Physics major Maeve Curliss has been awarded the 2020 Hichwa Fellowship. Curliss is advised by Prof. Jeffrey Chilcote. She will be working on the upgrade to the Gemini Planet Imager. As part of the upgrade, GPI is having two of its near infrared cameras upgraded to C-RED2 cameras from First Light Imaging. The cameras are part of GPI's internal alignment and part of the active tracking of stars to enable them to be precisely blocked by the chronograph. Maeve's summer research entails figuring out how to operate the cameras, then testing their performance characteristics in a variety of operating conditions and to confirm that they will meet the needs of the project. She will use this to understand and recommend the best way to operate them once integrated with GPI.
Prof. Bryant Hichwa is a 1973 Notre Dame physics Ph.D. who was advised by Prof. Paul Chagnon in the nuclear physics research group. His support provides an annual research fellowship to a deserving undergraduate physics major.