Nicholas B. Suntzeff
Encyclopedia
Nicholas B. Suntzeff holds the Mitchell
/Heep/Munnerlyn
Chair of Astronomy in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Texas A&M University
and is Director of the Astronomy Program. He is an observational astronomer
specializing in cosmology
, supernova
e, stellar populations, and astronomical instrumentation. With Brian Schmidt
he founded the High-z Supernova Search Team
, which was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics
in 2011 to Schmidt
and Adam Riess
.
and Redwood High School in Larkspur, California
. He received his B.S. with distinction in mathematics
from Stanford University
in 1974 and his Ph.D.
in astronomy
& astrophysics
from the University of California, Santa Cruz
and Lick Observatory
in 1980.
at CTIO used the newly-developed cryogenic CCD
cameras to produce the first modern light curve of a supernova. The fundamental calibration for distances to Type Ia supernova
e was invented by the Calán/Tololo Supernova Survey, founded by Mario Hamuy
, Jose Maza, Mark M. Phillips
, and Suntzeff. The Survey, formed after discussions at the Santa Cruz meeting on supernovae and the encouragement by Allan R. Sandage to use Type Ia supernovae to measure the Hubble constant H0 and the deceleration parameter q0, ran from 1990–95, and provided the pioneering method to measure precision distances to external galaxies, leading to a precise value of the Hubble constant.
Continuing the work of the Calán/Tololo Survey
, Suntzeff with Brian P. Schmidt
co-founded the High-z Supernova Search Team
in 1994 that used observations of extragalactic supernovae to discover the accelerating universe
. This universal acceleration
implies the existence of dark energy
consistent with the cosmological constant
of Einstein's theory of General Relativity
, and was voted the top science breakthrough of 1998 by Science magazine.
Prior to 2006, he was the Associate Director of Science at the US National Optical Astronomy Observatory
, and Astronomer at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
. From 1982-1986 he was a Carnegie/Las Campanas
Fellow at the Mount Wilson
& Las Campanas Observator
ies, now called the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science
. In 2010, he was elected Vice President of the American Astronomical Society
. He has been awarded a 2010 Jefferson Senior Science Fellowship of the National Academy of Sciences
to work at the US Department of State where he is a Humanitarian Affairs Officer in the Bureau of Human Rights of the Office of International Organization Affairs.
. The Evdokimov factory in Izhevsk began in the 1860s by Andrian Nikandrovich Evdokimov (1844–1917), and by 1890, was manufacturing Mosin–Nagant rifles. They continued production until the Russian Civil War
in 1917. These rifles were used during the Revolution and WWI, and were retooled for use during WWII, especially by the Finnish Army
.
Although not supporters of the White cause, for their safety the family of Matvei fled east with Admiral Kolchak, the White Army, and the Czech Legion
when the Whites captured Perm
in 1918. Matvei died at Manchurian Station (Manzhouli
) near Chita. His only child, Nicholai Matveevich (1918–1995) continued with Matvei's wife Zoya Vasilevna Suntzeva (1897–1976), with the Suntzeff family to Harbin
China and then to the San Francisco in 1928. Nicholai assumed the last name of his mother and immigrated into the US as Nicholas Matveevich Suntzeff. The Suntzeff family, prominent merchants from the Ural
region, came from Motovilikha (now part of Perm
, Russia) and have ancestry in the Udmurt people
.
George P. Mitchell
George Phydias Mitchell is an American businessman, real estate developer and philanthropist from Texas.-Biography:He was born to Greek immigrant parents in the port city of Galveston, Texas. Mitchell earned a degree from Texas A&M University with an emphasis in geology and petroleum engineering...
/Heep/Munnerlyn
Charles Munnerlyn
Dr. Charles Munnerlyn is an American optical engineer. He constructed the first working excimer laser system for vision correction in 1985, and also developed the Munnerlyn Formula that dictates the amount of corneal tissue to be removed by the laser to correct vision disorders such as myopia and...
Chair of Astronomy in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
and is Director of the Astronomy Program. He is an observational astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
specializing in cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
, supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
e, stellar populations, and astronomical instrumentation. With Brian Schmidt
Brian P. Schmidt
Brian P. Schmidt is a Distinguished Professor, Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and astrophysicist at the Australian National University Mount Stromlo Observatory and Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is widely known for his research in using supernovae as Cosmological...
he founded the High-z Supernova Search Team
High-z Supernova Search Team
The High-z Supernova Search Team was an international cosmology collaboration which used Type Ia Supernovae to chart the expansion of the Universe. The team was formed in 1994 by Brian P. Schmidt, then a post-doctoral research associate at Harvard University, and Nicholas B. Suntzeff, a staff...
, which was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
in 2011 to Schmidt
Brian P. Schmidt
Brian P. Schmidt is a Distinguished Professor, Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and astrophysicist at the Australian National University Mount Stromlo Observatory and Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is widely known for his research in using supernovae as Cosmological...
and Adam Riess
Adam Riess
Adam Guy Riess is an American astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute and is widely known for his research in using supernovae as Cosmological Probes. Riess shared both the 2006 Shaw Prize in Astronomy and the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics with Saul...
.
Education
Suntzeff graduated from Neil Cummins Elementary School in Corte Madera, CaliforniaCorte Madera, California
Corte Madera is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States. Corte Madera is located south of San Rafael, at an elevation of 39 feet . The population was 9,253 at the 2010 census...
and Redwood High School in Larkspur, California
Larkspur, California
Larkspur is a city in Marin County, California, United States. Larkspur is located south of San Rafael, at an elevation of . As of the 2010 Census, the city's population was 11,926. Larkspur is located north of San Francisco near Mount Tamalpais. Larkspur's Police Department is shared with that...
. He received his B.S. with distinction in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in 1974 and his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
& astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
from the University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
and Lick Observatory
Lick Observatory
The Lick Observatory is an astronomical observatory, owned and operated by the University of California. It is situated on the summit of Mount Hamilton, in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose, California, USA...
in 1980.
Work
In 1986, Suntzeff working with Mark M. PhillipsMark M. Phillips
Mark M. Phillips is internationally recognized astronomer in the observational studies of all classes of supernovae. He is well known for his work on SN1986G, SN1987A, the Calán/Tololo Supernova Survey, the High-Z Supernova Search Team, and especially for the Phillips relationship...
at CTIO used the newly-developed cryogenic CCD
Charge-coupled device
A charge-coupled device is a device for the movement of electrical charge, usually from within the device to an area where the charge can be manipulated, for example conversion into a digital value. This is achieved by "shifting" the signals between stages within the device one at a time...
cameras to produce the first modern light curve of a supernova. The fundamental calibration for distances to Type Ia supernova
Type Ia supernova
A Type Ia supernova is a sub-category of supernovae, which in turn are a sub-category of cataclysmic variable stars, that results from the violent explosion of a white dwarf star. A white dwarf is the remnant of a star that has completed its normal life cycle and has ceased nuclear fusion...
e was invented by the Calán/Tololo Supernova Survey, founded by Mario Hamuy
Mario Hamuy
Mario Hamuy is a Chilean Astronomer and Professor of Astronomy at the University of Chile and Cerro Calan Observatory. He is well known for his observational work on all classes of supernovae, especially the use of Type Ia and Type II supernovae as measures of cosmic distance. He was a student in...
, Jose Maza, Mark M. Phillips
Mark M. Phillips
Mark M. Phillips is internationally recognized astronomer in the observational studies of all classes of supernovae. He is well known for his work on SN1986G, SN1987A, the Calán/Tololo Supernova Survey, the High-Z Supernova Search Team, and especially for the Phillips relationship...
, and Suntzeff. The Survey, formed after discussions at the Santa Cruz meeting on supernovae and the encouragement by Allan R. Sandage to use Type Ia supernovae to measure the Hubble constant H0 and the deceleration parameter q0, ran from 1990–95, and provided the pioneering method to measure precision distances to external galaxies, leading to a precise value of the Hubble constant.
Continuing the work of the Calán/Tololo Survey
Calán/Tololo Survey
The Calán/Tololo Supernova Survey was a supernova survey that ran from 1989-1995 at the University of Chile and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory to measure a Hubble diagram out to reshifts of 0.1. It was founded by Mario Hamuy, Jose Maza, Mark M. Phillips, and Nicholas B...
, Suntzeff with Brian P. Schmidt
Brian Schmidt
Brian L. Schmidt is a music composer for various video games and pinball games. He began in the video game music and sound industry in 1987 as a composer/sound designer and programmer for Williams Electronic Games in Chicago writing music and creating sound effects for pinball machines and coin...
co-founded the High-z Supernova Search Team
High-z Supernova Search Team
The High-z Supernova Search Team was an international cosmology collaboration which used Type Ia Supernovae to chart the expansion of the Universe. The team was formed in 1994 by Brian P. Schmidt, then a post-doctoral research associate at Harvard University, and Nicholas B. Suntzeff, a staff...
in 1994 that used observations of extragalactic supernovae to discover the accelerating universe
Accelerating universe
The accelerating universe is the observation that the universe appears to be expanding at an increasing rate, which in formal terms means that the cosmic scale factor a has a positive second derivative, implying that the velocity at which a given galaxy is receding from us should be continually...
. This universal acceleration
Accelerating universe
The accelerating universe is the observation that the universe appears to be expanding at an increasing rate, which in formal terms means that the cosmic scale factor a has a positive second derivative, implying that the velocity at which a given galaxy is receding from us should be continually...
implies the existence of dark energy
Dark energy
In physical cosmology, astronomy and celestial mechanics, dark energy is a hypothetical form of energy that permeates all of space and tends to accelerate the expansion of the universe. Dark energy is the most accepted theory to explain recent observations that the universe appears to be expanding...
consistent with the cosmological constant
Cosmological constant
In physical cosmology, the cosmological constant was proposed by Albert Einstein as a modification of his original theory of general relativity to achieve a stationary universe...
of Einstein's theory of General 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...
, and was voted the top science breakthrough of 1998 by Science magazine.
Prior to 2006, he was the Associate Director of Science at the US National Optical Astronomy Observatory
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
The National Optical Astronomy Observatory is the United States national observatory for ground based nighttime ultraviolet-optical-infrared astronomy. The National Science Foundation funds NOAO to provide forefront astronomical research facilities for US astronomers...
, and Astronomer at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
The Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory is a complex of astronomical telescopes and instruments located at 30.169 S, 70.804 W, approximately 80 km to the East of La Serena, Chile at an altitude of 2200 metres. The complex is part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory along with Kitt...
. From 1982-1986 he was a Carnegie/Las Campanas
Las Campanas Observatory
Las Campanas Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Carnegie Institution for Science It was established in 1969 and remains the primary observing site of that institution. The headquarters is located in La Serena, Chile and the observatory is in the southern Atacama...
Fellow at the Mount Wilson
Mount Wilson
Mount Wilson can refer to several things:* Mount Wilson ** Mount Wilson Observatory* Mount Wilson, New South Wales, a mountain with a small hamlet in Australia* One of a list of peaks named Mount Wilson...
& Las Campanas Observator
Las Campanas Observatory
Las Campanas Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Carnegie Institution for Science It was established in 1969 and remains the primary observing site of that institution. The headquarters is located in La Serena, Chile and the observatory is in the southern Atacama...
ies, now called the Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science
Carnegie Institution for Science
The Carnegie Institution for Science is an organization in the United States established to support scientific research....
. In 2010, he was elected Vice President 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 has been awarded a 2010 Jefferson Senior Science Fellowship of the National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
to work at the US Department of State where he is a Humanitarian Affairs Officer in the Bureau of Human Rights of the Office of International Organization Affairs.
Honors and awards
- Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Chapter, Stanford UniversityStanford UniversityThe Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, 1974 - Robert J. Trumpler AwardRobert J. Trumpler AwardThe Robert J. Trumpler Award of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific is given annually to a recent recipient of the Ph.D degree whose thesis is judged particularly significant to astronomy. The award is named after Robert Julius Trumpler, a notable Swiss-American astronomer .-Previous award...
for the outstanding Ph.D. in astronomy in North America in 1983 - Carnegie FellowshipCarnegie Institution for ScienceThe Carnegie Institution for Science is an organization in the United States established to support scientific research....
, Mt. Wilson Observatory, 1983 - AURAAssociation of Universities for Research in AstronomyThe Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy is a consortium of universities and other institutions that operates astronomical observatories and telescopes...
Science Award, personally in 1992 and with the CTIO Supernova Team in 1998 - MitchellGeorge P. MitchellGeorge Phydias Mitchell is an American businessman, real estate developer and philanthropist from Texas.-Biography:He was born to Greek immigrant parents in the port city of Galveston, Texas. Mitchell earned a degree from Texas A&M University with an emphasis in geology and petroleum engineering...
/Heep/MunnerlynCharles MunnerlynDr. Charles Munnerlyn is an American optical engineer. He constructed the first working excimer laser system for vision correction in 1985, and also developed the Munnerlyn Formula that dictates the amount of corneal tissue to be removed by the laser to correct vision disorders such as myopia and...
Endowed Chair in Observational Astronomy, Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, 2006 - Gruber Cosmology PrizeGruber Prize in CosmologyThe Gruber Prize in Cosmology is one of five international awards made by The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation, an American non-profit organization based in the U.S. Virgin Islands with offices in New York City...
with the High-z Supernova Search Team in 2007
Ancestry and personal life
He is a native of San Francisco, CA and Corte Madera, CA. He is the paternal grandson of Matvei Adrianovich Evdokimov (1887–1920), one of the principal private arms manufacturers in czarist Russia, located in IzhevskIzhevsk
Izhevsk is the capital city of the Udmurt Republic, Russia, situated on the Izh River in the Western Urals. Population: From 1984 to 1987 Izhevsk carried the name Ustinov |Minister of Defense of the USSR]], Marshal of the Soviet Union, Dmitry Ustinov). The city is an important industrial center,...
. The Evdokimov factory in Izhevsk began in the 1860s by Andrian Nikandrovich Evdokimov (1844–1917), and by 1890, was manufacturing Mosin–Nagant rifles. They continued production until the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
in 1917. These rifles were used during the Revolution and WWI, and were retooled for use during WWII, especially by the Finnish Army
Finnish Army
The Finnish Army is the land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces.Today's Army is divided into six branches: the infantry , field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, engineers, signals, and materiel troops.-History of the Finnish Army:Between 1809 and 1917 Finland was an autonomous part of...
.
Although not supporters of the White cause, for their safety the family of Matvei fled east with Admiral Kolchak, the White Army, and the Czech Legion
Czechoslovak Legions
The Czechoslovak Legions were volunteer armed forces composed predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting together with the Entente powers during World War I...
when the Whites captured Perm
Perm
Perm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
in 1918. Matvei died at Manchurian Station (Manzhouli
Manzhouli
- Administration :Manzhouli is divided into ten subdistricts and one town. Six of the subdistricts of Manzhouli are grouped into a district. Technically however, only a prefecture-level city can have districts, so Manzhouli's lone district is not officially listed.- History :In ancient times the...
) near Chita. His only child, Nicholai Matveevich (1918–1995) continued with Matvei's wife Zoya Vasilevna Suntzeva (1897–1976), with the Suntzeff family to Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
China and then to the San Francisco in 1928. Nicholai assumed the last name of his mother and immigrated into the US as Nicholas Matveevich Suntzeff. The Suntzeff family, prominent merchants from the Ural
Ural (region)
Ural is a geographical region located around the Ural Mountains, between the East European and West Siberian plains. It extends approximately from north to south, from the Arctic Ocean to the bend of Ural River near Orsk city. The boundary between Europe and Asia runs along the eastern side of...
region, came from Motovilikha (now part of Perm
Perm
Perm is a city and the administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia, located on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. From 1940 to 1957 it was named Molotov ....
, Russia) and have ancestry in the Udmurt people
Udmurt people
The Udmurts are a people who speak the Udmurt language. Through history they have been known in Russian as Chud Otyatskaya , Otyaks, or Votyaks , and in Tatar as Ar....
.