Pinchen Fan

I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Penn State University. My pronouns are she/her/hers.

Currently, I work on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). I am the Science PI of a $480k NASA XRP award (2025-2027) that funds the search for narrowband radio and infrared laser technosignatures from planet-hosting stars. I use the Allen Telescope Array to search for radio technosignatures and use M-dwarf spectra taken by the Habitable-zone Planet Finder (HPF) on the 10-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope to search for laser technosignatures. I also work on several projects aimed at investigating how to look for Earth-level technosignatures.

Before coming to Penn State, I received my undergraduate degree in physics with a minor in math at Carleton College in 2022. I worked on gravitational-wave (GW) research at Carleton and the MIT LIGO Lab. I used LIGO GW data to measure the speed of GWs and test general relativity. I also worked on several projects that used statistical methods and machine learning to improve LIGO detector sensitivity in real-time.

My main research interests are SETI, biosignature detection, exoplanet detection and characterization, and gravitational waves. Besides research, I also lead and participate in many outreach/service activities, such as chairing a conference for early-career SETI researchers (including securing $110k of funding) and serving on various committees to make the field of astronomy better. In my free time, I do astrophotography with my PTO (Pinchen’s Tiny Observatory).