Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Richard Keith Barry

(RSCH AST, STLR GALCTIC&XTRGLTC ASTR)

Richard Keith Barry's Contact Card & Information.
Email: richard.k.barry@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.286.0664
Org Code: 667
Address:
NASA/GSFC
Mail Code 667
Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer:
NASA

Brief Bio


Dr. Richard K. Barry is an experienced NASA astronomer who is deeply involved in the search for habitable worlds. ​ He has a track record in research astrophysics, having co-discovered 56 new confirmed exoplanets, 189 human-vetted exoplanet candidates, and a confirmed free-floating black hole in interstellar space. ​ He has also led his own exoplanet microlensing space mission concept. In addition to his work in astronomy, Richard has a background in engineering, including experience as a Space Shuttle engineer, a spacecraft power system engineer, and a science instrument design engineer. ​ He holds a Ph.D. in Physics and Astronomy and a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University and has received recognition for his mentoring and exceptional service in astrophysics. ​ Richard has published 230 papers as of June 2024.


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Other Professional Information


Dr. Barry is currently involved in the following projects:

  1. NASA Observatory Project Scientist: Hubble Space Telescope ​
  2. Principal Investigator (PI), ROSES/TOPST 2023, ETHOS: Exoplanets in THe epoch of Open Science ​
  3. PI, ROSES/APRA 2023, ELF: Exoplanet Lens Finder - machine intelligence to detect and classify gravitational microlensing events due to bound and unbound planets ​
  4. PI: CLEoPATRA: Contemporaneous Lensing Parallax and Autonomous TRan-sient Assay - a formal study of a mission to estimate the mass distribution of free-floating planets in the Galaxy ​
  5. Science Task Group, Co-I: Gravitational Wave Detection of Exoplanets and Multi-Mission Synergies ​

These projects highlight Richard's involvement in studying exoplanets, gravitational microlensing, and the search for habitable worlds.


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Research Interests


Gravitational Microlensing by Extrasolar Planets

Astrophysics: Extrasolar planets

 


Theoretical Modeling of Gravitational Lens Geometries

Astrophysics: Theory & Modeling

 


Direct observations in gravitational microlensing

Astrophysics: Extrasolar planets

 

Education


2008 - Ph.D. Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

2005 MA Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

1996 MS Electrical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

1989 BS Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

1986 AS Avionics Engineering Technology, Community College of the Air Force, Okinawa, Japan.

Awards


Richard K. Barry has received the following awards:

  1. Robert H. Goddard Award for Mentoring: Richard received this award in both 2014 and 2016. It recognizes his exceptional mentoring contributions in the field of astrophysics.
  2. Distinguished Performance Rating: Richard received this award from the Astrophysics Science Division at the Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, in 2008. It acknowledges his outstanding performance in the field of astrophysics.
  3. Citation for Exceptional Service: Richard received this citation for his exceptional service as a Tiger Team Cryo-mechanism Engineer for the WFPC-II (Wide-Field Planetary Camera II) during the Hubble Space Telescope Mission in 2000.
  4. Group Achievement Award: Richard was part of the XTE (X-ray Timing Explorer) Power System Team, which received this award in 1996. It recognizes the team's achievements in the development of the XTE spacecraft.
  5. Outstanding Graduate and Military Decorum Award: Richard received this award during his time at the United States Non-commissioned Officers Preparatory School in Okinawa, Japan, in 1983. It acknowledges his exceptional performance and military decorum.

These awards highlight Richard's contributions, expertise, and dedication in the field of astrophysics, engineering, and military service.


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Special Experience


Richard K. Barry has a diverse range of experience outside of astronomy. Here is a summary of his experience in various fields:

  1. Spacecraft Engineering: Richard has worked as a Space Shuttle engineer, spacecraft power system engineer, and science instrument design engineer. He has been involved in the development, integration, and testing of spacecraft power systems and control subsystems.
  2. Electrical Engineering: Richard holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Multivariable Control Systems. He has applied his electrical engineering knowledge to various projects, including the design and analysis of cryogenic nm-precision position sensors and the development of a cryogenic capacitive positional sensing system.
  3. Teaching and Education: Richard has served as an instructor at Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, where he taught physics of flight and physical mechanics. He has also worked as an adjunct professor at Capital College, where he taught undergraduate physics courses.
  4. Military Experience: Richard served in the United States Air Force, where he worked as a technician and achieved the rank of sergeant. He was involved in troubleshooting and repairing F-16 Falcon aircraft subsystems and received formal studies in the Japanese language during his service.
  5. Engineering and Technical Roles: Richard has held various engineering positions, including lead instrument design engineer, lead cryo-mechanism dynamics engineer, and lead spacecraft power system engineer. He has been involved in the design, integration, and testing of instruments and systems for missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope, Spitzer Space Telescope, and Lunar Advanced Technology Telescope.

Overall, Richard's experience outside of astronomy encompasses spacecraft engineering, electrical engineering, teaching, military service, and various engineering and technical roles.


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Selected Publications


Refereed

2012. "Keck Interferometer Nuller science highlights." Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series 8445 [10.1117/12.926548] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "Tracking near-infrared fringes on BETTII: a balloon-borne, 8m-baseline interferometer." Optical and Infrared Interferometry III Proceedings of the SPIE 8445 [Full Text] [10.1117/12.925593] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "Views from EPOXI: Colors in Our Solar System as an Analog for Extrasolar Planets." The Astrophysical Journal 729 130 [Full Text] [10.1088/0004-637X/729/2/130] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "System Parameters, Transit Times, and Secondary Eclipse Constraints of the Exoplanet Systems HAT-P-4, TrES-2, TrES-3, and WASP-3 from the NASA EPOXI Mission of Opportunity." The Astrophysical Journal 726 94 [Full Text] [10.1088/0004-637X/726/2/94] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "A Search for Additional Planets in Five of the Exoplanetary Systems Studied by the NASA EPOXI Mission." The Astrophysical Journal 732 41 [Full Text] [10.1088/0004-637X/732/1/41] [Journal Article/Letter]

2011. "Exozodiacal Dust Levels for Nearby Main-sequence Stars: A Survey with the Keck Interferometer Nuller." The Astrophysical Journal 734 67 [10.1088/0004-637X/734/1/67] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "A Search for Additional Planets in the NASA EPOXI Observations of the Exoplanet System GJ 436." The Astrophysical Journal 716 1047 [Full Text] [10.1088/0004-637X/716/2/1047] [Journal Article/Letter]

2008. "High Spatial Resolution Mid-IR Imaging of V838 Monocerotis: Evidence of New Circumstellar Dust Creation." The Astrophysical Journal 683 L171 [Full Text] [10.1086/591735] [Journal Article/Letter]

2008. "Milliarcsecond N-Band Observations of the Nova RS Ophiuchi: First Science with the Keck Interferometer Nuller." The Astrophysical Journal 677 1253 [Full Text] [10.1086/529422] [Journal Article/Letter]

2007. "Interferometric Observations of RS Ophiuchi and the Origin of the Near-Infrared Emission." The Astrophysical Journal 658 520 [Full Text] [10.1086/511414] [Journal Article/Letter]