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Vincent Kofman

Photo of VINCENT KOFMAN

Vincent Kofman

  • Research Scientist
  • NASA/GSFC
  • Mail Code: 693
  • Greenbelt , MD 20771
  • Employer: AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

    • Brief Bio

    Vincent Kofman is a postdoctoral associate working with dr. Geronimo Villanueva on advancing the Planetary Spectrum Generator to model high temperature exoplanet atmospheres. 

    During his Ph.D. at the Sackler Laboratorium for Astrophysics in Leiden, Vincent developed and build an experimental setup to spectroscopically characterize astrophysical ice mixtures, with a particular focus on water ice and embedded organic molecules. 

    Positions/Employment

    9/2018 - Present

    Post-doctoral researcher

    American University, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

    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 upcomming space telescopes.

    9/2014 - 8/2018

    Doctor of Philosophy

    Leiden Observatory, Leiden, the Netherlands

    Designed and build an experimental setup to study the chemistry and physics in interstellar analogues. 

    2/2013 - 11/2013

    Royal Dutch Academy of Science Research Fellow

    Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands

    Developed methods to map elemental abundances in resin-embedded sediments using micro-XRF.

    Publications

    Refereed

    Villanueva, G. L., M. Cordiner, P. G. Irwin, et al. I. de Pater, B. Butler, M. Gurwell, S. N. Milam, C. A. Nixon, S. H. Luszcz-Cook, C. F. Wilson, V. Kofman, G. Liuzzi, S. Faggi, T. J. Fauchez, M. Lippi, R. Cosentino, A. E. Thelen, A. Moullet, P. Hartogh, E. M. Molter, S. Charnley, G. N. Arney, A. M. Mandell, N. Biver, A. C. Vandaele, K. R. de Kleer, and R. Kopparapu. 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]

    Liuzzi, G., G. L. Villanueva, S. Viscardy, et al. D. Mège, M. M. Crismani, S. Aoki, J. Gurgurewicz, P. Tesson, M. J. Mumma, M. D. Smith, S. Faggi, V. Kofman, E. W. Knutsen, F. Daerden, L. Neary, F. Schmidt, L. Trompet, J. T. Erwin, S. Robert, I. R. Thomas, B. Ristic, G. Bellucci, J. J. Lopez‐Moreno, M. R. Patel, and A. C. Vandaele. 2021. "Probing the Atmospheric Cl Isotopic Ratio on Mars: Implications for Planetary Evolution and Atmospheric Chemistry." Geophysical Research Letters, 48 (9): [10.1029/2021gl092650]

    Kofman, V., and G. L. Villanueva. 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]

    Ioppolo, S., G. Fedoseev, K.-J. Chuang, et al. H. M. Cuppen, A. R. Clements, M. Jin, R. T. Garrod, D. Qasim, V. Kofman, E. F. van Dishoeck, and H. Linnartz. 2020. "A non-energetic mechanism for glycine formation in the interstellar medium." Nature Astronomy, 5 (2): 197-205 [10.1038/s41550-020-01249-0]

    Doney, K. D., V. Kofman, G. Villanueva, and K. Sung. 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]

    Kofman, V., J. He, I. Loes ten Kate, and H. Linnartz. 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]

    Kofman, V., M. Witlox, J. Bouwman, I. ten Kate, and H. Linnartz. 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]

    Kofman, V., P. Sarre, R. Hibbins, I. ten Kate, and H. Linnartz. 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]

    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

    Brief Bio

    Vincent Kofman is a postdoctoral associate working with dr. Geronimo Villanueva on advancing the Planetary Spectrum Generator to model high temperature exoplanet atmospheres. 

    During his Ph.D. at the Sackler Laboratorium for Astrophysics in Leiden, Vincent developed and build an experimental setup to spectroscopically characterize astrophysical ice mixtures, with a particular focus on water ice and embedded organic molecules. 

    Publications

    Refereed

    Villanueva, G. L., M. Cordiner, P. G. Irwin, et al. I. de Pater, B. Butler, M. Gurwell, S. N. Milam, C. A. Nixon, S. H. Luszcz-Cook, C. F. Wilson, V. Kofman, G. Liuzzi, S. Faggi, T. J. Fauchez, M. Lippi, R. Cosentino, A. E. Thelen, A. Moullet, P. Hartogh, E. M. Molter, S. Charnley, G. N. Arney, A. M. Mandell, N. Biver, A. C. Vandaele, K. R. de Kleer, and R. Kopparapu. 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]

    Liuzzi, G., G. L. Villanueva, S. Viscardy, et al. D. Mège, M. M. Crismani, S. Aoki, J. Gurgurewicz, P. Tesson, M. J. Mumma, M. D. Smith, S. Faggi, V. Kofman, E. W. Knutsen, F. Daerden, L. Neary, F. Schmidt, L. Trompet, J. T. Erwin, S. Robert, I. R. Thomas, B. Ristic, G. Bellucci, J. J. Lopez‐Moreno, M. R. Patel, and A. C. Vandaele. 2021. "Probing the Atmospheric Cl Isotopic Ratio on Mars: Implications for Planetary Evolution and Atmospheric Chemistry." Geophysical Research Letters 48 (9): [10.1029/2021gl092650]

    Kofman, V., and G. L. Villanueva. 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]

    Ioppolo, S., G. Fedoseev, K.-J. Chuang, et al. H. M. Cuppen, A. R. Clements, M. Jin, R. T. Garrod, D. Qasim, V. Kofman, E. F. van Dishoeck, and H. Linnartz. 2020. "A non-energetic mechanism for glycine formation in the interstellar medium." Nature Astronomy 5 (2): 197-205 [10.1038/s41550-020-01249-0]

    Doney, K. D., V. Kofman, G. Villanueva, and K. Sung. 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]

    Kofman, V., J. He, I. Loes ten Kate, and H. Linnartz. 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]

    Kofman, V., M. Witlox, J. Bouwman, I. ten Kate, and H. Linnartz. 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]

    Kofman, V., P. Sarre, R. Hibbins, I. ten Kate, and H. Linnartz. 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]

                                                                                                                                                                                            
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    • Last Updated: 01/27/2023