Benjamin Thomas
Associate Professor, Department of Physics
- benjamin.thomas@njit.edu
- 973-642-4958
- 423E Tiernan Hall (TIER)
About Me
Benjamin Thomas got his Master Degree and PhD at Lyon 1 University, France, in Physics, applied optics and remote sensing. He then did his post-doc at the NOAA CREST laboratory at the New York City College.
Education
Ph.D.; Lyon 1 University; Physics; 2013
M.S.; Lyon 1 University; Physics; 2010
B.S.; Lyon 1 University; Graduate Degree Physics And Chemistry; 2008
B.S.; University of Grenoble; Computational Science; 2005
2026 Fall Courses
PHYS 490 - INDEPENDENT STUDY
PHYS 726 - INDEPENDENT STUDY II
PHYS 790A - DOCT DISSERTATION & RES
PHYS 701C - MASTER'S THESIS
PHYS 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
PHYS 701B - MASTER'S THESIS
PHYS 725 - INDEPENDENT STUDY I
PHYS 700B - MASTER'S PROJECT
PHYS 491 - INDEPENDENT STUDY II
Teaching Interests
B. Thomas has been teaching Physics courses to both undergraduate and graduate students. Courses includes: Electricity and Magnetism, Remote Sensing, Optics, Environmental Science. In addition, he has mentored multiple students, undergraduate to post-doc level.
Past Courses
OPSE 410: BIOPHOTONICS
PHYS 121: PHYSICS II
Research Interests
His research interests focus on applied optics, laser spectroscopy and remote sensing.
Journal Article
Topu Saha, Adrien P Genoud, Gregory Williams, Benjamin P. Thomas. 2023. "Monitoring the abundance of flying insects and atmospheric conditions during a 9‑month campaign using an entomological optical sensor." Scientific Reports, vol. 13.
Adrien P Genoud, Topu Saha, Gregory Williams, Benjamin P. Thomas. 2023. "Insect biomass density: measurement of seasonal and daily variations using an entomological optical sensor." Appl. Phys. B, vol. 129, no. 26.
Roman Basistyy, Adrien Genoud, Benjamin P. Thomas. 2018. "Backscattering properties of topographic targets in the visible, shortwave infrared, and mid-infrared spectral ranges for hard-target lidars." OSA Applied Optics, vol. 57, no. 24.
Adrien Genoud, Roman Basistyy, Gregory Willians, Benjamin P. Thomas. 2018. "Optical remote sensing for monitoring flying mosquitoes, gender identification and discussion on species identification." Applied Physics B, vol. 124.
Adrian Diaz, Benjamin P. Thomas, Paulo Castillo, Barry Gross, Fred Moshary. 2016. "Active standoff detection of CH4 and N2O leaks using hard-target backscattered light using an open-path quantum cascade laser sensor." Applied Physics B, vol. 122, no. 5, pp. 121.
M Dagan, Benjamin P. Thomas, I Sydoryk, S Paredes, B Gross, F Moshary. 2016. "Implementation of Micropulse Lidar at 4.5 $μ$m and 1.5 $μ$m for Aerosol and Cloud Study." .
Grégory David, Benjamin P. Thomas, Yoan Dupart, Barbara D’Anna, Christian George, Alain Miffre, Patrick Rairoux. 2014. "UV polarization lidar for remote sensing new particles formation in the atmosphere." Optics express, vol. 22, no. 103, pp. A1009–A1022.
Grégory David, Benjamin P. Thomas, Elodie Coillet, Alain Miffre, Patrick Rairoux. 2013. "Polarization-resolved exact light backscattering by an ensemble of particles in air." Optics express, vol. 21, no. 16, pp. 18624–18639.
Benjamin P. Thomas, Grégory David, Christophe Anselmo, Jean-Pierre Cariou, Alain Miffre, Patrick Rairoux. 2013. "Remote sensing of atmospheric gases with optical correlation spectroscopy and Lidar: first experimental results on water vapor profile measurements." Applied Physics B, vol. 113, no. 2, pp. 265–275.
G David, Benjamin P. Thomas, T Nousiainen, A Miffre, P Rairoux. 2013. "Retrieving simulated volcanic, desert dust and sea-salt particle properties from two/three-component particle mixtures using UV-VIS polarization lidar and T matrix." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, vol. 13, no. 14, pp. 6757–6776.
A Miffre, G David, Benjamin P. Thomas, M Abou Chacra, P Rairoux. 2012. "Interpretation of accurate UV polarization lidar measurements: Application to volcanic ash number concentration retrieval." Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 558–568.
Yoan Dupart, Stephanie M King, Bettina Nekat, Andreas Nowak, Alfred Wiedensohler, Hartmut Herrmann, Gregory David, Benjamin P. Thomas, Alain Miffre, Patrick Rairoux, others. 2012. "Mineral dust photochemistry induces nucleation events in the presence of SO2." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 109, no. 51, pp. 20842–20847.
Benjamin P. Thomas, A Miffre, G David, J-P Cariou, P Rairoux. 2012. "Remote sensing of trace gases with optical correlation spectroscopy and lidar: theoretical and numerical approach." Applied Physics B, vol. 108, no. 3, pp. 689–702.
Grégory David, Alain Miffre, Benjamin P. Thomas, Patrick Rairoux. 2012. "Sensitive and accurate dual-wavelength UV-VIS polarization detector for optical remote sensing of tropospheric aerosols." Applied Physics B, vol. 108, no. 1, pp. 197–216.
Alain Miffre, Gregory David, Benjamin P. Thomas, Patrick Rairoux, AM Fjaeraa, NI Kristiansen, A Stohl. 2012. "Volcanic aerosol optical properties and phase partitioning behavior after long-range advection characterized by UV-Lidar measurements." Atmospheric environment, vol. 48, pp. 76–84.
Alain Miffre, Grégory David, Benjamin P. Thomas, Patrick Rairoux. 2011. "Atmospheric non-spherical particles optical properties from UV-polarization lidar and scattering matrix." Geophysical Research Letters, vol. 38, no. 16.
A Miffre, G David, Benjamin P. Thomas, P Rairoux. 2011. "UV-depolarization Lidar remote sensing experiment analysis using scattering matrix formalism." Atti della Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti-Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Naturali, vol. 89, no. S1.
Alain Miffre, Grégory David, Benjamin P. Thomas, Patrick Rairoux. 2010. "Characterization of Iceland volcanic aerosols by UV-polarization lidar at Lyon, SW Europe." SPIE Proceedings, Lidar Technologies, Techniques, and Measurements for Atmospheric Remote Sensing VI, vol. 7832, pp. 78320Q.
Conference Proceeding
"Active standoff mixing-ratio measurements of N2O from topographic targets using an openpath quantum cascade laser system"
SPIE Conference Proceedings, October (4th Quarter/Autumn), 2018.
SPIE Conference Proceedings, October (4th Quarter/Autumn), 2018.
"Analysis of predictor variables for mosquito species identification from dual-wavelength polarizationsensitive lidar measurements"
SPIE Conference Proceedings, October (4th Quarter/Autumn), 2018.
SPIE Conference Proceedings, October (4th Quarter/Autumn), 2018.
"Remote characterization of flying mosquitoes using an infrared Lidar system"
Bulletin of the American Physical Society, November, 2017.
Bulletin of the American Physical Society, November, 2017.
"Implementation Of Micropulse Lidar at 4.5 $μ$m and 1.5 $μ$m for Aerosol and Cloud Study"
2016.
2016.
"Remote Sensing of Greenhouse Gases by Combining Lidar and Optical Correlation Spectroscopy"
2016.
2016.
"Active stand-off detection of gas leaks using an open-path quantum cascade laser sensor in a backscatter configuration"
2015.
2015.
"Open-path quantum cascade laser-based system for simultaneous remote sensing of methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor using chirped-pulse differential optical absorption spectroscopy"
2015.
2015.
"Mineral dust photochemistry induces nucleation events in the presence of SO2"
2012.
2012.
"Remote sensing of atmospheric compounds using backscattered light from nanosecond and femtosecond laser light"
2012.
2012.
"Remote Sensing of Methane Gas Concentration by Optical Correlation Spectroscopy Lidar"
2011.
2011.
Other
"Télédétection de gaz traces atmosphériques par spectroscopie optique de corrélation et lidar"
Lyon 1, 2013.
Lyon 1, 2013.