Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Nicholas Wade Cannady

(Science Researcher)

Nicholas Wade Cannady's Contact Card & Information.
Email: nicholas.w.cannady@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.286.6546
Org Code: 661
Address:
NASA/GSFC
 Mail Code 661
 Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: UMBC Univ. of MD, Baltimore

Brief Bio

Dr. Nicholas Cannady is an Assistant Research Scientist at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County working at NASA GSFC as a member of the Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology (CRESST-II). His research has centered on the instrumentation to acquire, the simulation of, and the reconstruction of gamma-ray and cosmic-ray data in the MeV–TeV range. In his graduate work at Louisiana State University in the CALET collaboration, Dr. Cannady defined the separation photon primaries from charged galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), characterized the instrument response to those events, and analyzed the signals from transient and persistent astrophysical sources. He has experience with leveraging High-Performance Computer (HPC) resources for large-scale simulations, low-level data handling and processing, and getting his hands dirty with detector construction and testing in the lab.


Since coming to GSFC, Dr. Cannady has continued and expanded his work on CALET to include analysis of cosmic-ray electrons at the highest energies and ultra-heavy nuclei beyond iron. Drawing on his experience with the LSU SuperMike-II HPC cluster, he uses the NCCS ADAPT cluster at GSFC to carry out high-statistics simulations of particles interacting in the CALET calorimeter at GeV–TeV energies.


In addition to his work on CALET, Dr. Cannady has joined various teams contributing to future cosmic-ray and gamma-ray missions. He is the UMBC PI for the TIGERISS project, selected in 2022 for the NASA Astrophysics Pioneers program, for which he leads Cherenkov detector development and the Science and Mission Operations Center planning and implementation. TIGERISS will be installed on the International Space Station and measure the abundances of GCR nuclei from boron to beyond lead. Dr. Cannady is a member of the AMEGO team, contributing to the ComPair balloon-borne prototype and the proposed AMEGO-X MIDEX-class mission, leading the development of the Anti-Coincidence detectors for both. In working with the ComPair CdZnTe calorimeter subsystem team, he also works towards the reconstruction algorithms of GECCO, a proposed medium-energy gamma-ray mission using a combined coded-mask and Compton telescope imaging technique.

Research Interests

Cosmic-ray Astrophysics

Astrophysics: Cosmic Rays

Cosmic-ray Instrumentation

Astrophysics: Cosmic Rays

Scientific Computing

Astrophysics: Analysis

Current Projects

Calorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET)

Cosmic Rays

The Calorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) project is an international collaboration led by Japan, with active members also in the United States and Italy. The primary CALET instrument is a 30 radiation length-deep electromagnetic calorimeter deployed on the International Space Station since August 2015. It is capable of measuring the charge and energy spectra of cosmic-ray electrons and gamma rays from 1 GeV to tens of TeV and cosmic-ray protons and nuclei to PeV energies.  The payload also includes the CALET Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (CGBM), which is sensitive to gamma-ray transients in the energy range 7 keV–20 MeV.

Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder on the International Space Station (TIGERISS)

Cosmic Rays

The Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder on the International Space Station (ISS) was selected in 2022 for the NASA Astrophysics Pioneers program and is planned to be launched in 2024. TIGERISS is the successor to SuperTIGER in a family of instruments designed to measure ultra-heavy galactic cosmic-ray abundances. Whereas TIGER and SuperTIGER were scientific balloon-borne instruments, TIGERISS will be in space, removing the residual atmosphere overhead leading to decreased systematic errors as compared to SuperTIGER. The instrument is designed to combine ionization measurements in silicon strip detectors and Cherenkov radiation from acrylic and aerogel radiators to identify nuclei from boron up to lead and beyond, testing models of nucleosynthesis and cosmic-ray injection.

Compton-Pair Telescope (ComPair)

Technology & Missions

The Compton-Pair telescope (ComPair) is a balloon-borne medium-energy gamma-ray project, serving as a prototype for the AMEGO instrument design. It uses a combination of silicon strip detectors, CZT bars, and CsI logs to measure and reconstruct photons interacting via Compton scattering or pair production. The instrument is currently in development and is planned for a balloon flight in Fall 2023.

Positions/Employment

Assistant Research Scientist

CRESST-II / University of Maryland, Baltimore County - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

October 2022 - Present

Postdoctoral Research Associate

CRESST-II / University of Maryland Baltimore County - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

May 2019 - October 2022

Postdoctoral Research Assistant

Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, LA

December 2018 - April 2019

Education

PhD (Physics), 2018, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

  • Thesis: Observation of High-Energy Gamma Rays with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) On-board the International Space Station

BS (Physics), 2011, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

BS (Mathematics), 2011, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

Selected Publications

Refereed

2023. "Direct Measurement of the Spectral Structure of Cosmic-Ray Electrons + Positrons in the TeV Region with CALET on the International Space Station." Physical Review Letters 131 (19): 191001 [10.1103/physrevlett.131.191001] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "SuperTIGER instrument abundances of galactic cosmic rays for the charge interval 41⩽Z⩽56." Advances in Space Research 70 (9): 2666-2673 [10.1016/j.asr.2022.04.063] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "All-sky Medium Energy Gamma-ray Observatory eXplorer mission concept." Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems 8 (04): [10.1117/1.jatis.8.4.044003] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "Observation of Spectral Structures in the Flux of Cosmic-Ray Protons from 50 GeV to 60 TeV with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope on the International Space Station." Physical Review Letters 129 (10): 101102 [10.1103/physrevlett.129.101102] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "Exploring the MeV sky with a combined coded mask and Compton telescope: the Galactic Explorer with a Coded aperture mask Compton telescope (GECCO)." Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics 2022 (07): 036 [10.1088/1475-7516/2022/07/036] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "CALET Search for Electromagnetic Counterparts of Gravitational Waves during the LIGO/Virgo O3 Run." The Astrophysical Journal 933 (1): 85 [10.3847/1538-4357/ac6f53] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "Direct Measurement of the Nickel Spectrum in Cosmic Rays in the Energy Range from 8.8 GeV/n to 240 GeV/n with CALET on the International Space Station." Physical Review Letters 128 (13): 131103 [10.1103/physrevlett.128.131103] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Measurement of the Iron Spectrum in Cosmic Rays from 10  GeV/n to 2.0  TeV/n with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope on the International Space Station." Physical Review Letters 126 (24): 241101 [10.1103/physrevlett.126.241101] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "Direct Measurement of the Cosmic-Ray Carbon and Oxygen Spectra from 10  GeV/n to 2.2  TeV/n with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope on the International Space Station." Physical Review Letters 125 (25): 251102 [10.1103/physrevlett.125.251102] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "Characteristics and Performance of the CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) Calorimeter for Gamma-Ray Observations." The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 238 (1): 5 [10.3847/1538-4365/aad6a3] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "Extended Measurement of the Cosmic-Ray Electron and Positron Spectrum from 11 GeV to 4.8 TeV with the Calorimetric Electron Telescope on the International Space Station." Physical Review Letters 120 (26): 261102 [10.1103/physrevlett.120.261102] [Journal Article/Letter]

Non-Refereed

2021. "Investigating the Vela SNR's Emission of Electron Cosmic Rays with CALET at the International Space Station." Proceedings of 37th International Cosmic Ray Conference — PoS(ICRC2021) [10.22323/1.395.0100] [Proceedings]

Talks, Presentations and Posters

Invited

Direct observations of hadronic cosmic rays with CALET and other instruments

September 5, 2022

Invited lecture for the 22nd International School of Cosmic Ray Astrophysics at the "Ettore Majorana" Centre for Scientific Culture in Erice, Italy.

A summary of current generation direct-detection hadronic cosmic ray experimental results focusing on CALET. Measuring energy spectra, secondary-to-primary ratios, and species abundances motivated with discussion of GCR injection, acceleration, and propagation.

Cosmic-ray electrons at GeV–TeV energies and the Calorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET)

August 31, 2022

Invited lecture for the 22nd International School of Cosmic Ray Astrophysics at the "Ettore Majorana" Centre for Scientific Culture in Erice, Italy.

Discussion of aspects of cosmic-ray electrons which probe propagation differently than hadronic cosmic rays. Experimental results from previous and current generation direct-detection instruments with a focus on CALET.

Measuring abundances of ultra-heavy cosmic rays with CALET on the ISS

July 11, 2021

Invited presentation for the GSFC Code 661 Director's Seminar.

Ultra-heavy GCR abundance measurement motivations in terms of OB association synthesis and grain injection model. Results of ongoing work measuring these nuclear abundances with CALET.

Results from the CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) on the International Space Station

December 22, 2019

Invited talk at the CRESST-II 2019 Retreat at UMBC

Overview of CALET results after nearly four years of continuous observations

Cosmic Ray Observations with CALET on the ISS

October 14, 2015

Outreach presentation at a monthly meeting of the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society at the Highland Road Park Observatory.

Overview of cosmic-ray science and CALET instrumentation.

Other

Improved Gamma-ray Identification Above 100 GeV with CALET

August 2022

Presentation on behalf of the CALET collaboration at the 2022 COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Athens, Greece

Exploring Cosmic-ray Abundances with the Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder for the International Space Station (TIGERISS)

May 2022

Presentation on behalf of the TIGERISS collaboration at the 2022 APS April Meeting in New York, NY

Overview of CALET Results from Five Years of Observations on the ISS

May 2021

CALET overview presentation at the virtual 2021 APS April Meeting

Quiescent Solar Gamma-ray Observations with CALET on the ISS

May 2020

Presentation on behalf of the CALET collaboration at the virtual 2020 APS April Meeting

Measurement of the Quiescent Solar Gamma-ray Emission with the CALET Calorimeter

December 15, 2019

Contribution to the 2019 CRESST-II Undergrad Interaction Day

Analysis with CALET of high-energy gamma ray emission from the Sun due to cosmic-ray interactions with the photosphere and corona

Observations of the Sun in GeV Gamma Rays by CALET on the ISS

May 2019

Presentation on behalf of the CALET collaboration at the 2019 APS April Meeting in Denver, CO

Performance of the CALET Calorimeter for GeV Energy Gamma-Ray Observations

August 2018

Presentation on behalf of the CALET collaboration at the 2018 COSPAR Scientific Assembly in Pasadena, CA

CALET Searches and Sensitivity to GeV-Energy EM Counterpart Emission from Gravitational Wave Events

May 2018

Poster presentation on behalf of the CALET collaboration at the 2018 APS April Meeting in Columbus, OH

Search for Hard X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Counterparts to GRBs and Gravitational Wave Events

November 2017

Presentation at the IAU Symposium 338 on Gravitational Wave Astrophysics: Early Results from GW Searches and Electromagnetic Counterparts in Baton Rouge, LA

CALET Observations of High-Energy Gamma-Ray Counterparts to GRBs and Gravitational Wave Events

July 2017

Presentation at the Generation-GW: Diving into Gravitational Waves meeting on multi-messenger astronomy in the LIGO era in St. Thomas, USVI.

Gamma-Ray Observations with the CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET)

April 16, 2017

Poster presentation representing ongoing research in the LSU Department of Physics and Astronomy at an annual University gala for the Coates family.

Simulations for the International Space Station CALET Experiment

July 5, 2014

2014 LSU HPC User Symposium

Discussion of CALET HPC usage simulation plan, data management and retention, and status.

Professional Societies

American Physical Society

2018 - Present

American Astronomical Society

2023 - Present

American Geophysical Union

2023 - Present

Selected Public Outreach

Ask an Astrophysicist

February 2020 - March 2023

Answering submitted questions about anything astronomy-related.

LSU Saturday Science

October 2011 - October 2014

Active researchers at LSU present their ongoing work to high school students, teachers, and any other interested people from across the state.

Department of Physics and Astronomy Board of Regents Fellows are responsible for coordination with the lecturers, generation and distribution of flyers and letters, and hosting/supporting the events day-of.

Contact Us

Jocelyn Lynch
Project Support Specialist
301-286-6066
jocelyn.m.lynch@nasa.gov
Ellie Jeffries
Project Support Specialist
301-286-6066
ellen.e.jeffries@nasa.gov

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