Andrew Lyne
Encyclopedia
Andrew G. Lyne FRS is a British
physicist
. Lyne is Langworthy Professor of Physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester
, as well as an ex-director of the Jodrell Bank Observatory. Despite retiring in 2007 he remains an active researcher within the Jodrell Bank Pulsar Group. Professor Lyne was educated at The Portsmouth Grammar School
, and at St. John's College
at the University of Cambridge
(natural sciences), continuing to the University of Manchester
for a PhD in Radio Astronomy. Lyne writes that he is "mostly interested in finding and understanding radio pulsars in all their various forms and with their various companions. Presently, I am most occupied with the development of new multibeam search systems at Jodrell and Parkes, in order to probe deeper into the Galaxy, particularly for millisecond pulsar
s, young pulsars and any that might be in binary
systems."
's motion around the Sun
from their analysis, and, when the calculations were redone correctly, the pulse variations that led to their conclusions disappeared, and that there was in fact no planet around PSR 1829-10
. When Lyne announced the retraction of his results at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society
, he received a standing ovation from his scientific colleagues for having the intellectual integrity and the courage to admit this error publicly.
s. Lyne's colleague Richard Manchester called the PSR J0737-3039
system a "fantastic natural laboratory" for studying specialized effects of the General Theory of Relativity
.
Other recent work that Prof. Lyne has undertaken includes research on the globular cluster at 47 Tucanae, whose dense stellar population acts as a nursery for millisecond and binary pulsars.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
. Lyne is Langworthy Professor of Physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester
School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester
The School of Physics and Astronomy, formed by the merger of the Departments of Physics at the Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST in 2004 when the universities merged to form the University of Manchester, is one of the largest and most active physics departments in the United Kingdom and...
, as well as an ex-director of the Jodrell Bank Observatory. Despite retiring in 2007 he remains an active researcher within the Jodrell Bank Pulsar Group. Professor Lyne was educated at The Portsmouth Grammar School
The Portsmouth Grammar School
The Portsmouth Grammar School was founded in 1732, and is located in the historic part of the city. It is one of the top Public schools in the UK consistently ranking highly in national reviews of teaching quality and examination results.-History:...
, and at St. John's College
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
(natural sciences), continuing to the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
for a PhD in Radio Astronomy. Lyne writes that he is "mostly interested in finding and understanding radio pulsars in all their various forms and with their various companions. Presently, I am most occupied with the development of new multibeam search systems at Jodrell and Parkes, in order to probe deeper into the Galaxy, particularly for millisecond pulsar
Pulsar
A pulsar is a highly magnetized, rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation. The radiation can only be observed when the beam of emission is pointing towards the Earth. This is called the lighthouse effect and gives rise to the pulsed nature that gives pulsars their name...
s, young pulsars and any that might be in binary
Binary star
A binary star is a star system consisting of two stars orbiting around their common center of mass. The brighter star is called the primary and the other is its companion star, comes, or secondary...
systems."
Pulsar Planet?
Andrew Lyne and Matthew Bailes thought that they had made a remarkable discovery in 1991, when they reported that they had discovered a pulsar orbited by a planetary companion; this would have been the first planet detected around another star. However, after this was announced, the group went back and checked their work, and found that they had not properly removed the effects of the EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
's motion around the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
from their analysis, and, when the calculations were redone correctly, the pulse variations that led to their conclusions disappeared, and that there was in fact no planet around PSR 1829-10
PSR 1829-10
PSR B1829-10 is a pulsar that is approximately 30,000 light-years away in the constellation of Scutum. This pulsar has been the target of interest, because of a mistaken identification of a planet around it. Andrew G...
. When Lyne announced the retraction of his results at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society
American Astronomical Society
The American Astronomical Society is an American society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC...
, he received a standing ovation from his scientific colleagues for having the intellectual integrity and the courage to admit this error publicly.
Double Pulsar
No retraction was necessary in 2003, when Lyne and his team discovered the first binary system found in which both components were pulsed neutron starNeutron star
A neutron star is a type of stellar remnant that can result from the gravitational collapse of a massive star during a Type II, Type Ib or Type Ic supernova event. Such stars are composed almost entirely of neutrons, which are subatomic particles without electrical charge and with a slightly larger...
s. Lyne's colleague Richard Manchester called the PSR J0737-3039
PSR J0737-3039
|- style="vertical-align: top;"| Distance | 1600 - 2000 Ly PSR J0737-3039 is currently the only known double pulsar, it consists of two neutron stars emitting electromagnetic waves in the radio wavelength in a relativistic binary system. The two Pulsars are known as PSR J0737-3039A and PSR...
system a "fantastic natural laboratory" for studying specialized effects of the General Theory of Relativity
General relativity
General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...
.
Other recent work that Prof. Lyne has undertaken includes research on the globular cluster at 47 Tucanae, whose dense stellar population acts as a nursery for millisecond and binary pulsars.
In popular culture
The American band Neutrino wrote and recorded a song named for Lyne, and included it on their 1998 album Improved Hearing Through Amplification.See also
- Pulsar planetPulsar planetPulsar planets are planets that are found orbiting pulsars, or rapidly rotating neutron stars. The first such planet to be discovered was around a millisecond pulsar and was the first extrasolar planet to be confirmed as discovered.-Pulsar planets:...
s - Hypothetical planetHypothetical planetA hypothetical Solar System object is a planet, natural satellite or similar body in our Solar System whose existence is not known, but has been inferred from observational scientific evidence. Over the years a number of hypothetical planets have been proposed, and many have been disproved...