1. Life
Sandra Faber's life has been marked by a dedicated pursuit of scientific understanding, from her early academic endeavors to her personal commitments.
1.1. Early life and education
Sandra Moore Faber was born on December 28, 1944, in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. She attended Swarthmore College, where she pursued a major in physics and minored in mathematics and astronomy, earning her bachelor's degree in 1966. She then continued her academic journey at Harvard University, where she completed her PhD in 1972. Her doctoral research focused on Optical Observational Astronomy, conducted under the guidance of I. John Danziger. During this period, the only observatory accessible to her for her experimental work was the Kitt Peak National Observatory. However, the technology available at Kitt Peak was not sufficiently advanced to meet the complex requirements of her thesis, posing a significant challenge to her early research.
1.2. Personal life
On June 9, 1967, Sandra Faber married Andrew Leigh Faber, who was also a physics major at Swarthmore College, one year her junior. Together, they have two daughters, Robin and Holly.
2. Career and Research
Sandra Faber's professional career has been defined by groundbreaking research in astrophysics, her instrumental role in the development of major scientific observatories, and her leadership in significant collaborative projects.
2.1. Entry into astronomy and early research
In 1972, immediately after completing her PhD, Sandra Faber joined the faculty of the Lick Observatory at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her appointment marked a significant milestone as she became the first woman to join the staff at the observatory. This early period of her career laid the foundation for her future contributions to astronomy.
2.2. Major research achievements
Sandra Faber has made several pivotal scientific discoveries and theoretical contributions that have profoundly advanced the understanding of the universe.
2.2.1. Faber-Jackson relation
In 1976, Sandra Faber, in collaboration with graduate student Robert Jackson, observed a fundamental relationship between the brightness and spectra of galaxies and the orbital speeds and motions of the stars within them. This discovery led to the formulation of the Faber-Jackson relation, which states that the absolute luminosity of an elliptical galaxy is proportional to the fourth power of the velocity dispersion of the stars within it. This law became a crucial tool for estimating the distances to galaxies and understanding their dynamics.
2.2.2. Dark matter research
Three years after the Faber-Jackson relation, in 1979, Faber and her collaborator John S. Gallagher published a comprehensive paper that synthesized all existing evidence for the existence of dark matter. Building on this, in 1983, Faber published original research proposing that dark matter was not composed of fast-moving neutrinos, a concept known as "hot dark matter." Instead, she hypothesized that dark matter was likely made up of slow-moving particles yet to be discovered, a theory she termed "cold dark matter." This work was crucial in shaping the modern understanding of the composition of the universe.
2.2.3. Galaxy formation and evolution theory
Around 1984, Sandra Faber collaborated with Joel Primack, George Blumenthal, and Martin Rees to develop a groundbreaking theory explaining the role of dark matter in galaxy formation and evolution. This collaboration resulted in the first comprehensive proposal detailing how galaxies formed and evolved from the Big Bang to the present day. Although some specific details of their initial model have since been refined, the fundamental framework of their paper continues to serve as the prevailing paradigm for understanding large-scale structure formation in the universe. During this research, Faber and her collaborators also identified and studied high-speed galaxy flows.
2.3. Participation in large telescope and instrument development
Faber has played an instrumental role in the design, construction, and implementation of major astronomical facilities and instruments, significantly enhancing observational capabilities.
2.3.1. W. M. Keck Observatory
In 1985, Sandra Faber became deeply involved in the construction of the Keck telescopes in Hawaii. While UC Berkeley physicist Jerry Nelson was responsible for the telescope's design, Faber was instrumental in promoting the concept of large optical telescopes globally. The Keck telescope, which features a novel 33 ft (10 m) primary mirror composed of 36 hexagonal segments, is one of the largest optical telescopes in the world. Faber co-chaired the Science Steering Committee, which was responsible for overseeing the selection of the first-light instruments for Keck I. She consistently advocated for maintaining high optical quality for the primary mirror of Keck I and continued her involvement with the development of Keck II. She also led the development of the DEIMOS (Deep Imaging Multi-Object Spectrograph) instrument for the Keck telescopes, which is crucial for obtaining spectra of cosmologically distant galaxies and requires a 12 in (30 cm) aperture. In 1996, the addition of a new optical spectrograph to the Keck II telescope, which Faber was involved with, significantly increased its power for observing distant galaxies by 13-fold.
2.3.2. Hubble Space Telescope
Sandra Faber played a critical role in the Hubble Space Telescope project, particularly with its Wide Field Planetary Camera. In 1990, she assisted with the on-orbit commissioning of this camera. This period was one of the most exhilarating and widely recognized phases of her career. When the Hubble's optics were discovered to be flawed, Faber and her team were crucial in diagnosing the problem as spherical aberration, a finding that was essential for the subsequent repair mission.
2.4. Major projects and collaborations
Faber has been a key participant in several significant collaborative research initiatives and large-scale astronomical surveys that have advanced the field.
2.4.1. Seven Samurai project
During the late 1980s, Sandra Faber was involved in an eight-year collaborative project known as the "Seven Samurai". This initiative aimed to catalogue the size and orbital speeds of 400 galaxies. Although the initial goal of cataloguing all 400 galaxies was not fully achieved, the group developed a highly reliable method for estimating the distance to any galaxy. This method became one of the most trusted ways to measure the total density of the universe.
2.4.2. Nuker Team
Faber served as the principal investigator of the Nuker Team, a significant project that utilized the Hubble Space Telescope. The team's primary objective was to search for supermassive black holes located at the centers of galaxies, contributing vital insights into galactic structure and evolution.
2.4.3. CANDELS project
One of her more recent major collaborations includes the CANDELS (Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey) project. This initiative represents the largest survey of the universe ever undertaken by the Hubble Space Telescope, providing unprecedented data for studying galaxy evolution.
2.5. Leadership and academic activities
Beyond her research, Sandra Faber has held significant leadership positions and contributed extensively to academic publishing. In 1995, she was appointed University Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). On August 1, 2012, she assumed the role of Interim Director of the University of California Observatories. From 2012 to 2021, Faber served as a co-editor of the Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics alongside Ewine van Dishoeck. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Annual Reviews.
Faber's involvement in major astronomical projects has sometimes placed her at the center of broader discussions within the scientific community. In 2016, an email from Faber was leaked concerning the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project in Hawaii. The project faced significant protests from Native Hawaiians who considered the proposed construction site on Mauna Kea to be sacred ground, leading to road blockades. Faber's email, which touched upon the safety of staff during the protests, was criticized by some as racially insensitive, sparking debate about the intersection of scientific development, indigenous rights, and social responsibility.
3. Writings and Publications
Sandra Faber's scientific work and influence are reflected in her numerous publications and editorial roles.
- Faber, Sandra. (1995) Die bibliographischen Hilfsmittel des HBZ: Vorstellung, Probleme und Ergebnisse bei der kooperativen Katalogerstellung (PhD thesis, University of Cologne).
- Faber, S. M. (1996). The design and assembly of camera lens cells for fluid couplants using elastomeric lens mounts. Lick Observatory technical reports, Vol. 79. Santa Cruz, CA: Lick Observatory.
- Hawking, Stephen; Faber, Sandra. (2000) Stephen Hawking's Universum / 4, Der Joker: Dunkle Materie / unter Mitarb. von Sandra Faber. Karlsruhe: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Library.
- Faber, S. (1995, July 12). Autobiographical Sketch: Sandra M Faber.
4. Honors and Awards
Sandra Faber has received numerous honors, awards, fellowships, and honorary degrees throughout her distinguished career, recognizing her significant scientific achievements and impact.
- 1977: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship
- 1978: Bart J. Bok Prize, Harvard University
- 1985: Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
- 1985: Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics
- 1986: Honorary Degree, Swarthmore College
- 1989: Elected member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 1993: NASA Group Achievement Award
- 1996-1997: Antoinette de Vaucouleurs Lectureship and Medal, University of Texas
- 1997: Honorary Degree, Williams College
- 2001: Elected to the American Philosophical Society
- 2005: Medaille de l'Institute d'Astrophysique de Paris
- 2006: Harvard Centennial Medal
- 2006: Member, Harvard Board of Overseers
- 2006: Honorary Degree, University of Chicago
- 2009: Bower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science, Franklin Institute
- 2010: Honorary Degree, University of Pennsylvania
- 2011: Honorary Degree, University of Michigan
- 2011: Henry Norris Russell Lectureship, American Astronomical Society
- 2012: Bruce Medal, Astronomical Society of the Pacific
- 2012: Karl Schwarzschild Medal, German Astronomical Society
- 2012: National Medal of Science
- 2017: Gruber Prize in Cosmology
- 2017: Clarivate Analytics Citation Laureate Award
- 2018: Magellanic Premium Medal, American Philosophical Society
- 2020: Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society
- 2020: Elected a Legacy Fellow of the American Astronomical Society
- Member, Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Institution for Science
- Minor planet #283277 Faber is named for her.