Hi! I am Amanda, a recent PhD graduate of the Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences program at the University of Colorado, Boulder. I primarily completed my dissertation work at the National Solar Observatory.
My research centers around how different optical coatings effect the polarization performance of astronomical instruments. My main focus is the mirrors on the NSF's Daniel K. Inouye Telescope and the impact mirror performance will have on operations and science observations of the sun.
From Extragalactic Voids to Comet Dust and everything in between
I have been fortunate to study astronomy at many different size scales through different projects. My dissertation work on optical mirror coatings aims to understand the impact of coating design choices on polarimetry science measurements. Pushing the boundaries of science through innovative instrument design is my passion and goal for continued work in the field of astronomical instrumentation.
Polarimetry on DKIST
Effect of Mirror Coating Non-Uniformity on Depolarization
Depolarization is the reduction of the Degree of Polarization (DoP) of polarized light or the randomization of propagation direction of the waves making up the light. As the observed sunlight propagates through DKIST, it will depolarize and impact polarimetry measurements. Myself and others at DKIST are working to characterize everything in the optical path in order to minimize systematic errors from DKIST's instruments. My preliminary results seem to show that reflections off of the mirrors on DKIST will not be a major source of depolarization systematic error compared to other optics in the system.
Figure: Depolarization Index (DI) and average Degree of Polarization (DoP) of a mirror where one fraction (alpha) of the aperture is coated with 5 nm ZnS over 115 nm Al2O3 and the rest of the aperture (1- alpha) is coated with 12 nm ZnS over 100 nm of Al2O3 shows little depolarization (4x10-4) across the average aperture.
Publications:
Amanda J. White and David M. Harrington, "Effects of mirror coating non-uniformity on depolarization," (In Prep).
David M. Harrington, Friedrich Wöger, Amanda J. White, Stacey Sueoka, "Polarization modeling and predictions for DKIST, part 9: flux distribution with FIDO," (Submitted).
David M. Harrington, Tom Schad, Stacey Sueoka, Amanda J. White, "Polarization modeling and predictions for DKIST, part 8: calibration polarizer spatial variation impacts," J. Astron. Telesc. Instrum. Syst. 7(3) 038002 (2 August 2021) doi:10.1117/1.JATIS.7.3.038002
David M. Harrington, Stacey Sueoka, Amanda J. White, Arthur Eigenbrot, Tom Schad, "Polarization modeling and predictions for Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, part 7: preliminary NCSP system calibration and model fitting," J. Astron. Telesc. Instrum. Syst. 7(1) 018004 (30 March 2021) doi:10.1117/1.JATIS.7.1.018004
David Harrington, Sarah A. Jaeggli, Tom A. Schad, Amanda J. White, Stacey R. Sueoka, "Polarization modeling and predictions for Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, part 6: fringe mitigation with polycarbonate modulators and optical contact calibration retarders," J. Astron. Telesc. Instrum. Syst. 6(3) 038001 (9 July 2020) 10.1117/1.JATIS.6.3.038001
David M. Harrington, Stacey R. Sueoka, Amanda J. White, "Polarization modeling and predictions for Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope part 5: impacts of enhanced mirror and dichroic coatings on system polarization calibration," J. Astron. Telesc. Instrum. Syst. 5(3) 038001 (3 June 2019) 10.1117/1.JATIS.5.3.038001
Three-dimensional Imaging of NASA Stardust Cometary Tracks
As the Confocal Microscopy Specialist at the American Museum of Natural History from 2011 - 2016, I used AMNH's Zeiss LSM 710 laser scanning confocal microscope to image whole cometary return samples from the NASA Stardust mission to Comet 81P/Wild 2. These confocal maps are used to visualize the track left in the aerogel collection medium, characterize track morphology, and glean information about the original impactor particle through impact studies. I improved upon AMNH's data reduction methods by creating an aerogel PSF using specially made keystones embedded with fluorescent beads.
In 2014, I authored a grant that was submitted to NASA LARS and successfully funded for the continued upgrade of the AMNH confocal system. With this grant, AMNH purchased an Princeton Instruments Raman Spectrometer IsoPlane SCT320 and I coupled the spectrometer to the existing confocal microscope. With this upgraded setup, it is now possible to aquire both morphology and preliminary compositional data with the same in-house instrument.
Publications:
Gainsforth, Z., Westphal, A.J., Butterworth, A.L., Jilly-Rehak, C.E., Brownlee, D.E., Joswiak, D.J., Ogliore, R.C., Zolensky, M.E., Bechtel, H.A., Ebel, D.S., Huss, G.R., Sandford, S.A. and White, A.J. (2019), Fine-grained material associated with a large sulfide returned from Comet 81P/Wild 2. Meteorit Planet Sci, 54: 1069-1091. doi:10.111/maps.13265.
White, A., & Ebel, D. (2015). Imaging Samples in Silica Aerogel Using an Experimental Point Spread Function. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 21(1), 172-178. doi:10.1017/S1431927614013610.
White, A., & Ebel, D. (2014). A Potential Method for Identifying Minerals in Comet Samples Using Raman Spectroscopy with a Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope. Microscopy and Microanalysis, 20(S3), 1702-1703. doi:10.1017/S1431927614010241. (Abstract).
Into the Void: Interacting and Dwarf Void Galaxies
As an undergraduate at Drexel University, I studied galaxy evolution through the properties of void galaxies. Voids are large, underdense regions of the Universie. They fill ~65% of the Universe by volume but contain only ~11% of galaxies. Galaxies that do reside in voids (termed void galaxies) have different photometric and spectroscopic properties from those that are in denser regions (they tend to be much bluer). Being in space alone with out outside influence from other galaxies makes void galaxiers great for evolution studies!
Publications:
Moorman, C.M, Moreno, J., White, A., Vogeley, A.S., Hoyle, F., Giovanelli, R., Haynes, M.P. (2016) On the Star Formation Propoerties of Void Galaxies. ApJ, 831, 118. doi:10.3847/0004-637X.
Other fun projects I have been on:
"Verne - a mock New Frontiers mission to Venus"; Planetary Science Summer School in Space Mission Design, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Summer 2021
"The Search for Scattering Polarization of Molecular Hydrogen in the Second Solar Spectrum"; University of Hawaii, Institute for Astronomy REU Program, Summer 2010
"Analyzing the Mid-IR Spectrum of a Young, Cool, Brown Dwarf"; SUNY Stony Brook Physics REU Program, Summer 2009
Teaching Experience
Graduate Teacher Program Lead for APS
The Graduate School at the University of Colorado, Boulder
For the 2017-2018 academic year, I acted as liaison between the Graduate School and my home department and was a resource to fellow TAs. I was trained in the current pedagogy best practices and used those lessons to coach my peers in order to improve teaching ability and self confidence amongst graduate student instructors.
Teaching Assistant
Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, CU Boulder
Lab TA for ASTR 1030 - Accelerated Introductory Astronomy I; Spring 2018
TA for ASTR 1000 - The Solar System; Spring 2017
Lab TA for ASTR 1010 - Introductory Astronomy I; Fall 2016
Science Mentor
Science Research Mentoring Program, AMNH
I mentored 4 NYC high school students for the 2015-2016 school year. The students worked on a project calculating the areas of NASA Stardust tracks and comparing hand traced volume maps to computationally traced maps.
AMNH After School Program Lecturer
Department of Education, AMNH
I taught five sections of the AMNH after school program from inner city high schoolers from 2012 - 2016. These classes utilized traditional lecture formats, hands on labs, and trips into the museum's public halls and private science areas to engage students in AMNH's of expertise.
The Cosmology and Secrets of the Solar System courses I taught focused on astronomy topics and was interactivly taught using the Hayden Planetarium and exhibits in the Rose Center for Earth and Space.
Public Outreach and Education
Seeing others become inspired by the wonders around us is inspiring to me.
From "piloting" an audience through the Universe at Hayden Planetarium to getting a crowd stoked to talk about cosmic dust particles at an Astronomy on Tap event, volunteering my time to talk about science is always a blast. I especially enjoy working with and engaging kids in science and math with terms and analogys they relate to.
