Reinier Janssen

Reinier Janssen is a Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and a Visiting Research Scholar at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). His work bridges the development of superconducting detectors, particularly Kinetic Inductance Detectors (KIDs), and the study of active galactic nuclei (AGN) and their impact on galaxy evolution. He leads the focal plane array development for the Terahertz Intensity Mapper (TIM) balloon mission and contributes to the PRIMA space mission concept.

Education:

• BSc Applied Physics, Delft University of Technology (2007)
• MSc Applied Physics and MSc Astronomy, Delft and Leiden Universities (2011)
• PhD Applied Physics, Delft University of Technology (2017)

Research focuses on superconducting detector technologies for astronomical applications and AGN feedback mechanisms in galaxy evolution. He pioneered photon noise-limited KID performance and identified radio-loud AGN populations in star-forming galaxies. His observational studies combine optical and millimeter-wave data to explore AGN-host galaxy interactions.

His instrumentation contributions include cryogenic detector testing under high-energy radiation and kilo-pixel imaging systems for future space observatories. Current projects include TIM’s detector optimization and PRIMA’s focal plane systems.

Awards:

• JPL Postdoc Research Day – Best Poster Award (2021)
• NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowship (2018)

He collaborates on Interstellar Medium studies within JPL’s Astrophysics & Space Sciences division, advancing both detector innovation and astrophysical discovery.