معرفی
Haeun Chung is an Assistant Research Professor at the Department of Astronomy/Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, serving as Project Scientist for the NASA-funded Aspera UV Small-Satellite mission scheduled for launch in May 2026.
His educational background includes:
- Ph.D. in Astronomy (2019) from Seoul National University
- B.S. in Physics (2012) from Pohang University of Science and Technology
Dr. Chung's research spans instrument development and observational astrophysics, with dual expertise in building UV/Optical instrumentation and studying galaxy evolution. His instrumental work focuses on optical design for spectrographs (including DOTIFS and FIREBall-2) and space telescope concepts (Aspera, Nox, GlowSat). His observational research analyzes circumgalactic medium properties and galaxy kinematics using SDSS MaNGA data, with particular interest in environmental effects on galaxy evolution. Technical contributions include developing IFU data processing algorithms and creating the DOTIFS S/N Calculator for observation planning.
Current projects feature leadership roles across NASA missions:
- Project Scientist: Aspera UV SmallSat mission
- Co-I: SHIMCO sounding rocket mission
- PI: Nox (all-sky EUV/FUV mapper) and GlowSat (UV airglow mapper)
- Co-I: Hyperion high-resolution UV telescope concept
- Team member: K-SPEC ground-based spectrograph
Research funding includes a $423K NASA ADAP Grant as Principal Investigator for warm-hot halo gas studies using FUSE archival data. The team recently announced hiring for a postdoc position focused on FUSE/GALEX data analysis.
