Bruce T. Draine
Encyclopedia
Bruce T. Draine is an American astrophysicist. He attended Swarthmore College
from 1965 to 1969. He served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Ghana from 1969-71, where he taught secondary school physics and mathematics. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University
in 1978. From 1979 to 1982 he was in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study. He currently teaches in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University
. His research involves the study of the interstellar medium
, especially interstellar dust
, photodissociation region
s, and shock waves. In 2004 he won the Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics
. In 2007, he was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences for his excellent work in the field of Astrophysics.
He is one the authors of the public domain DDSCAT code based on the discrete dipole approximation
approximation.
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
from 1965 to 1969. He served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Ghana from 1969-71, where he taught secondary school physics and mathematics. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
in 1978. From 1979 to 1982 he was in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study. He currently teaches in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. His research involves the study of the interstellar medium
Interstellar medium
In astronomy, the interstellar medium is the matter that exists in the space between the star systems in a galaxy. This matter includes gas in ionic, atomic, and molecular form, dust, and cosmic rays. It fills interstellar space and blends smoothly into the surrounding intergalactic space...
, especially interstellar dust
Cosmic dust
Cosmic dust is a type of dust composed of particles in space which are a few molecules to 0.1 µm in size. Cosmic dust can be further distinguished by its astronomical location; for example: intergalactic dust, interstellar dust, interplanetary dust and circumplanetary dust .In our own Solar...
, photodissociation region
Photodissociation region
Photodissociation regions are predominantly neutral regions of the interstellar medium in which far ultraviolet photons strongly influence the gas chemistry and act as the most important source of heat...
s, and shock waves. In 2004 he won the Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics
Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics
The Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics is jointly awarded each year by the American Astronomical Society and American Institute of Physics for outstanding work in astrophysics. It is funded by the Heineman Foundation in honour of Dannie Heineman....
. In 2007, he was inducted into the National Academy of Sciences for his excellent work in the field of Astrophysics.
He is one the authors of the public domain DDSCAT code based on the discrete dipole approximation
Discrete dipole approximation
The discrete dipole approximation is a method for computing scattering of radiation by particles of arbitrary shape and by periodic structures. Given a target of arbitrary geometry, one seeks to calculate its scattering and absorption properties...
approximation.