Alan P Smale

Alan P Smale's Contact Card & Information.
Email:	alan.p.smale@nasa.gov
Org Code:	660.1
Address:	NASA/GSFC Mail Code 660 Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer:	EMERITUS

Brief Bio

2003 - 2008: Program Executive for Mission Operations and Data Analysis (MO&DA) for the Astrophysics Division, Science Mission Directorate, NASA HQ, managing an extensive and scientifically diverse portfolio of astrophysics missions including Chandra, Spitzer, Gravity Probe-B, GALEX, INTEGRAL, RXTE, Suzaku, Swift, WMAP, and XMM-Newton. Also served as Program Scientist for RXTE, Discipline Scientist for High Energy Astrophysics, and Deputy Public Affairs Liaison for the Astrophysics Division.

1988 - 2003: Senior Research Scientist, Universities Space Research Association, at the Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, NASA/GSFC. Managed the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer Guest Observer Facility (1994-2003) and Swift Science Center (1998-2003), with additional management, data analysis, software design and computer programming experience with the BBXRT, ROSAT, ASCA, and HEASARC projects. Co-investigator on the Swift mission.

1985 - 1988: Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, U.K., conducting research in X-ray and optical astronomy.

Research Interests

X-ray Astrophysics

Over thirty years of experience in X-ray and optical astrophysics, studying variability in X-ray binaries, spectroscopy and timing studies of Galactic black hole candidates, pulsars, bursting and dipping sources, and active galactic nuclei. Co-author (with Strohmayer) on the discovery of kilohertz QPOs from neutron star binaries. PI on successful guest observer programs on a wide range of orbiting observatories (EXOSAT, ROSAT, Ginga, ASCA, RXTE. and Chandra) and international ground-based optical and radio facilities (AAT, CTIO, LPO, SAAO, VLA). Committed to education and public outreach through the combination of science and music, generally outside working hours.

Current Projects

HEASARC

Various new programmatic initiatives.

Temporal and spectroscopic studies of X-ray binaries in the Milky Way and other normal galaxies.

Positions/Employment

HEASARC Director

NASA/GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

August 2008 - Present

PCOS Chief Scientist (Acting)

NASA - GSFC

September 2016 - January 2017

PCOS Deputy Chief Scientist

NASA/GSFC - Greenbelt, MD

March 2012 - August 2016

Program Executive, Mission Operations and Data Analysis

NASA HQ - Washington DC

February 2003 - August 2008

Education

1986 - D.Phil., Astrophysics, University of Oxford, U.K. Thesis title: "Variability in Stellar X-ray Sources"

1982 - B.A., Physics, University of Oxford, U.K.

Professional Societies

American Astronomical Society

1989 - Present

Royal Astronomical Society

Fellow

1986 - 1998

International Astronomical Union

2013 - Present

Awards

Robert H. Goddard Honor Awards 2012: HEASARC Team

Publications

Refereed

2022. "EarthShine: Observing our world as an exoplanet from the surface of the Moon.", Journal of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems, 8 (01): 014003 [10.1117/1.jatis.8.1.014003] [Journal Article/Letter]

2019. "NASA's Long-Term Astrophysics Data Archives.", Astronomical Data Analysis Software and Systems XXVI ASP Conference Series, Vol. 521, proceedings of a conference held (16-20 October 2016) at Stazione Marittima Conference Centre, Trieste, Italy. Edited by Marco Molinaro, Keith Shortridge, and Fabio Pasian. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2019, p.36, 521 36 [Article in Book]

2016. "Investigating the Long-term Variability of 4U1705-44; Evidence for an Underlying Nonlinear Double-Welled Oscillator.", American Astronomical Society, HEAD meeting #15, id.120.32, 15 120.32 [Full Text] [Journal Article/Letter]

2013. "Spectroscopy of New and Poorly Known Cataclysmic Variables in the Kepler Field.", The Astronomical Journal, 145 (4): 109 [10.1088/0004-6256/145/4/109] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "The Kepler Light Curves of V1504 Cygni and V344 Lyrae: A Study of the Outburst Properties.", The Astrophysical Journal, 747 117 [Full Text] [10.1088/0004-637X/747/2/117] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "Sonification of of Kepler Field SU UMa Cataclysmic Variable Stars V344 Lyr and V1504 Cyg.", Journal of the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy, vol 6, p 21-35, 6 21 [Full Text] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "Anomalous Low States and Long-term Variability in the Black Hole Binary LMC X-3.", The Astrophysical Journal, 756 146 [Full Text] [10.1088/0004-637X/756/2/146] [Journal Article/Letter]

2012. "Kepler observations of V447 Lyr: an eclipsing U Gem Cataclysmic Variable.", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 425 1479 [Full Text] [10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21657.x] [Journal Article/Letter]

2010. "Quiescent Superhumps Detected in the Dwarf Nova V344 Lyrae by Kepler.", The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 717 L113 [Full Text] [10.1088/2041-8205/717/2/L113] [Journal Article/Letter]

2005. "A short gamma-ray burst apparently associated with an elliptical galaxy at redshift z = 0.225.", Nature, 437 851-854 [10.1038/nature04142] [Journal Article/Letter]

2005. "A short γ-ray burst apparently associated with an elliptical galaxy at redshift z = 0225.", Nature, 437 851 [Full Text] [10.1038/nature04142] [Journal Article/Letter]

2005. "Chandra HRC Localization of the Low-Mass X-Ray Binaries X1624-490 and X1702-429: The Infrared Counterparts.", The Astrophysical Journal, 621 393 [Full Text] [10.1086/427407] [Journal Article/Letter]

2005. "Erratum: ``The Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Mission'' (ApJ, 611, 1005 [2004]).", The Astrophysical Journal, 621 558 [Full Text] [10.1086/427409] [Journal Article/Letter]

2005. "A short γ-ray burst apparently associated with an elliptical galaxy at redshift z = 0.225.", Nature, 437 (7060): 851-854 [Full Text] [10.1038/nature04142] [Journal Article/Letter]

2004. "The Long-Term Light Curves of X-Ray Binaries Contain Simultaneous Periodic and Random Components.", The Astrophysical Journal, 612 1006 [Full Text] [10.1086/421078] [Journal Article/Letter]

2004. "The Swift Gamma‐Ray Burst Mission.", The Astrophysical Journal, 611 (2): 1005-1020 [Full Text] [10.1086/422091] [Journal Article/Letter]

2003. "The complete Z-diagram of LMC X-2.", ApJ, 590 1035. [Journal Article/Letter]

2003. "Simultaneous ASCA and Hubble Space Telescope/GHRS Observations of Cygnus X-2/V1341 Cygni.", The Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 115 1124 [Full Text] [10.1086/377089] [Journal Article/Letter]

2002. "Dip spectroscopy of the low mass X-ray binary XB1254-690.", ApJ, 581 1286. [Journal Article/Letter]

2002. "Understanding the LMXB X2127+119 in M 15 I X-ray eclipses and dips.", Astronomy and Astrophysics, v382, p130-140 (2002), 382 130 [Full Text] [10.1051/0004-6361:20011581] [Journal Article/Letter]

2001. "Multiepoch Multiwavelength Spectra and Models for Blazar 3C 279.", ApJ, 553 683 [Journal Article/Letter]

2001. "The Ephemeris and Dipping Spectral Behavior of 4U 1624-49.", The Astrophysical Journal, 550 962 [Full Text] [10.1086/319800] [Journal Article/Letter]

2001. "X-Ray and Ultraviolet Orbital Phase Dependence in LMC X-3.", The Astrophysical Journal, 555 822 [Full Text] [10.1086/321511] [Journal Article/Letter]

2001. "ASCA Observation of MS 1603.6+2600 (=UW Coronae Borealis): A Dipping Low‐Mass X‐Ray Binary in the Outer Halo?.", ApJ, 561 (2): 938-942 [Full Text] [10.1086/323383] [Journal Article/Letter]

2001. "A Second Intense Burst with Photospheric Radius Expansion from X2127+119 in M15.", The Astrophysical Journal, 562 957 [Full Text] [10.1086/323517] [Journal Article/Letter]

2000. "No High Frequency Quasi-Periodic Oscillations from the X-ray Burster 1E1724-3045.", Advances in Space Research, 25 383 [Full Text] [10.1016/S0273-1177(99)00763-2] [Journal Article/Letter]

2000. "LMC X-2: The First Extragalactic Z Source?.", The Astrophysical Journal, 528 702 [Full Text] [10.1086/308193] [Journal Article/Letter]

2000. "The Low-Mass X-Ray Binary X1832-330 in the Globular Cluster NGC 6652: A Serendipitous ASCA Observation.", The Astrophysical Journal, 533 352 [Full Text] [10.1086/308648] [Journal Article/Letter]

2000. "The Reappearance of the Transient Low-Mass X-Ray Binary X1658-298.", The Astrophysical Journal, 534 367 [Full Text] [10.1086/308754] [Journal Article/Letter]

2000. "Canonical Timing and Spectral Behavior of LMC X-3 in the Low/Hard State.", The Astrophysical Journal, 542 L127 [Full Text] [10.1086/312931] [Journal Article/Letter]

1999. "ASCA Observation of the Dipping X-Ray Source XB 1916-053.", ApJ, 520 292. [Journal Article/Letter]

1998. "A Type I burst with radius expansion observed from Cygnus X-2 with RXTE.", ApJL, 498 L141. [Journal Article/Letter]

1997. "Discovery of Kilohertz Quasi-periodic Oscillations from 4U 1820-303 with Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer.", ApJ, 483 L119. [Journal Article/Letter]

1996. "Observations of low mass X-ray binaries.", Cataclysmic Variables and Related Objects, 349 [Article in Book]

1996. "Kilohertz X-ray variability from an accreting neutron star system.", ApJL, 469 L9. [Journal Article/Letter]

1995. "Orbital period changes of Cygnus X-3.", PASJ, 47 233. [Journal Article/Letter]

1994. "Precession and Long-Term Cyclic Behavior.", The Evolution of X-ray Binaries, 525 [Article in Book]

1993. "Resolving the iron K line in Cygnus X-2; an observation with BBXRT.", ApJ, 410 796. [Journal Article/Letter]

1992. "Long-term variability in LMXBs; a study using data from Vela 5B.", ApJ, 395 582. [Journal Article/Letter]

1992. "Ginga observations of the dipping low mass X-ray binaries XB1916-053 and EXO0748-676.", ApJ, 400 330. [Journal Article/Letter]

1991. "A 9.1-hr candidate orbital period in X1556-605.", PASP, 103 636. [Journal Article/Letter]

1991. "A study of the H Alpha line in X1735-444.", ApJ, 383 853. [Journal Article/Letter]

1988. "CAL 83: a 1-day period low mass X-ray binary in the LMC.", MNRAS, 233 51. [Journal Article/Letter]

1988. "X-ray observations of the 50-min dipping source XB1916-053.", M.N.R.A.S., 232 647. [Journal Article/Letter]

1986. "A six-second periodic X-ray source in Carina.", ApJ, 305 814. [Journal Article/Letter]

1984. "A0538-66 during the extended 'off' state; evidence for continuing mass motions.", MNRAS, 210 855. [Journal Article/Letter]

Non-Refereed

2023. "The Compton Spectrometer and Imager.", arXiv e-prints, arXiv:2308.12362 [10.48550/arXiv.2308.12362] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "The cosipy library: COSI's high-level analysis software.", arXiv e-prints, arXiv:2308.11436 [10.48550/arXiv.2308.11436] [Journal Article/Letter]

Missions & Projects