Plantary Sciences Department -- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory

LPL Search


Dr. Tom Gehrels



Gehrels, Tom (1961)

* Gehrels pioneered the first photometric system of asteroids in the 50s, wavelength dependence of polarization of stars and planets in the 60s, imaging photopolarimetry of Jupiter and Saturn in the 70s; texts at the most advanced level in the Space Science Series, with Mildred Shapley Matthews, in the 80s; electronic surveying for dangerous asteroids, with Bob McMillan, in the 90s, and he studies universal evolution at the present time.


Education:

Special Airborne Services in Europe and Far East, 1944-1948.

B.S. Physics and Astronomy, Leiden University 1951.

Ph.D. Astronomy and Astrophysics, Univ. of Chicago, 1956.


Classes taught:

* NATS 102 Universe and Humanity: Origin and Future

* Ast 441: Photopolarimetry of Planets and Stars


Positions/Memberships:

* Bataafsch Genootschap der Proefondervinderlijke Wijsbegeerte, the oldest academy in The Netherlands.

* Sarabhai Professor - continued as Fellow, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India

* Astronomer, Steward Observatory

* Member: AAS, IAU, Hiroshima Astronomical Society (Honorary)


Spacecraft involvement:

* Polariscope UV-Polarimetry Balloon Program, at 225 nm from 36.6-km altitude, for Venus, Mars and stars.

* Pioneers 10 and 11--P.I. Imaging Photopolarimeter, clouds of Jupiter and Saturn, discovery of F ring.


Selected references:

* "The Lightcurve and Phase Function of 20 Massalia", T.G. (1956). Astrophys. J. 123, 331-335.

* "Mean Photographic Magnitudes of the Asteroids", T.G. (1958). Trans. I.A.U. 10.

* "Polarization-Phase Relations for Venus", Samuelson, R.E. & T.G. (1961). Astrophys. J. 134, 1022-1024.

* "Wavelength Dependence of the Sunlit Blue Sky", T.G. (1962). J. Opt. Soc. Amer. 52, 1164-1173.

* "Ultraviolet polarimetry using high-altitude balloons", T. G. (1967). Applied Optics 6, 231-233.

* "The Palomar-Leiden survey of faint minor planets", van Houten, C.J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., T. G., & Herget, P. (1970). Astron. & Astroph. Suppl. 2, 339-448.

* "Physical Studies of Minor Planets,", T. G. (ed.). NASA SP-267, 1971.

* "On the Circular Polarization of HD 226868, NGC 1068, NGC 4151, 3C 273, and VY Canis Majoris," T. G. (1972). Astrophys. J. 173, L23-25.

* "On the Capabilities of the Spin-Scan Technique," Suomi, V, T.G. & Krauss, R.J. (1972). Space Res. XII, 1765-1769.

* "Planets, Stars and Nebulae, studied with Photopolarimetry," T.G. (ed.). Univ. Ariz. Press, 1974.

* "Jupiter", T.G. (ed.). Univ. Ariz. Press, 1976.

* "Protostars and Planets", T.G. (ed.). Univ. Ariz. Press, 1978.

* "Asteroids", T.G. (ed.). Univ. Ariz. Press, 1979.

* "Optical Polarization Measurements of the Crab Nebula Pulsar," Cocke, W.J., Disney, M.J., Muncaster, G.W. & T.G. (1979). Nature 223, 576-578.

* "Saturn", T.G. & Matthews, M.S. (eds). Univ. Ariz. Press, 1984.

* "On the Glassy Sea, an astronomer's journey", T.G. Am. Inst. Phys., 1988.

* "Asteroids II", Binzel, R.P., T.G. & Matthews, M.S. (eds.). Univ. Ariz. Press, 1989.

* "A new method for making advanced textbooks", T. G. (1991). Publishing Res. Quarterly, Spring, 11-22.

* "Scanning with Charge-Coupled Devices", T. G. (1991). Space Sc. Rev. 58, 347-375.

* "Hazards due to Comets and Asteroids," T. G. (ed.). Univ. Ariz. Press, 1994.

* "Of Truth and Consequences", T.G. (1994). Nature 372, 511-512, (review of a book on Wernher von Braun).

* "Outstanding Problems in Planetary Science", T.G. (1994). Bull. Astron. Soc. of India 22, 247-274.

* "The Beauty and Danger of Comets and Asteroids", Vainu Bappu Lecture, T.G. (1995). Suppl. J. Astrophys. Astron. (India) 16, 1-34.

* "Detecting Asteroids" T.G. (1998). Meteorite 2, 18-20 and 3:18-21.

* "Killer Comets and Asteroids over Geologic History and their Future Hazards." Bhandari, N. & T.G. (1999), In "Space Research in India: Accomplishments and Prospects", Narayanan, M.S. et al. (eds): 315-334.

* "Collisions with Comets and Asteroids", T.G. (2000). Scientific American's Decade Choice, reprinted in "Earth From the Inside Out", New York: Scientific American, 90-95.

* "Poisk sblijayuschihsya s Zemleii komet i asteroidov", T.G. and Ksanfomality, L. (2000). Astron. Vestnik 34, 41-54; translated as "The Search for Earth-Approaching Celestial Bodies", in Solar System Res. 34, 37-48.

* "Brains, Courage and Integrity, Gandhi and Sakharov set us an inspiring example for the twenty-first century", T.G. (2000), Nature 404: 335 (Millenium Essay).

* "An International Campaign to help the Children of the Slums," T.G. (2003), in "Annual Assembly: the World of XXI Century: New Unities or new Fractures?," (Torino, Italy: World Political Forum), 113-114.

* "Dual role for Pluto in the great planetary debate", T.G. (2005). Nature 436, No. 7054, 1088.

* "Universes seen by a Chandrasekhar expression in stellar physics", T.G. (2007), http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0701344.

* "The Multiverse and the Origin of our Universe", T.G. (2007), http://arXiv.org/abs/0707.1030.

* "Survival through Evolution, from Multiverse to Modern Society", T.G., (2007), BookSurge Publ.


Faculty Back to the Faculty page

LPL Home Back to the LPL Home Page

webmaster