Jean Swank
Encyclopedia
Jean H. Swank is an astrophysicist, having received her PhD
degree from the California Institute of Technology
in 1967 under the supervision of Steve Frautschi. Swank was named as the project scientist for NASA
's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
mission, and Principal Investigator
for the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX
(GEMS) X-ray satellite. She was awarded the Bruno Rossi Prize
in 1999, along with Hale Bradt, for their key roles in the development of the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree from the California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
in 1967 under the supervision of Steve Frautschi. Swank was named as the project scientist for NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
The Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer is a satellite that observes the time structure of astronomical X-ray sources. The RXTE has three instruments—the Proportional Counter Array, the High-Energy X-ray Timing Experiment , and one instrument called the All Sky Monitor...
mission, and Principal Investigator
Principal investigator
A principal investigator is the lead scientist or engineer for a particular well-defined science project, such as a laboratory study or clinical trial....
for the Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX
Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX
The Gravity and Extreme Magnetism SMEX mission is a planned space observatory. The main scientific goal of GEMS is to be the first mission to systematically measure the polarization of cosmic X-Ray sources...
(GEMS) X-ray satellite. She was awarded the Bruno Rossi Prize
Bruno Rossi Prize
The Bruno Rossi Prize is awarded annually by the High Energy Astrophysics division of the American Astronomical Society "for a significant contribution to High Energy Astrophysics, with particular emphasis on recent, original work". Named after astrophysicist Bruno Rossi, the prize is awarded with...
in 1999, along with Hale Bradt, for their key roles in the development of the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer.