#WebbTelescopeWomen Emily Rickman

Emily Rickman, ESA Research Fellow

What is your role in Webb?

I hunt for planets outside of our Solar System, known as exoplanets, by taking high-contrast images using some of the largest telescopes in the world, and in the future using instruments on Webb. I also work on the commissioning of the NIRSpec spectrograph onboard Webb.

Why are you excited about Webb?

Webb will observe in a wavelength range that is not easily accessible from the ground, which will be vital in looking at the atmospheres of giant exoplanets to provide clues and solve mysteries as to how cold gas giants (like Jupiter) formed and evolved.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Discovering a brown dwarf (an object more massive than a planet, but less massive than a star) through high-contrast imaging. Brown dwarfs can act as analogues to understand the atmospheres of giant planets because they possess similar atmospheric properties. The brown dwarf I directly imaged is only the fourth known brown dwarf of its spectral type with both observations of radial velocities of its host star and relative astrometry from direct imaging, and therefore the true dynamical mass of this brown dwarf is known. This means that it serves as a ‘benchmark’ object in which to compare atmospheric and evolutionary models of brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets in order to better understand these objects. I remember seeing the image of the brown dwarf for the first time and thinking, “no one else on Earth has seen this except me.” It was a strange moment of bliss before sharing it with my collaborators.

Did you have a mentor during your career, and if so, how did they inspire you?

It’s difficult for me to single out one person because I have felt so lucky to have had so many great role models and mentors throughout my career. Looking up to women in science in more senior positions than me definitely made me feel like “if they can do it, then I can do this too.” 

What advice could you offer to young people thinking of pursuing a career in STEM?

Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you don’t belong. There is space for everyone in STEM careers. There are so many interesting career paths in STEM, so find your passion in something that you enjoy and follow it.

The 2021 International Women’s Day theme is “Choose to Challenge”. What are the biggest challenges you’ve fought to overcome in your career?

There have been many moments where I have been the only woman in the room, and felt like I didn’t belong there, or that my opinion wasn’t valued as much as my male peers. Whenever this feeling arises, I swallow it and make sure that my voice is heard. That can be difficult, but it’s getting easier each time.