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Michael David Himes

Photo of MICHAEL HIMES

Michael David Himes

  • NASA POSTDOCTORAL PROGRAM FELL
  • NASA/GSFC
  • Mail Code: 614
  • Greenbelt , MD 20771
  • Employer: NPP POST-DOC CONTRACT

    • Brief Bio

    Michael D. Himes is a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow working with Dr. Natalya A. Kramarova on machine learning applications to measurements by the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite's Limb Profiler instrument.

    As part of their dissertation work at the University of Central Florida, Himes developed open-source software packages centered around training and applying neural network surrogate models, Bayesian inference frameworks, and exoplanet atmospheric retrieval.

    Positions/Employment

    8/2022 - Present

    NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow

    NASA Postdoctoral Program, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

    Applying machine learning methods to the analysis of measurements by the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite's Limb Profiler instrument.

    8/2017 - 8/2022

    Doctor of Philosophy

    University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

    Designed tests for radiative-transfer codes. Modeled the dayside atmosphere of WASP-12b. Simulated the Proxima Centauri system. Developed software packages to train neural network surrogate models and use them in Bayesian inferences. Explored applications of machine learning to atmospheric retrieval algorithms. Compared Bayesian inference frameworks used in exoplanetary atmospheric retrieval.

    1/2016 - 8/2017

    Undergraduate/Postbactoral Researcher

    University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

    Investigated Spitzer Infrared Array Camera properties and systematics. Examined applications of GPU-accelerated computing to radiative-transfer codes.

    Awards

    NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowship Recipient

    2022.


    NASA Fellowship Activity Recipient

    2020.


    Doctoral Research Support Award

    University of Central Florida. 2019.


    University Award for Excellence by a Graduate Teaching Assistant

    University of Central Florida Graduate Council. 2019.


    Award for Excellence by a Graduate Teaching Assistant

    University of Central Florida College of Sciences. 2019.


    Graduate Teaching Award

    University of Central Florida Department of Physics. 2018, 2019.


    ORC Fellowship

    University of Central Florida. 2017.

    Teaching Experience

    (Advanced) Astronomical Data Analysis

    University of Central Florida. Graduate teaching assistant for junior/senior undergraduate and first-year graduate students in 2018 and 2019.


    Introduction to Numerical Computing

    University of Central Florida. Graduate teaching assistant for undergraduate students in 2019.

    Education

    Doctor of Philosophy

    University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA. Atmospheric retrieval: Bayesian methods, machine learning, and application to exoplanets.


    Bachelor of Science

    University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.

    Publications

    Refereed

    Himes, M. D., J. Harrington, and A. G. Baydin. 2023. "Toward 3D Retrieval of Exoplanet Atmospheres: Assessing Thermochemical Equilibrium Estimation Methods." The Planetary Science Journal, 4 (4): 74 [10.3847/psj/acc939]

    Himes, M. D., and J. Harrington. 2022. "On the Dayside Atmosphere of WASP-12b." The Astrophysical Journal, 931 (2): 86 [10.3847/1538-4357/ac1e9f]

    Himes, M. D., J. Harrington, A. D. Cobb, et al. A. Güneş Baydin, F. Soboczenski, M. D. O’Beirne, S. Zorzan, D. C. Wright, Z. Scheffer, S. D. Domagal-Goldman, and G. N. Arney. 2022. "Accurate Machine-learning Atmospheric Retrieval via a Neural-network Surrogate Model for Radiative Transfer." The Planetary Science Journal, 3 (4): 91 [10.3847/psj/abe3fd]

    Blecic, J., J. Harrington, P. E. Cubillos, et al. M. Oliver Bowman, P. M. Rojo, M. Stemm, R. C. Challener, M. D. Himes, A. J. Foster, I. Dobbs-Dixon, A. S. Foster, N. B. Lust, S. D. Blumenthal, D. Bruce, and T. J. Loredo. 2022. "An Open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) Code. III. Initialization, Atmospheric Profile Generator, Post-processing Routines." The Planetary Science Journal, 3 (4): 82 [10.3847/psj/ac3515]

    Cubillos, P. E., J. Harrington, J. Blecic, et al. M. D. Himes, P. M. Rojo, T. J. Loredo, N. B. Lust, R. C. Challener, A. J. Foster, M. M. Stemm, A. S. Foster, and S. D. Blumenthal. 2022. "An Open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) Code. II. The Transit Radiative Transfer Module and Retrieval of HAT-P-11b." The Planetary Science Journal, 3 (4): 81 [10.3847/psj/ac348b]

    Harrington, J., M. D. Himes, P. E. Cubillos, et al. J. Blecic, P. M. Rojo, R. C. Challener, N. B. Lust, M. O. Bowman, S. D. Blumenthal, I. Dobbs-Dixon, A. S. Foster, A. J. Foster, M. R. Green, T. J. Loredo, K. J. McIntyre, M. M. Stemm, and D. C. Wright. 2022. "An Open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) Code. I. Design, Tests, and Application to Exoplanet HD 189733b." The Planetary Science Journal, 3 (4): 80 [10.3847/psj/ac3513]

    Azari, A., J. B. Biersteker, R. M. Dewey, et al. G. Doran, E. J. Forsberg, C. D. Harris, H. R. Kerner, K. A. Skinner, A. W. Smith, R. Amini, S. Cambioni, V. D. Poian, T. M. Garton, M. D. Himes, S. Millholland, and S. Ruhunusiri. 2021. "Integrating Machine Learning for Planetary Science: Perspectives for the Next Decade." Vol. 53, Issue 4 (Planetary/Astrobiology Decadal Survey Whitepapers), 53 (4): [10.3847/25c2cfeb.aa328727]

    Challener, R. C., J. Harrington, J. Jenkins, et al. N. T. Kurtovic, R. Ramirez, K. J. McIntyre, M. D. Himes, E. Rodríguez, G. Anglada-Escudé, S. Dreizler, A. Ofir, P. A. Peña Rojas, I. Ribas, P. Rojo, D. Kipping, R. P. Butler, P. J. Amado, C. Rodríguez-López, E. Palle, and F. Murgas. 2021. "Identification and Mitigation of a Vibrational Telescope Systematic with Application to Spitzer." The Planetary Science Journal, 2 (1): 9 [10.3847/psj/abc954]

    Cobb, A. D., M. D. Himes, F. Soboczenski, et al. S. Zorzan, M. D. O’Beirne, A. Güneş Baydin, Y. Gal, S. D. Domagal-Goldman, G. N. Arney, and D. Angerhausen. 2019. "An Ensemble of Bayesian Neural Networks for Exoplanetary Atmospheric Retrieval." The Astronomical Journal, 158 (1): 33 [10.3847/1538-3881/ab2390]

    Jenkins, J. S., J. Harrington, R. C. Challener, et al. N. T. Kurtovic, R. Ramirez, J. Peña, K. J. McIntyre, M. D. Himes, E. Rodríguez, G. Anglada-Escudé, S. Dreizler, A. Ofir, P. A. Peña Rojas, I. Ribas, P. Rojo, D. Kipping, R. P. Butler, P. J. Amado, C. Rodríguez-López, E. M. Kempton, E. Palle, and F. Murgas. 2019. "Proxima Centauri b is not a transiting exoplanet." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 487 (1): 268-274 [10.1093/mnras/stz1268]

    Professional Service

    Anonymous Reviewer

    Astrophysical Journal, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

    Brief Bio

    Michael D. Himes is a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow working with Dr. Natalya A. Kramarova on machine learning applications to measurements by the Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite's Limb Profiler instrument.

    As part of their dissertation work at the University of Central Florida, Himes developed open-source software packages centered around training and applying neural network surrogate models, Bayesian inference frameworks, and exoplanet atmospheric retrieval.

    Publications

    Refereed

    Himes, M. D., J. Harrington, and A. G. Baydin. 2023. "Toward 3D Retrieval of Exoplanet Atmospheres: Assessing Thermochemical Equilibrium Estimation Methods." The Planetary Science Journal 4 (4): 74 [10.3847/psj/acc939]

    Himes, M. D., and J. Harrington. 2022. "On the Dayside Atmosphere of WASP-12b." The Astrophysical Journal 931 (2): 86 [10.3847/1538-4357/ac1e9f]

    Himes, M. D., J. Harrington, A. D. Cobb, et al. A. Güneş Baydin, F. Soboczenski, M. D. O’Beirne, S. Zorzan, D. C. Wright, Z. Scheffer, S. D. Domagal-Goldman, and G. N. Arney. 2022. "Accurate Machine-learning Atmospheric Retrieval via a Neural-network Surrogate Model for Radiative Transfer." The Planetary Science Journal 3 (4): 91 [10.3847/psj/abe3fd]

    Blecic, J., J. Harrington, P. E. Cubillos, et al. M. Oliver Bowman, P. M. Rojo, M. Stemm, R. C. Challener, M. D. Himes, A. J. Foster, I. Dobbs-Dixon, A. S. Foster, N. B. Lust, S. D. Blumenthal, D. Bruce, and T. J. Loredo. 2022. "An Open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) Code. III. Initialization, Atmospheric Profile Generator, Post-processing Routines." The Planetary Science Journal 3 (4): 82 [10.3847/psj/ac3515]

    Cubillos, P. E., J. Harrington, J. Blecic, et al. M. D. Himes, P. M. Rojo, T. J. Loredo, N. B. Lust, R. C. Challener, A. J. Foster, M. M. Stemm, A. S. Foster, and S. D. Blumenthal. 2022. "An Open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) Code. II. The Transit Radiative Transfer Module and Retrieval of HAT-P-11b." The Planetary Science Journal 3 (4): 81 [10.3847/psj/ac348b]

    Harrington, J., M. D. Himes, P. E. Cubillos, et al. J. Blecic, P. M. Rojo, R. C. Challener, N. B. Lust, M. O. Bowman, S. D. Blumenthal, I. Dobbs-Dixon, A. S. Foster, A. J. Foster, M. R. Green, T. J. Loredo, K. J. McIntyre, M. M. Stemm, and D. C. Wright. 2022. "An Open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) Code. I. Design, Tests, and Application to Exoplanet HD 189733b." The Planetary Science Journal 3 (4): 80 [10.3847/psj/ac3513]

    Azari, A., J. B. Biersteker, R. M. Dewey, et al. G. Doran, E. J. Forsberg, C. D. Harris, H. R. Kerner, K. A. Skinner, A. W. Smith, R. Amini, S. Cambioni, V. D. Poian, T. M. Garton, M. D. Himes, S. Millholland, and S. Ruhunusiri. 2021. "Integrating Machine Learning for Planetary Science: Perspectives for the Next Decade." Vol. 53, Issue 4 (Planetary/Astrobiology Decadal Survey Whitepapers) 53 (4): [10.3847/25c2cfeb.aa328727]

    Challener, R. C., J. Harrington, J. Jenkins, et al. N. T. Kurtovic, R. Ramirez, K. J. McIntyre, M. D. Himes, E. Rodríguez, G. Anglada-Escudé, S. Dreizler, A. Ofir, P. A. Peña Rojas, I. Ribas, P. Rojo, D. Kipping, R. P. Butler, P. J. Amado, C. Rodríguez-López, E. Palle, and F. Murgas. 2021. "Identification and Mitigation of a Vibrational Telescope Systematic with Application to Spitzer." The Planetary Science Journal 2 (1): 9 [10.3847/psj/abc954]

    Cobb, A. D., M. D. Himes, F. Soboczenski, et al. S. Zorzan, M. D. O’Beirne, A. Güneş Baydin, Y. Gal, S. D. Domagal-Goldman, G. N. Arney, and D. Angerhausen. 2019. "An Ensemble of Bayesian Neural Networks for Exoplanetary Atmospheric Retrieval." The Astronomical Journal 158 (1): 33 [10.3847/1538-3881/ab2390]

    Jenkins, J. S., J. Harrington, R. C. Challener, et al. N. T. Kurtovic, R. Ramirez, J. Peña, K. J. McIntyre, M. D. Himes, E. Rodríguez, G. Anglada-Escudé, S. Dreizler, A. Ofir, P. A. Peña Rojas, I. Ribas, P. Rojo, D. Kipping, R. P. Butler, P. J. Amado, C. Rodríguez-López, E. M. Kempton, E. Palle, and F. Murgas. 2019. "Proxima Centauri b is not a transiting exoplanet." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 487 (1): 268-274 [10.1093/mnras/stz1268]

                                                                                                                                                                                            
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    • Last Updated: 06/01/2023