MEET THE TEAM: CHARLES SCHAMBEAU, PH.D.
CHARLES’ BIOGRAPHY
Charles Schambeau is an Assistant Scientist at the Florida Space Institute, University of Central Florida (UCF). Prior to coming to UCF, he completed his Bachelor of Science in Physics at the University of South Alabama (2007) and Master of Science in Physics at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (2009), thesis entitled “Applications of Velocity Selective Optical Pumping of Atomic Vapors Using Pump-Probe Spectroscopy”. In 2012 he changed research fields as a graduate student from optics/photonics to the study of planetary systems. In 2012 he started as a graduate student in UCF’s Physics department and completed his Doctor of Philosophy in Physics in 2018, dissertation entitled “Analysis of Nucleus Properties of the Enigmatic Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1”. After graduation he joined the Florida Space Institute as part of UCF’s Preeminent Postdoctoral Program and in Feb. 2022 advanced to his current Assistant Scientist position.
When not investigating the mysterious of cometary activity beyond water ice sublimation, Dr. Schambeau enjoys being physically active and outdoors. He is an avid sailor, having completed numerous courses of the American Sailing Association (ASA 101, 102, 103, 104). He can often be found spending weekends in the Tampa Bay area sailing. He is also a long-time vintage car enthusiast, having since a young teenager restored half a dozen antique air-cooled Volkswagens, of which he still drives his first car, a ’66 Beetle, almost daily. Other activities include hiking, gardening, camping, cycling, traveling…most things that one can enjoy outdoors.
CHARLES’ RESEARCH
His research focuses on the icy small bodies of the solar system and their connections to the early era of their formation. In particular, he has an expertise in the study of active icy bodies in a region too cold for activity driven by the sublimation of water ice. Specific topics of current interest include: Understanding the enigmatic activity behaviors of the Centaur 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1. Understanding the connections between TNOs, Centaurs, and Jupiter-family comets. Preparations for the windfall of comet science to come from the NEO Surveyor Mission: Co-I and Comet Working Group lead from 2018-2022. Leveraging observations from HST and JWST to investigate the activity drivers in the Centaurs. Developing open-source modeling tools for cometary science investigation, including the Python-based software Coma Factory.
CHARLES’ HONORS AND AWARDS
· Asteroid (33443) Schambeau named in honor of contributint the field of planetary sciences.
· Preeminent Postdoctoral Program Fellowship, University of Central Florida, 2018-2020
· Nasa Earth and Space Sciences Fellowship, NASA, 2016-2018
· Dissertation and Thesis Improvement Fellowship, NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium, 2015-2016
· CLASS Student Exchange Program, Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science, NASA SSERVI, 2015
· Hartmann Student Travel Grant, Division for Planetary Sciences, American Astronomical Society, 2013 and 2014
· USA Foundation Physics Scholarship Level 1, University of South Alabama, 2003-2007
CHARLES’ NEW SPOTLIGHTS
· UCF Is Leading Comprehensive Study of Centaurs and Jupiter-family Comets, UCF Today, Science & Technology (2023): https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-is-leading-comprehensive-study-of-centaurs-and-jupiter-family-comets/
· UCF Researchers Use James Webb Space Telescope to Determine the First-ever CO2 Emission in a Centaur, UCF Today, Science & Technology (2023): https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-researchers-use-james-webb-space-telescope-to-determine-the-first-ever-co2-emission-in-a-centaur/
· UCF Researchers to Conduct Research Using First James Webb Space Telescope Images, UCF Today, Science & Technology (2022): https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-researchers-eagerly-awaiting-first-james-webb-space-telescope-images/
· The Heart of a Centaur (2021), NOIRLab Image of the Week: https://noirlab.edu/public/images/iotw2149a/
· A Centaur in Transition (2020) , NOIRLab Image of the Week: https://noirlab.edu/public/images/iotw2050a/
· A ‘Front-Row Seat’ to the Birth of a Comet, NYTimes (2020) https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/science/comet-jupiter-centaur.html
· Congratulations, Summer 2018 Ph.D. Grads!, UCF COSNEWS (2018): https://sciences.ucf.edu/news/congratulations-summer-2018-ph-d-grads/
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