Dr. Eric Switzer uses spectroscopic methods to characterize the history and evolution of the universe. His work includes cryogenic receiver design (PIPER, EXCLAIM), characterization of the Roman Space Telescope Wide Field Instrument (WFI), and planning for PRIMA mission calibration. A central component of this work is the development and deployment of advanced detector technologies, including TES, KID, and H4RG detectors. In line-intensity mapping (LIM), Switzer develops observational methods through forecasts, analysis approaches emphasizing foreground treatment and cross-correlation statistics, and end-to-end pipelines. His research probes inflation and the early universe (ACT, PIPER, PIXIE, LAMBDA archive), traces dark-energy and dark-matter driven evolution (Roman, ACT), and reveals galaxy growth through far-infrared and 21-cm LIM (GBT, EXCLAIM, PIXIE, PRIMA), linking spectral instrumentation, calibration, statistics, and cosmology.
ERIC R SWITZER
(RSCH AST, STLR GALCTIC&XTRGLTC ASTR)
| Email: | eric.r.switzer@nasa.gov |
| Phone: | 301.614.5174 |
| Org Code: | 665 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 665 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: |
Missions & Projects
Brief Bio
Positions/Employment
Astrophysicist
Goddard Space Flight Center - Greenbelt, Maryland
August 2013 - Present
Senior Research Associate
Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) - Toronto, Ontario
September 2011 - August 2013
Kavli Fellow
Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics (KICP) - Chicago, Illinois
October 2008 - September 2011
Education
- Ph.D., physics -- Princeton University (Advisors: Lyman Page and Chris Hirata)
- B.A., physics with specialization in astrophysics -- University of Chicago
Selected Publications
Refereed
2025. "Laboratory characterization of widefield filter transmission for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s Wide Field Instrument.", Applied Optics, 64 (35): 10525 [10.1364/ao.569503] [Journal Article/Letter]
2025. "The Atacama Cosmology Telescope: DR6 power spectra, likelihoods and ΛCDM parameters.", Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2025 (11): 062 [10.1088/1475-7516/2025/11/062] [Journal Article/Letter]
2025. "The Primordial Inflation Explorer (PIXIE): mission design and science goals.", Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2025 (04): 020 [10.1088/1475-7516/2025/04/020] [Journal Article/Letter]
2025. "Design and implementation of optics for the experiment for cryogenic large-aperture intensity mapping (EXCLAIM).", Review of Scientific Instruments, 96 (1): 014503 [10.1063/5.0246814] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Experiment for cryogenic large-aperture intensity mapping: instrument design.", Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems, 7 (04): [10.1117/1.jatis.7.4.044004] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "Sub-Kelvin cooling for two kilopixel bolometer arrays in the PIPER receiver.", Review of Scientific Instruments, 90 (9): 095104 [10.1063/1.5108649] [Journal Article/Letter]
2015. "Interpreting the Unresolved Intensity of Cosmologically Redshifted Line Radiation.", The Astrophysical Journal, 815 51 [10.1088/0004-637X/815/1/51] [Journal Article/Letter]
2013. "Determination of z ~ 0.8 neutral hydrogen fluctuations using the 21 cm intensity mapping autocorrelation.", MNRASL, 434 L46 [10.1093/mnrasl/slt074] [Journal Article/Letter]
2008. "Primordial helium recombination. I. Feedback, line transfer, and continuum opacity.", PRD, 77 83006 [10.1103/PhysRevD.77.083006] [Journal Article/Letter]