Chris Pearson

PERSONAL

NAME : Chris Pearson
NATIONALITY : British
D.O.B. : 31/12/70

Position: Herschel SPIRE Post Operations Manager

Affiliation:

SPIRE Instrument Control Team, Space Science & Technology Department CCLRC RAL, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxon, OX11 0QX, UK

Visiting Lecturer, Oxford Astrophysics, Oxford University, Denys Wilkinson Building, University of Oxford, Keble Rd, Oxford OX1 3RH, UK

Visiting Fellow, Department of Physical Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Alumni member

Member of the Royal Astronomical Society

Post Operations Manager and Editorial Chair for the SPIRE instrument on board the European Space Agency’s Herschel Space Observatory based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) working at the SPIRE Instrument Control Centre on SPIRE operations and software pipeline development. Oversee the validation of all observations, pipeline testing and optimization and user interface. I lead the SPIRE Scan Map mode validation team, the most widely used observing mode on the SPIRE intrument.

I am also the outreach officer for Herschel at RAL and a registered STEM ambassador for schools leading or participating in major events such as The Big Bang Fair, The Royal Society Summer Exhibition and Star Gazing Live.

For my research, I produce simulations of galaxy evolution and population studies. I am a member of the Herschel HerMES and ATLAS projects where I lead studies on population analysis and local Universe studies respectively. I am a Japanese AKARI mission core member of guaranteed time projects. I am a core science and Instrument Control Centre team member for the Japanese SPICA mission. I am a member of the FIRSPEX mission proposal

RESEARCH

Historically, my world-class galaxy evolution simulations have had a long history in planning major surveys and interpreting the subsequent results. The models were used in the preparation of the science case and survey strategy for the European Large Area ISO Survey (The largest project undertaken with ESA’s ISO space telescope mission). The predictions for this survey were based on my model calculations and the results were published in Oliver, …(Pearson) et al., MNRAS, 1997, 289, 471. The predicted sub-millimetre and far-infrared background agreed well with the background subsequently detected by COBE and this work was presented at the COBE symposium “Unveiling the infrared background” at the University of Maryland in April 1995. My simulations at sub-millimetre wavelengths were also used in preparing the science case for the 4th ESA Cornerstone mission of Horizon 2000 FIRST & COBRAS/SAMBA (now launched as Herschel and Planck respectively) and also used to design the surveys to be carried out and the science case for the SCUBA instrument on the JCMT at 450- 850microns. This survey was subsequently carried out by Imperial College, Cambridge and Edinburgh Universities. The SCUBA Half Degree Extragalactic Survey (SHADES), the largest sub-mm survey carried out to date arose as a direct consequence of the initial surveys and the first results have been published in Mortier et al., 2005, 365, 2966.
My models have been some of the first contemporary models to simultaneously fit the Spitzer and ISO source counts at 24microns and 15microns published in Pearson, 2005, MNRAS, 348, 1417. The subsequent models have been widely used throughout the international astronomical community. (e.g. Brand et al. “The AGN contribution to the mid-infrared emission from luminous infrared galaxies”, ApJ, 2006, 644, 143: Le Floch et al. “Infrared Luminosity Functions from the Chandra Deep Field ”, 2006, ApJ, 632, 139, Savage & Oliver “Statistical Constraints on the IR galaxy number counts and CIRB from the Spitzer GOODS Survey”, 2006, MRNAS astro-ph/0511359.). The strategy for all extragalactic surveys to be carried out with the AKARI mission satellite have also been based on my simulations and have been presented in Matsuhara, Pearson et al. 2006, PASJ, 58, 673.
Unanswered questions concerning galaxy formation and evolution have ushered in a golden age of cosmology producing a large number of international infrared space missions and facilities to carry out comprehensive surveys of our Universe at infrared wavelengths. My current research aims to build a framework to exploit the science from this next generation of infrared-submm facilities. I have been a core member of the Japanese AKARI space telescope and have worked in Japan for more than 7 out of the last 10 years and have been involved in the AKARI project since 1997. I lead guaranteed time programs in legacy fields such as GOODS, Lockman Hole and ELAIS and am a core member of the AKARI survey made at the North and South Ecliptic poles (e.g. Pearson et al., 2010, A&A, 514, 9, Pearson et al., 2010, A&A, 514, 8), these two legacy fields were targeted for surveys with Herschel.
My galaxy evolution models were used in the planning of the Herschel surveys and were the first models to successfully fit the submillimetre counts at Herschel wavelengths as observed by the BLAST instrument (Pearson & Khan, 2009, MNRAS , 399, L11).
I conduct population analysis and extragalactic number counts for the large area surveys in guaranteed time with Herschel, the results being published in the Science Demonstration Phase special issue (Schulz, Pearson, et al. 2010, A&A, 518, 32).
I am the data reduction lead for the Herschel SPIRE analysis of the Herschel Open Time HERUS spectroscopy and NEP mapping projects.
Most recently I have also applied my work to produce simulations for the Japanese SPICA mission, from mid-far-infrared wavelengths, for launch in 2026. I am also a member of the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) and a member of the “Cosmic star-formation history and galaxy evolution” team for MeerKAT, (a precursor for the Square Kilometre Array) and the FP7 FIRI project. I am a consortium member for the FIRSPEX infrared spectrometer proposal.

EMPLOYMENT

2014-present	Herschel SPIRE Post Operations Manager, RAL Space, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
2011-2014 2007-2011	Herschel SPIRE Calibration Scientist, RAL Space, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory SPIRE ICC Scientist, RAL / University of Lethbridge, Canadian Space Agency, Canada.
2010-2011	SPICA Japanese translation service European Space Agency (ESA)
2008-present	Visiting Fellow at the Open University
2005-2007	European Space Agency (ESA) AKARI Support Astronomer, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan
2003-2005	European Commission Fellow, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Japan
2002-2003	Postdoctoral Researcher Imperial College / University of Kent
2001-2002	Royal Society Fellowship at Imperial College, University of London
1999-2001	Royal Society / Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellowship, ISAS, Japan

EDUCATION

1992-1997 - Ph.D. Astrophysics : Imperial College, University of London.
1989-1992 - 1st class Honours degree in Astrophysics 24 courses (23 A grades, 1 B grade) : Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London.
1992 - Drapers Prize for Academic Achievement
1991 - Drapers Prize for Academic Achievement
Summer 1991 - RGO/IOA Cambridge University
1990 - Wignall Prize for Academic Achievement
1987-1989 - A-Levels, Physics (A), Maths (A), Computer Science (A) : Orpington College, Kent.
1982-1987 - 8 O-level GCEs Kidbrooke School, London.

AWARDS

2014	JSPS Symposium Award (10K) for International AKARI Conference, Oxford, UK
2012	SOC member for AKARI Conference Korea
2010	Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Core-to-Core participant
2010	2010: Final evaluation committee board member for tenure track staff at Nagoya University
2010	Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Bridge Fellowship to Japan
2009	Organizer of Specialist Discussion Meeting at The Royal Astronomical Society
2008	Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Furasato Award to Japan
2006-2007	Royal Society Joint Projects Award with Japan
2005	Invitation Fellowship: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
2003-2005	Royal Society Joint Projects Award with Japan
2004	Japan Daiwa Adrian £10K Prize Member
2001-2003	Royal Society Joint Projects Award with Japan
2002	Japan-UK N+N collaboration participant
1997	Japan Monbusho/British Council Scholarship for Foreign Researchers

TEACHING

2013-present 2013	Joint PhD students at the Open University Supervision of RAL Intern studentships
2011-2013	Supervision of RAL Summer placement undergraduates
2010-2011	Co-supervisor at RAL for Oxford PhD student
2010	Supervision of 3rd year project work for undergraduates
2009-present	Joint PhD student at the Open University
2008-2009	Postgraduate lectures at The Open University
2005-2007	University lecture courses in Fundamental Cosmology and Observational Cosmology taught in Japan at the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS/JAXA).
2005-2007	Japanese High School Lecture Series with The British Council in Astronomy
2004	Introduction to Astronomy for Japanese Middle School Students (target age14-16)
2001-2003	C++ computer course, Imperial College, London(LabWork, marking & examination interviews)
1998	Assembly Language Course for company employees Donovan Data Systems
1997-2001	Womens Self Defence and Self Awareness Course, Greenwich Council, London

PUBLIC OUTREACH

2007-present 2015	100+ outreach events/talks/workshops to general public, students and school children Talking Science Public Lecture
2015 2014	Sevenoaks Science Week Solar System shows BBC Media Training
2014 2014 2013	BBC Stargazing Live at Royal Holloway College London Parliament Telescopes in Schools Event Creation of Solar System classroom work package
2012 2012-2014	Registered STEM Ambassador for science in schools Star Gazing Live Herschel Exhibit at the University of Oxford
2012	Science Museum, communication skills course at The Royal Society
2012-2013	STEMIT Workshop day for Primary School Children at Northampton University
2012	Co-organizer for The Royal Society Summer Exhibition Herschel Exhibit
2011	Herschel exhibit at The Big Bang Fair, London
2011	STEMIT Workshop International Women’s Day
2010	Astronomy Lectures in Japanese for Japanese school children, Tokyo, Japan
2010	STEMIT (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Lectures for GCSE Students
2010	Design and administration of Herschel HerMES public website
2009	Design of promotional booklet and poster for the SPICA Space Mission
2009	Oxford University “From Earth to the Universe” (Organizer of Herschel Exhibit)
2009	Royal Society Summer Exhibition (Herschel Exhibit)
2009	The Science Museum, London, Antennae Exhibit
2005-2007	Japanese High School Lecture Series in Astronomy for Japanese Students
1999-2007	Open Campus ISAS, Japan, around 10,000-20,000 public visitors annually
1992-1997	London Science Museum/Imperial College “Ask an astronomer” participant

SKILLS and INTERESTS

Language

Advanced Japanese language (2nd level Japanese Proficiency Test)
Intermediate Korean language
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate
GCSE knowledge of French, German

Computing

C++, Jython, Python, Java, HTML, FORTRAN, IDL, BASIC, Assembler, JCL, DocBook Technical Writing

Other

First Aid Qualification - Lifesaver Plus, First Aid Sports Injuries,

- Public Understanding of Science – Outreach and Communication

- Anglo/Japanese Science Relations

- 4th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo Do: Administering schools in the UK and Japan with sister schools in Korea, conducting seminars and courses for local government. International and National qualified referee.

- Fencing, bronze award and Level 1 coaching certificate

- Web design (Herschel HerMES website, AKARI science site at The Open University, RAL Fencing Club, etc.)

CONTACT

----------------------------------------------------
Dr Chris Pearson
Herschel SPIRE Post Operations Manager
R25 1.63
RAL Space
STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Harwell Oxford, Didcot
Oxon, OX11 0QX, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1235 44 5047
chris.pearson at stfc.ac.uk
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PUBLICATIONS
2015………………………….

TOP

Language	Advanced Japanese language (2nd level Japanese Proficiency Test) Intermediate Korean language Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate GCSE knowledge of French, German
Computing	C++, Jython, Python, Java, HTML, FORTRAN, IDL, BASIC, Assembler, JCL, DocBook Technical Writing
Other	First Aid Qualification - Lifesaver Plus, First Aid Sports Injuries,