Holy Cross Professor and Physics Department Chair Discusses His Road to Astrophysics

In an interview for Worcester Telegram & Gazette's "Sunday Sitdown," Tomohiko Narita, associate professor and chair of the physics department at the College of the Holy Cross, answered questions about his current work with semiconductor radiation detectors, his journey to a career in astrophysics, and SpaceX's new launches. According to Narita his work in semiconductor radiation detectors fascinates him because "it's the science at the intersection of astronomy, Einstein's theories and high-energy physics."

Narita discovered his passion for astrophysics during his graduate studies after his first project, a neutrino detector, experienced structural issues and "sank to the bottom of the ocean." SpaceX's recent space launch of a Tesla Roadster and their aspirations for a mission to Mars were also a discussion topic, and when asked whether he would like to be on SpaceX's mission to Mars, Narita said, "Maybe, when I wore a younger man’s clothes."

Read the full Q&A at the Telegram & Gazette.