Carlos J. Vargas

Dr. Carlos J. Vargas is an Assistant Professor and Assistant Astronomer at Steward Observatory, University of Arizona. He leads the Aspera SmallSat Mission, funded under NASA's Astrophysics Pioneers Program, which aims to map warm-hot gas emission in galaxy halos using a far-ultraviolet spectrograph.

Research Focus: Dr. Vargas investigates the interplay between star formation and diffuse gas in spiral galaxy halos, emphasizing gas/cosmic ray cycling mechanisms between galactic disks and halos. His work spans observational campaigns at optical wavelengths and instrumentation development for UV astrophysics.

Commitment: He actively promotes advancements in ultraviolet space astrophysics through both small satellite missions and large-scale platforms.