Vincent Kofman is a research scientist studying atmospheres of planets, both in the Solar System and around other stars. He is a spectroscopist by training and spends the majority of his time working on the Planetary Spectrum Generator.
Vincent Kofman
(Research Scientist)
| Email: | vincent.kofman@nasa.gov |
| Org Code: | 693 |
| Address: |
NASA/GSFC Mail Code 693 Greenbelt, MD 20771 |
| Employer: | AMERICAN UNIVERSITY |
Brief Bio
Positions/Employment
Research Scientist
American University - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
September 2018 - Present
Incorporating state-of-the-art spectroscopic databases into the Planetary Spectrum Generator to simulate exoplanet atmospheres. Assessing detectability of molecular species in exoplanet atmospheres using both high-resolution ground-based spectroscopy and low-resolution with upcoming space telescopes.
Doctor of Philosophy
Leiden Observatory - Leiden, the Netherlands
September 2014 - August 2018
Designed and build an experimental setup to study the chemistry and physics in interstellar analogues.
Royal Dutch Academy of Science Research Fellow
Utrecht University - Utrecht, the Netherlands
February 2013 - November 2013
Developed methods to map elemental abundances in resin-embedded sediments using micro-XRF.
Publications
Refereed
2023. "Bayesian Analysis for Remote Biosignature Identification on exoEarths (BARBIE). II. Using Grid-based Nested Sampling in Coronagraphy Observation Simulations for O2 and O3." The Astronomical Journal 167 (1): 27 [10.3847/1538-3881/ad0fde] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "Endogenous CO 2 ice mixture on the surface of Europa and no detection of plume activity." Science 381 (6664): 1305-1308 [10.1126/science.adg4270] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "Bayesian Analysis for Remote Biosignature Identification on exoEarths (BARBIE). I. Using Grid-based Nested Sampling in Coronagraphy Observation Simulations for H2O." The Astronomical Journal 166 (3): 129 [10.3847/1538-3881/acebc3] [Journal Article/Letter]
2023. "JWST molecular mapping and characterization of Enceladus’ water plume feeding its torus." Nature Astronomy 7 (9): 1056-1062 [10.1038/s41550-023-02009-6] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "Phosphine in the Venusian Atmosphere: A Strict Upper Limit From SOFIA GREAT Observations." Geophysical Research Letters 49 (22): [10.1029/2022gl101055] [Journal Article/Letter]
2022. "The Deuterium Isotopic Ratio of Water Released From the Martian Caps as Measured With TGO/NOMAD." Geophysical Research Letters 49 (12): [10.1029/2022gl098161] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "No evidence of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus from independent analyses." Nature Astronomy 5 (7): 631-635 [10.1038/s41550-021-01422-z] [Journal Article/Letter]
2021. "Absorption in exoplanet atmospheres: Combining experimental and theoretical databases to facilitate calculations of the molecular opacities of water." Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 270 107708 [10.1016/j.jqsrt.2021.107708] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "A non-energetic mechanism for glycine formation in the interstellar medium." Nature Astronomy 5 (2): 197-205 [10.1038/s41550-020-01249-0] [Journal Article/Letter]
2020. "A new model of monodeuterated ethane (C2H5D) spectrum: Enabling sensitive constraints on the D/H in ethane emission in comets." Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer 255 107225 [10.1016/j.jqsrt.2020.107225] [Journal Article/Letter]
2019. "The Refractive Index of Amorphous and Crystalline Water Ice in the UV-vis." The Astrophysical Journal 875 (2): 131 [10.3847/1538-4357/ab0d89] [Journal Article/Letter]
2018. "A multifunctional setup to record FTIR and UV-vis spectra of organic molecules and their photoproducts in astronomical ices." Review of Scientific Instruments 89 (5): 053111 [10.1063/1.5027079] [Journal Article/Letter]
2017. "Laboratory spectroscopy and astronomical significance of the fully-benzenoid PAH triphenylene and its cation." Molecular Astrophysics 7 19-26 [10.1016/j.molap.2017.04.002] [Journal Article/Letter]
Teaching Experience
Planetary Science
Leiden Observatory. Instructor for first year astronomy students course in 2015 and 2016.
Chemistry of the Earth 1 and 2
Utrecht University. Instructor for first and second year course in 2012 and 2013.
Education
Master of Science
Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Organic and inorganic geochemistry of sediments.
Bachelor of Science
Groningen University, the Netherlands and Uppsala, Sweden. Organic synthesis of water oxidation catalyst.
Professional Service
Organization of Planetary and Exoplanetary Science Network
Coordinated post-doc and PhD network for planetary and astronomy researchers in the Netherlands, 2014-2018.
Anonymous Reviewer
Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer, the Astrophysicla Journa, Science Advances