Daniel E. Welty

Dan Welty came to STScI in 2017, after many years on the research staff at the University of Chicago.  He is a support scientist on the STIS team — focusing on wavelength calibration issues and on the incorporation of STIS spectra into the Hubble Legacy Archive.  Most of his research has involved high-resolution optical and UV spectroscopy of interstellar media in various environments — ranging from the cloud surrounding the Solar System to quasar absorption-line systems.  He is currently working on various projects aimed at determining interstellar abundances and physical conditions in the diffuse atomic and molecular gas in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds.

Education:

PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago
SM in Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago
AB in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Princeton University
 

Science Interests:

• determination of the abundances, depletions, and physical conditions in predominantly neutral interstellar clouds (via both detailed studies of individual sight lines and broader surveys of particular atomic and molecular species in many sight lines)
• comparisons of various independent diagnostics of the physical conditions in the ISM
• comparisons of the ISM in different environments (e.g., Milky Way vs. Magellanic Clouds)
• characterization of the behavior of the diffuse interstellar bands in different environments
• examination of small-scale structure in the ISM (via spatial and temporal variations in absorption)

Research Topics: Local Group Galaxies; Interstellar Medium; Dust; Astrochemistry, Chemical Abundances

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6277-9556