Phil Hinz

Director, Laboratory for Adaptive Optics

University of California Santa Cruz


About me

I am an astronomer, by training, who enjoys designing and building the equipment for astronomical observations. I specialize in optical interferometry, adaptive optics, and infrared instrumentation. My motivation for delving into these topics is often questions related to planets around other stars. Studying Earth-like planets around our stellar neighbors is one of the defining challenges of our field. I like thinking how we might one day achieve that.

I was raised in the little town of Shiocton, Wisconsin and went to college at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, followed by the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. I spent a long time in the desert southwest, but have recently moved here with my family to Santa Cruz to run the Lab for Adaptive Optics.

Santa Cruz is a great place to enjoy the outdoors which I like to do via hikes and rowing on the bay. I still haven't seen a whale, but I keep looking.

Contact

You can reach me using any one of the methods below.

email: phinz@ucsc.edu

phone:

(520) 205-0576

mail:

1156 High StreetUCSCSanta Cruz, CA 95064


The Lab for Adaptive Optics

The Lab for Adaptive Optics (LAO) is a part of the Center for Adaptive Optics within the University of California Observatories (UCO). LAO was started in the 2000's by Claire Max, Don Gavel, and Jerry Nelson. LAO development has been guided by the long time talented contributions from Daren Dillon and Reni Kupke. Early LAO projects included the development of MEM's deformable mirror for high contrast imaging, laser guide star beacon development and the deployment and upgrade of an adaptive optics system on the Shane Telescope (ShaneAO).

The tradition of LAO technology development and instrumentation expertise at UCO make UCSC an ideal place to work. I view the role of the LAO as helping UCO define cutting edge techniques and areas of technology that, if developed, can enable broad new areas of astronomical research.

Research

My research at Arizona involved the develpment of nulling interferometry, adaptive optics, and new infrared isntrumentation that could carry out high contrast observations. Projects included:

At the LAO we have started exploring several new projects:

  • A reflective pyramid wavefront sensor for the Shane AO system.

  • Adaptive secondary mirror technology for more robust, integrated adaptive optics