Casey DeRoo studies the UV/X-ray sky and the instrumentation needed to make effective astronomical measurements at these wavelengths. His research focuses on the fabrication, characterization, and use of diffraction gratings in spectrometers and on thin, high performance mirrors for high energy telescopes. For his work developing freeform grating patterns on curved surfaces, Prof. DeRoo was named a Nancy Grace Roman Technology Fellow by NASA’s Astrophysics Division in 2021.

Research interests

• High energy astrophysics
• Astronomical instrumentation

Research

• X-ray spectroscopy of supernova remnants
• Instrument design / raytracing for sounding rockets, CubeSats, Explorer, and flagship missions
• X-ray grating fabrication and testing
• Grazing incidence mirrors
• Identification of unusual astronomical sources using machine learning
• Students interact with collaborators at NASA, Harvard-Smithsonian, and other institutions around the world.

Teaching interests

• Introductory astronomy
• Professional development for graduate students