Rory Barnes
Papers
2
Total Citations
9
H-Index
2
About
Rory Barnes is an astronomer and instrument builder whose work focuses on the detection and characterization of exoplanets, particularly low-mass planets orbiting nearby stars. His key research areas include high-resolution spectroscopy, precision radial velocity measurements, and the development of next-generation spectrographs for exoplanet surveys. Barnes has made major contributions to the field by designing and building two critical instruments: the Florida IR Silicon immersion grating spectromeTer (FIRST), a cryogenic near-infrared spectrograph achieving R=72,000 at 1.4–1.8 μm, and the TOU optical spectrograph, a compact, robotic instrument delivering R=100,000 resolution across 0.38–0.9 μm. The TOU instrument, deployed at Fairborn Observatory’s 2-meter Automatic Spectroscopy Telescope, demonstrated exceptional on-sky Doppler performance during its pilot survey of 12 bright FGK dwarfs, enabling the detection of low-mass planets. While his most-cited papers have accumulated 6 and 3 citations respectively, Barnes’s work represents foundational engineering and observational advances that underpin ongoing planet searches. His achievements highlight the critical role of innovative instrumentation in pushing the boundaries of exoplanet science, particularly for finding Earth-like worlds around M dwarfs.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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