Ph.D. Profile: Selina Howalt Owe

I am a PhD student at DTU Space, in the Astrophysics and Atmospheric physics division. I work with development of new detector technology for high energy radiation detection.

The detection of light is essential to understand our Universe. Observatories on Earth and in Space make use of sophisticated instrumentation, designed specifically for the light they examine. Light emitted in the Universe spans the entire electromagnetic spectrum from low energy radio to high energy X- and gamma-rays. X- and gamma-rays are generated in the most energetic phenomena occurring in the Universe, including but not limited to supernovae explosions, relativistic jets from active galactic nuclei, and gamma ray bursts. However, medium-energy X- and gamma-ray astronomy is one of the least explored in the Universe. Instruments observing in this energy range suffer from poor sensitivity. To improve sensitivity of future observatories, new state of the art technology is required. I work with developing new detector technology as a candidate for future Space missions observing the medium energy X- and gamma-ray range, to improve the instrument sensitivity, and answer some of the still unanswered questions of the Universe. Furthermore, we also collaborate with industry, investigating how this Space technology can be used on Earth, for instance in medical applications such as breast cancer screening.