Education:
PhD Candidate, Physics,
University of Maryland, 2002-present
MS, Physics, University of Maryland, 2000
BA, Philosophy and Mathematics, w/ minors in Classics and the History
of
Science, St. John’s College, 1992
Employment History:
Head, Astrometric
Satellite
Division, Astrometry Department, United States Naval Observatory
(USNO),
Washington, DC, 2004—present
Astronomer, Astrometry Department, USNO, Washington, DC, 2001—2004
Astrophysicist, Space Sciences Division, Naval Research Laboratory
(NRL),
Washington, DC, 1992-2001
Honors and Awards:
AIAA awards for best paper in
conference, 2000 AIAA/BMDO Technology
Conference & 1999 AIAA/BMDO Technology Conference
NRL Edison Fellow, 1995-2000
Various Special and Performance Awards
Experience:
Mr. Dorland is currently the head of the Astrometric Satellite Division at the US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC. This division supports NASA’s SIM and TPF programs and is also actively engaged in research into detector and software development that support potential future missions. Mr. Dorland is currently the PI for a Hubble Space Telescope General Observer (GO) program. Mr. Dorland was the proposal manager for the proposed SMEX-class AMEX mission. Previously, Mr. Dorland was the system engineer for the FAME mission operations and data analysis (MO&DA) activities during the lead up to FAME PDR. Since FAME, he has developed system engineering tools to support the specification of engineering requirements that trace directly to science requirements. These tools include a single measurement precision model for TDI-type astrometric instruments that simulates the effects of variable optics, CCD and focal plane parameters; and a radiation damage model that predicts the degradation of astrometric measurements that accrue due to proton-induced damage to CCDs.
Prior to working at USNO, Mr. Dorland was the technical lead for NRL’s Synthetic Scene Generation Model, an infrared phenomenology simulation developed to support a variety of DoD sensor and system acquisition programs. Mr. Dorland also worked as an analyst at NRL supporting various DoD research programs such as the Midcourse Space Experiment and the far Ultraviolet Camera.
Mr. Dorland’s expertise includes analysis of spectroscopic data, high-precision astrometry with CCD data, development and use of high-fidelity phenomenological simulations, program management and software development.
Recent Publications:
1. Dorland,
B.N., Currie, D.G.,
& Hajian, A.R., “Did eta Carinae’s Weigelt Blobs Originate c.
1941?”, 2004,
AJ (in press)
2. Dorland, B.N., “Simulating the Effects of CCD Damage on Centroiding
Performance for Astrometric Survey Missions”, 2003, Proc.
SPIE, 5167-30
3. Dorland, B.N., Currie, D.G.,
Kaufer, A., & Bacciotti, F., “Discovery of the Forward Shock from
Colliding
Winds about eta Carinae”, 2003, RMxAA (sc), 15, 70
4. Currie, D.G., Dorland, B.N,
& Kaufer, A., “Discovery of a high velocity, spatially extended
emission
shell in front of the southeast lobe of the eta Carinae Homunculus”,
2002,
A&A, 389, 65