. Gothe, M. Halpern, K. Harrington, G. Hilton, G. Hinshaw, J. Hubmayr, J. Iuliano, T.A. Marriage, N. Miller, S.H. Moseley, G. Mumby, M. Petroff, C. Reintsema, K. Rostem, K. U-Yen, D. Watts, E. Wagner, E.J. Wollack, Z. Xu, L. Zeng, Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 101007/s10909-015-1368-9 (2015).
``Fabrication of Feedhorn-Coupled Transition Edge Sensor Arrays for Measurement of the Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization,'' Denis, K.L., Ali, A. Appel, J., Bennett, C.L., Chang, M.P., Chuss, D.T., Colazo, F.A., Costen, N., Essinger-Hileman, T., Hu, R., Marriage, T.A., Rostem, K., U-Yen, K., Wollack, E.J., Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 10.1007/s10909-015-1366-y, (2015).
``Measuring the Largest Angular Scale CMB B-mode Polarization with Galactic Foregrounds on a Cut Sky,'' Duncan J. Watts, David Larson, Tobias A. Marriage, Maximilian H. Abitbol, John W. Appel, Charles L. Bennett, David T. Chuss, Joseph R. Eimer, Thomas Essinger-Hileman, Nathan J. Miller, Karwan Rostem, Edward J. Wollack, ApJ, 814, 103 (2015).
``Variable-delay Polarization Modulators for Cryogenic Millimeter-Wave Applications,'' D.T. Chuss, J.R. Eimer, D.J. Fixsen, J. Hinderks, A.J. Kogut, J. Lazear, P. Mirel, E. Switzer, G.M. Voellmer, E.J. Wollack, Review of Scientific Instruments, 85, 064501 (2014).
``Impedance Matched Absorptive Thermal Blocking Filters,'' E.J. Wollack, D.T. Chuss, K. Rostem, K. U-Yen, Review of Scientific Instruments, 85, 034702 (2014).
``Precision Control of Thermal Transport in Cryogenic Single-crystal Silicon Devices,'' K. Rostem, D.T.Chuss, F.A. Colazo, E.J. Crowe, K.L. Denis, N.P. Lourie, S.H. Moseley, T. R. Stevenson, E.J. Wollack, J. Applied Physics, 115, 124508 (2014).
``The Submillimeter Polarization Spectrum of M17,'' L. Zeng, C.L. Bennett, N.L. Chapman, D.T. Chuss, I. Jimenez-Serra, G. Novak, J.E. Vaillancourt, The Astrophysical Journal, 773, 29 (2013).
``A Waveguide-Coupled Thermally-Isolated Radiometric Source,'' K. Rostem, D.T. Chuss, N.P. Lourie, G.M. Voellmer, & E.J. Wollack, Review of Scientific Instruments, 34, 044701-044701-6 (2013).
``A Translational Polarization Rotator,'' D.T. Chuss, G. Pisano, S. Ackiss, K. U-Yen, M. Ng, & E.J. Wollack, Applied Optics, 51, 6824 (2012).
``Properties of a Variable-delay Polarization Modulator,'' D.T. Chuss, E.J. Wollack, R. Henry, H. Hui, A.J. Juarez, M. Krejny, & G. Novak, Applied Optics, 51, 197Ð208 (2012).
``Vector Reflectometry in a Beam Waveguide,'' J.R. Eimer, C.L. Bennett, D.T. Chuss, & E.J. Wollack, Review of Scientific Instruments, 82, 086101 (2011).
``The Primordial Inflation Explorer (PIXIE): A Nulling Polarimeter for Cosmic Microwave Background Observations,'' A. Kogut, D.J. Fixsen, D.T. Chuss, J. Dotson, E. Dwek, M. Halpern, G.F. Hinshaw, S.M. Meyer, S.H. Moseley, M.D. Seiffert, D.N. Spergel, E.J. Wollack, Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 07, 025 (2011).
``Modeling the Intensity and Polarization Response of Planar Bolometric Detectors,'' C.N. Thomas, S. Withington, D.T. Chuss, E.J. Wollack and S.H. Moseley, J. Opt. Soc. Am. A, 27, 1219 (2010).
``Photonic Choke-Joints for Dual-Polarization Waveguides,'' E.J. Wollack, K. U-Yen, and D.T. Chuss, Microwave Symposium Digest (MTT), 2010 IEEE MTT-S International (2010).
``A Low Cross-Polarization Smooth-Walled Horn With Improved Bandwidth,'' L. Zeng, C.L. Bennett, D. T. Chuss, & E.J. Wollack, IEEE TAP, 58, 1383 (2010).
``Design and First Light Observations with the Hertz/VPM Polarimeter'' M. Krejny, D.T. Chuss, G. Novak, G. Voellmer, E.J. Wollack, S.H. Moseley, C. Walker, C. Kulesa, D. Golish, C.Y. Drouet d'Aubigny, & R.F. Loewenstein, Applied Optics, 47, 4429 (2008).
``Diffraction Considerations for Planar Detectors in the Few-Mode Limit,'' D.T. Chuss, E.J. Wollack, S.H. Moseley, S. Withington, and G. Saklatvala, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 120, 430-438 (2008).
``Interferometric Polarization Control,'' D.T. Chuss, E.J. Wollack, S.H. Moseley, and G. Novak, Applied Optics, 45, 5107 (2006).
``Results of SPARO 2003: Mapping Magnetic Fields in Giant Molecular Clouds'', H. Li, G.S. Griffin, M. Krejny, G. Novak, R.F. Loewenstein, M.G. Newcomb, P.G. Calisse, and D.T. Chuss, The Astrophysical Journal 648, 340 (2006).
``Early Results from SPARO: Instrument Characterization and Polarimetry of NGC 6334'', T. Renbarger, D.T. Chuss, J.L. Dotson, G.S. Griffin, J.L. Hanna, R.F. Loewenstein, P.S. Malhotra, J.L. Marshall, G. Novak, and R.J. Pernic, it Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 116, 415 (2004).
``Magnetic Fields in Cool Clouds within the Central 50 Parsecs of the Galaxy'', D.T. Chuss, J.A. Davidson, J.L. Dotson, C.D. Dowell, R.H. Hildebrand, G. Novak, and J.E. Vaillancourt, The Astrophysical Journal, 599, 1116 (2003).
``First Results from the Submillimeter Polarimeter for Antarctic Remote Observations: Evidence of Large-Scale Toroidal Magnetic Fields in the Galactic Center,'' G. Novak, D.T. Chuss, T. Renbarger, G.S. Griffin, M.G. Newcomb, J.B. Peterson, R.F. Loewenstein, D. Pernic, and J.L. Dotson, The Astrophysical Journal, 583, L83-L86 (2003).
``X-ray Detection of the Primary Lens Galaxy Cluster of the Gravitational Lens System Q0957+561,'' G. Chartas, D. Chuss, W. Forman, C. Jones, and I. Shapiro, The Astrophysical Journal, 504, 66 (1998).

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