Gaia People

Nicholas Rowell

University of Edinburgh

Nick Rowell joined the Gaia team in October 2014 as a researcher & developer for the core data processing systems. His main role involves the estimation and modelling of the Point Spread Function and other aspects of the instrument calibration. Prior to joining the Gaia project Nick spent 5 years at Dundee University Space Technology Centre, working on vision based guidance systems for the Marco Polo-R asteroid sample return mission and simulation of realistic images and other sensory inputs for testing spacecraft guidance & control systems in software. He completed his PhD in astrophysics at the University of Edinburgh in 2010. His main research interests are in Galactic astronomy, in particular astrometry and wide field proper motion surveys, the luminosity function of white dwarfs and the star formation history of the Solar neighbourhood.

Outside of science he likes to play the guitar and piano, hike in the Scottish mountains and pan for gold in the streams.

[Published: 19/06/2015]