Nicolas Thomas

Nicolas Thomas. He is a prominent planetary scientist known for his extensive research on the surfaces and atmospheres of Solar System bodies, particularly comets and asteroids. His work has been integral to several major space missions, including the European Space Agency's Rosetta (spacecraft) and NASA's OSIRIS-REx. Thomas leads the Planetary Imaging Group at the University of Bern in Switzerland and has authored numerous influential studies in the field of cometary science.

Early life and education

Details regarding his early life are not widely published. He pursued his higher education in France, earning a degree from the University of Paris-Sud. He later completed his doctorate at the University of Grenoble, where his research focused on the physical properties of small bodies within our planetary neighborhood. His academic training provided a strong foundation in physics and astronomy, setting the stage for his subsequent career in observational and experimental planetary science.

Career

Following his doctoral studies, Thomas held research positions at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany and the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado. He joined the faculty of the University of Bern in 2004, where he is a professor and leads a research group specializing in the imaging and spectral analysis of planetary surfaces. His career has been closely tied to instrument development and data analysis for interplanetary spacecraft, collaborating extensively with agencies like the European Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center.

Research and contributions

Thomas's research has significantly advanced the understanding of cometary activity and surface processes. He was a Co-Investigator on the OSIRIS camera system aboard the Rosetta (spacecraft), which conducted the first long-term study of a comet, 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. His analysis of Rosetta data provided key insights into cometary nucleus structure, outgassing jets, and the composition of cometary dust. He also contributed to the NASA mission OSIRIS-REx, which successfully collected a sample from the asteroid 101955 Bennu. His work involves interpreting data from instruments like the Visible and Infrared Spectrometer to map surface properties and understand the geological history of these primitive bodies.

Awards and honors

In recognition of his contributions to planetary science, Thomas was awarded the Jean Dominique Cassini Medal by the European Geosciences Union in 2016. He has been an invited speaker at major conferences including the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting and the European Planetary Science Congress. His research publications appear in leading journals such as *Science*, *Nature*, and Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Personal life

He maintains a relatively private personal life. He is based in Bern, Switzerland, where he continues his academic and research work at the University of Bern. Outside of his professional endeavors, he is known to be an advocate for scientific outreach, often participating in public lectures and events to share discoveries from landmark missions like Rosetta (spacecraft) and OSIRIS-REx with a broader audience.

Category:Planetary scientists Category:University of Bern faculty Category:Living people