Sciences and Exploration Directorate

Nathan Roth

(Research Associate)

Nathan Roth's Contact Card & Information.
Email: nathaniel.x.roth@nasa.gov
Phone: 301.286.8151
Org Code: 691
Address:
NASA/GSFC
Mail Code 691
Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: CATHOLIC UNIV OF AMERICA

Brief Bio


Dr. Roth is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the Catholic University of America. He works full-time in the Astrochemistry Laboratory at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. He is an expert in near-infrared spectroscopy and millimeter-wave interferometry of small bodies.


Dr. Roth maintains observing programs with radio and near-infrared observatories around the world and in space, including the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), the Northern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA), the Submillimeter Array (SMA), the Very Large Array (VLA), the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX), the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO), the Green Bank Telescope (GBT), the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).


His research objective is to trace astrochemistry throughout the stellar lifecycle by exploiting connections between primitive solar system bodies and protoplanetary, protostellar, and interstellar environments. Leveraging synergies between molecular spectroscopy at radio and near-infrared wavelengths, his research explores the lineage of volatile and refractory organics from the interstellar medium to the present-day solar system, thereby improving our understanding of planetary system formation.

Positions/Employment


Research Assistant Professor

Catholic University of America - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center - Washington, DC

September 2021 - Present


NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow

Universities Space Research Association - NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD

September 2019 - August 2021

Education


Ph.D. in Physics, July 2019, Missouri University of Science & Technology and University of Missouri-St. Louis Joint Physics Program, Rolla, MO

Professional Societies


American Astronomical Society

2015 - Present


Division for Planetary Sciences

2015 - Present


International Astronomical Union

2021 - Present

Professional Service


Journal Referee:

Astronomical Journal

Planetary Science Journal

Astronomy & Astrophysics


Selected Professional Activities:

Investigation Team Member, Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission

Science Co-Investigator, SALTUS Astrophysics Probe mission concept

JWST Cycle 1 Solar System GTO Team

Principal Investigator, JWST Cycle 1 GO 1897

Co-Investigator, JWST GTO 1253, GO 3399, 1566, 2337


American Astronomical Society DPS 2023 Meeting: SOC, VOC

Infrared Science and Technology Integration Group (IR STIG) Leadership Council

NRAO ALMA Ambassador, ALMA Cycle 9

Speaker, "An Evening with NASA Scientists and Engineers" Senior Outreach Series, DART Mission Update, February 2023


NASA Neurodiversity Network (N3) Mentor

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/United States Naval Academy Internship Mentor

NASA Office of STEM Engagement Mentor

NASA CONNECTORS Program Mentor

Reviewer, NASA ROSES, NSF

White Paper Lead to the Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey (2023-2032)

Awards


Robert H. Goddard Award -- Exceptional Achievement for Mentoring, 2023

Asteroid 33484 Nathanroth (1999 GS7), 2023

Ciel deGutis Award for Research Excellence, 2019, University of Missouri-St. Louis

Other Professional Information


Mentoring:

Timothy Proudkii (2021-present): Virginia Tech/California Institute of Technology


Successful Observing Proposals:

2023, Very Large Array VLA/24A-377, PI, First Maps of Cometary NH3: VLA Imaging of Exceptional Comet C/2023 A3

2023, ALMA Cycle 10 2023.1.00703.S, PI, Revealing the Outgassing Mechanisms of Mega-Comet C/2014 UN271: Spectrally Resolved CO and Synergy with JWST

2023, ALMA Cycle 10 Large Program 2023.1.01143.L, Co-I, The Large 12P COMA Survey (COmetary Molecules with ALMA)

2023B, Submillimeter Array, PI, Coordinated SMA/ALMA Studies of 12P/Pons-Brooks

2023B, Submillimeter Array, PI, SMA Wideband Subsurface Thermal Studies of NEAS

2023, Northern Extended Millimeter Array, PI, Subsurface Thermal Studies of NEAs: Planetary Defense and Relevance to ESA/Hera

2023, Northern Extended Millimeter Array, Co-I, Characterization of the nucleus and coma of comet 12P (Pons-Brooks)

2023, Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique, Co-I, Composition of Halley class comet 12P/Pons-Brooks

2023B, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Investigating Changes in Volatile Production and Mixing Ratios of Comet 103P/Hartley 2: A Multi-Epoch Analysis with iSHELL

2023B, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Comet 2P/Encke: Investigating Possible Causes for the Unusual Compositional Variability in a Short Period Comet

2023A, NASA IRTF, PI, iSHELL Studies of Bright Comet C/2022 E3: Multi-Molecule Coma Thermal Physics and Coordination with JWST

2023A, NASA IRTF, Co-I, SpeX observations of C/2022 E3 (ZTF) and C/2021 T4 (Lemmon): Exploring the overall coma composition of comets

2023A, NASA IRTF, Co-I, First Measurements of Parent Volatile Composition of Anomalous Comet 96P/Machholz

2022, James Webb Space Telescope GO 3399, Co-I, An Empirical Calibration of the NIRSpec IFU Point Spread Function to Enable High Contrast Imaging Spectroscopy

2022, Northern Extended Millimeter Array, PI, Coordinated NOEMA/JWST Studies of Comet C/2022 E3: Inner Coma Thermal Physics and a Window into Sulfur Chemistry

2022B, Submillimeter Array, PI, Coordinated SMA/JWST Studies of Comet C/2022 E3: Inner Coma Thermal Physics and a Window into Sulfur Chemistry

2022, ALMA Cycle 9 2022.1.01084.S, PI, Revealing the Outgassing Mechanisms of Mega-Comet C/2014 UN271: A Deep Search for CO with ALMA

2022, Atacama Pathfinder Experiment, PI, APEX Monitoring Observations of Comet C/2017 K2 in Support of ALMA

2022, Atacama Pathfinder Experiment, PI, A Search for Distributed Sources in a Target of Opportunity Comet

2022, ALMA Cycle 8 2021.A.00013.S, Director's Discretionary Time, PI, ALMA Observations of the DART Mission: Revealing Composition of the Impact Ejecta and the Interior of S-Type Asteroids

2022B, Green Bank Telescope, PI, Measuring NH3 and OH in a Target-of-Opportunity Comet with the GBT

2022, Northern Extended Millimeter Array, PI, A Search for Distributed Sources at Small Heliocentric Distance in Oort Cloud Comet C/2021 O3 (PanSTARRS)

2022A, Green Bank Telescope, PI, Measuring NH3 and OH in a Target-of-Opportunity Comet with the GBT

2022, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Investigation of CO vs H2O driven outgassing in comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS)

2022, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Study of the composition and outgassing behavior of comet C/2021 O3 (PanSTARRS) at small heliocentric distances

2021, ALMA Cycle 8 2021.1.00862.S, PI, The Evolution of Molecular Outgassing in Distant Comet C/2017 K2: A Joint ALMA/JWST Monitoring Campaign Across Ice Lines

2021, James Webb Space Telescope GO 1897, PI, Pushing the Envelope of the JWST Discovery Space: Measuring the Insoluble Organic Matter (IOM) and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Content of Comet 9P/Tempel 1

2021, Submillimeter Array, PI, A Search for Distributed Sources at Small Heliocentric Distance in Comets C/2021 A1 (Leonard) and C/2021 O3 (PanSTARRS)

2021, ALMA Cycle 8 2021.1.00985.T, Co-I, Volatile composition of a ToO Interstellar Object: Comparison to Disk and Comet Chemistry

2021, ALMA Cycle 8 2021.1.00911.T, Direct Sublimation vs. Gas-Phase Synthesis: A Comet ToO Proposal

2021, ALMA Cycle 8 2021.1.00828.S, Validating the range of D/H ratios in our Solar System's primitive H2O reservoir

2021B, NASA IRTF, PI, Bridging the ''Rosetta Stone'' of Cometary Science: A Multi-Wavelength, Multi-Epoch Campaign Toward Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko During its First Apparition Since the Conclusion of the Rosetta Mission

2021B, NASA IRTF, PI, Director's Discretionary Time Observations of Centaur 29P/Schassmann-Wachmann-1 During Its Extraordinary Outburst

2021B, Atacama Pathfinder Experiment, PI, A Search for Distributed Sources in a Target of Opportunity Comet

2021B, Atacama Pathfinder Experiment, PI, Unraveling Comet Photochemistry in Oort Cloud Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard)

2021, James Webb Space Telescope, GTO 1253, Co-I, Target of Opportunity Comet

2021, James Webb Space Telescope GO 2377, Co-I, Composition of an Interstellar Object -- Unique Insights into Protoplanetary Disk Midplane Chemistry

2021, James Webb Space Telescope GO 1566, Co-I, The Coma Dust and Volatiles of C/2017 K2 (Pan-STARRS)

2021B, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Comprehensive compositional study of exceptionally bright comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard)

2021B, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Characterizing the Parent Volatile Composition and Outgassing of a Target-of-Opportunity Comet

2021, Green Bank Observatory, PI, Mapping NH$_3$ in a Target-of-Opportunity Comet: A Joint GBT/VLA Proposal

2021, IRAM 30m, Co-I, Ground-based truth of the composition of Rosetta target 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

2021, W. M. Keck Observatory, Co-I, Keck/NIRSPEC observations of Rosetta target 67P: The missing link between ground-based and in-situ databases of cometary volatiles

2021, Northern Extended Millimeter Array, PI, The Transition from CO- to H2O-Dominated Outgassing in Recently Discovered Oort Cloud Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard)

2021, Arizona Radio Observatory, PI, Monitoring the Activity and Composition of Newly Discovered Oort Cloud Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard)

2021, Arizona Radio Observatory, PI, Monitoring the Molecular Activity of a Bright ToO Comet

2021, Atacama Pathfinder Experiment, PI, A Search for Distributed Sources in a Target of Opportunity Comet

2021, Northern Extended Millimeter Array, PI, The Evolution of Molecular Outgassing in Distantly Active Comet C/2017 K2: A Joint NOEMA/JWST Monitoring Campaign Across Ice Lines

2021, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Characterizing Parent Volatile Composition and Outgassing in a Target-of-Opportunity Comet

2020, NASA IRTF, PI, Director's Discretionary Time Proposal for Comet C/2020 S3 (Erasmus)

2020B, Arizona Radio Observatory, PI, Monitoring the Molecular Activity of a Bright ToO Comet

2020A, Arizona Radio Observatory, PI, Monitoring the Activity and Composition of Bright Comet C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS)

2020A, Arizona Radio Observatory, PI, Monitoring the Activity and Composition of Newly Discovered Comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS)

2020A, Atacama Pathfinder Experiment, PI, A Search for Distributed Sources in a Target of Opportunity Comet

2019, Atacama Pathfinder Experiment, PI, A Coordinated Molecular Survey of Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov

2019, Atacama Large Millimeter Array, Co-I, Direct Sublimation vs. Gas-Phase Synthesis: A Comet ToO Proposal

2019, Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique, Co-I, The activity and composition of Interstellar Comet C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)

2019, Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique, Co-I, Composition and the origin of formaldehyde in a bright comet

2019, NASA IRTF, Co-I, A Study of Volatile Composition and Possible Asymmetries in C/2017 T2 (PanSTARRS)

2019, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Probing the Compositional Heterogeneity of C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS) using iSHELL and Spitzer

2019, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Continuing the Study of 46P/Wirtanen During Its Historic Apparition: Volatile Composition and Testing for Variability

2018, Institut de Radioastronomie Millimetrique, Co-I, Composition of comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner and its long-term evolution

2018, NASA IRTF, PI, Testing Seasonal and Evolutionary Effects on Volatile Composition in the Prototypical Carbon-Chain Depleted Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner

2018, NASA IRTF, PI, Probing the Evolutionary History of Comets: An Investigation of the Hypervolatiles CO and CH4 and Parent Volatile Abundances in the Jupiter-family Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner

2018, W. M. Keck Observatory, Co-I, Parent Volatiles, Near-Nucleus Environment, and Outgassing in Comet 46P/Wirtanen: A Historic Apparition for a Space Mission Priority Target

2018, NASA IRTF, Co-I, The Coma Physical Environment and Water Outgassing in Comets 46P/Wirtanen and 21P/Giacobini-Zinner: Two Outstanding Apparitions of Potential Spacecraft Targets

2018, NASA IRTF, Co-I, A Collaborative Study of the Chemistry of Comet Wirtanen During Its Exceptional 2018 Apparition

2018, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Measuring the CO and CH4 Abundance in Jupiter family Comet 46P/Wirtanen

2018, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Parent Volatile Abundances and Inner-Coma Physics in Comet C/2017 S3 (PanSTARRS)

2018, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Measurement of Parent Volatiles in Halley-family comet 38P/Stephan-Oterma and Jupiter-family comet 64P/Swift-Gehrels

2018, NASA IRTF, Co-I, SpeX observations of the overall gas and dust composition of five comets during the unusually rich 2018B observing semester

2017, NASA IRTF, PI, Parent Volatile Abundances and Behavior of Volatile Release in Comets 2P/Encke and 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova

2017, NASA IRTF, PI, Target of Opportunity Request for Comet C/2015 V2 (Johnson)

2017, NASA IRTF, Co-I, The Inner Coma Physical Environment of Ecliptic Comets 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova, 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak, and 2P/Encke

2017, NASA IRTF, Co-I, Parent Volatile Abundances and Inner-Coma Physics in Comets C/2015 V2 and C/2015 ER61

2017, NASA IRTF, Co-I, SpeX observations of the overall gas and dust composition of five comets during the unusually rich 2017A observing semester

Publications


Refereed

2023. "The Return of the Rosetta Target: Keck Near-infrared Observations of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in 2021." The Astronomical Journal 166 (6): 233 [10.3847/1538-3881/acee59] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "ALMA Observations of the DART Impact: Characterizing the Ejecta at Submillimeter Wavelengths." The Planetary Science Journal 4 (11): 206 [10.3847/psj/acfcaa] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "Molecular Outgassing in Centaur 29P/Schwassmann–Wachmann 1 during Its Exceptional 2021 Outburst: Coordinated Multiwavelength Observations Using nFLASH at APEX and iSHELL at the NASA-IRTF." The Planetary Science Journal 4 (9): 172 [10.3847/psj/ace1e9] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "Gas Sources from the Coma and Nucleus of Comet 46P/Wirtanen Observed Using ALMA." The Astrophysical Journal 953 (1): 59 [10.3847/1538-4357/ace0bc] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "Comprehensive Study of the Chemical Composition and Spatial Outgassing Behavior of Hyperactive Comet 46P/Wirtanen Using Near-IR Spectroscopy during its Historic 2018 Apparition." The Astronomical Journal 165 (6): 231 [10.3847/1538-3881/acc074] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "Coma composition of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from radio-wave spectroscopy." Astronomy & Astrophysics 672 A170 [10.1051/0004-6361/202245672] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "Observations of comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) with IRAM telescopes." Astronomy & Astrophysics 668 A171 [10.1051/0004-6361/202244970] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "Comets in Context: Comparing Comet Compositions with Protosolar Nebula Models." The Astrophysical Journal 931 (2): 164 [10.3847/1538-4357/ac67e3] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "A SUBLIME 3D Model for Cometary Coma Emission: The Hypervolatile-rich Comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)." The Astrophysical Journal 929 (1): 38 [10.3847/1538-4357/ac5893] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "Volatile Abundances, Extended Coma Sources, and Nucleus Ice Associations in Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy)." The Planetary Science Journal 3 (1): 6 [10.3847/psj/ac323c] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Volatile Composition and Outgassing in C/2018 Y1 (Iwamoto): Extending Limits for High-resolution Infrared Cometary Spectroscopy between 2.8 and 5.0 μm." The Planetary Science Journal 2 (6): 225 [10.3847/psj/ac07ae] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Leveraging the ALMA Atacama Compact Array for Cometary Science: An Interferometric Survey of Comet C/2015 ER61 (PanSTARRS) and Evidence for a Distributed Source of Carbon Monosulfide." ApJ 921 14 [https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ac0441] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Molecular composition of short-period comets from millimetre-wave spectroscopy: 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, 38P/Stephan-Oterma, 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák, and 64P/Swift-Gehrels." Astronomy & Astrophysics 651 A25 [10.1051/0004-6361/202140765] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Molecular composition of comet 46P/Wirtanen from millimetre-wave spectroscopy." Astronomy & Astrophysics 648 A49 [10.1051/0004-6361/202040125] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "The Crucial Role of Ground- and Space-Based Remote Sensing Studies of Cometary Volatiles in the Next Decade (2023-2032)." Vol. 53, Issue 4 (Planetary/Astrobiology Decadal Survey Whitepapers) 53 (4): [10.3847/25c2cfeb.14285328] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "The Volatile Composition of the Inner Coma of Comet 46P/Wirtanen: Coordinated Observations Using iSHELL at the NASA-IRTF and Keck/NIRSPEC-2." The Planetary Science Journal 2 (2): 54 [10.3847/psj/abd706/54] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Rapidly Varying Anisotropic Methanol (CH3OH) Production in the Inner Coma of Comet 46P/Wirtanen as Revealed by the ALMA Atacama Compact Array." The Planetary Science Journal 2 (2): 55 [10.3847/psj/abdd3a] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "First Comet Observations with NIRSPEC-2 at Keck: Outgassing Sources of Parent Volatiles and Abundances Based on Alternative Taxonomic Compositional Baselines in 46P/Wirtanen." The Planetary Science Journal 2 (2): 45 [10.3847/psj/abd03c] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Quantifying the Hypervolatile Abundances in Jupiter-family Comet 46P/Wirtanen." The Planetary Science Journal 2 (1): 21 [10.3847/psj/abd71d] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Testing Short-term Variability and Sampling of Primary Volatiles in Comet 46P/Wirtanen." The Planetary Science Journal 2 (1): 20 [10.3847/psj/abc95c] [Journal Article/Letter]

2021. "Organic Matter in Cometary Environments." Life 11 (1): 37 [10.3390/life11010037] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "Carbonyl Sulfide (OCS): Detections in Comets C/2002 T7 (LINEAR), C/2015 ER61 (PanSTARRS), and 21P/Giacobini–Zinner and Stringent Upper Limits in 46P/Wirtanen." The Astronomical Journal 160 (4): 184 [10.3847/1538-3881/aba522] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "The Crucial Role of Ground- and Space-Based Remote Sensing Studies of Cometary Volatiles in the Next Decade (2023-2032)." arXiv e-prints arXiv:2007.08568 [Other]

2020. "Unusually high CO abundance of the first active interstellar comet." Nature Astronomy [10.1038/s41550-020-1087-2] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "Probing the Evolutionary History of Comets: An Investigation of the Hypervolatiles CO, CH4, and C2H6 in the Jupiter-family Comet 21P/Giacobini–Zinner." The Astronomical Journal 159 (2): 42 [10.3847/1538-3881/ab536b] [Journal Article/Letter]

2020. "Post-perihelion volatile production and release from Jupiter-family comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková." Icarus 335 (1): 113411 [10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113411] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "The Peculiar Volatile Composition of CO-dominated Comet C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)." The Astronomical Journal 158 (3): 128 [10.3847/1538-3881/ab32e4] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "Comet C/2013 V5 (Oukaimeden): Evidence for Depleted Organic Volatiles and Compositional Heterogeneity as Revealed through Infrared Spectroscopy." The Astronomical Journal 156 (6): 258 [10.3847/1538-3881/aade87] [Journal Article/Letter]

2018. "A Tale of “Two” Comets: The Primary Volatile Composition of Comet 2P/Encke Across Apparitions and Implications for Cometary Science." The Astronomical Journal 156 (6): 251 [10.3847/1538-3881/aae0f7] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "Hypervolatiles in a Jupiter-family Comet: Observations of 45P/Honda–Mrkos–Pajdušáková Using iSHELL at the NASA-IRTF." The Astronomical Journal 154 (6): 246 [10.3847/1538-3881/aa8639] [Journal Article/Letter]

2017. "The Composition of Comet C/2012 K1 (PanSTARRS) and the Distribution of Primary Volatile Abundances Among Comets." The Astronomical Journal 153 (4): 168 [10.3847/1538-3881/aa5d18] [Journal Article/Letter]