معرفی
Christoph Keller is a Visiting Professor at Leiden Observatory (Leiden University) and serves as Director of Science at Lowell Observatory. His career spans roles at the National Solar Observatory, Utrecht University, and Leiden University, where he focused on high-accuracy polarimetry for astronomy and environmental sensing, exoplanetary systems, solar physics, remote sensing, and interdisciplinary instrumentation.
- Education: PhD in Physics from ETH Zürich (1992), MSc in Physics from ETH Zürich (1988)
Research Interests: His work bridges exoplanet characterization, innovative optical instruments, polarized light analysis, and remote sensing of planetary atmospheres. He has pioneered techniques in holographic aperture masking, vector-apodizing phase plates, and spectropolarimetry for detecting biosignatures like homochirality.
Scientific Contributions: Recent publications highlight advancements in high-contrast imaging, adaptive optics, and life detection via polarization. His projects include the Planetary Camera and Spectrograph (PCS) for the ELT and the Life Signature Detection polarimeter (LSDpol).
- Scientific Awards:
- Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Award for astrophysics
Advising and Projects: Supervised numerous PhD students and postdocs, including Rico Landman, Fedde Fagginger Auer, and Evangelia Kleisioti. Led projects like SPHERE+, LEXI, and the European Solar Telescope. His work integrates machine learning, optical design, and space-based instruments for exoplanet and solar research.
