Roger Blandford
Encyclopedia
Roger David Blandford FRS
is an astronomer
and astrophysicist. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
. He is currently Pehong and Adele Chen director of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
(KIPAC), Professor at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
(SLAC) and Luke Blossom Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University
.
which is a model for the extraction of energy from a black hole. In April 2005 he wrote a letter to the astronomy community showing his concern about the George W. Bush administration
US space science policy.
He is also the chair of Astro2010, the decadal survey that helps define and recommend funding priorities for U.S. astronomy research in the upcoming decade. The Astro2010 was released August 13, 2010.
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
is an 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...
and astrophysicist. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
. He is currently Pehong and Adele Chen director of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
The Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology is an independent laboratory of Stanford University, founded in 2003 by a gift by Fred Kavli and The Kavli Foundation. It is housed on the grounds of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, as well as on the main Stanford campus...
(KIPAC), Professor at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, originally named Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, is a United States Department of Energy National Laboratory operated by Stanford University under the programmatic direction of the U.S...
(SLAC) and Luke Blossom Professor in the School of Humanities and Sciences at 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...
.
Career
He is famous in the astrophysical community for the Blandford-Znajek ProcessBlandford-Znajek process
The Blandford–Znajek process is a mechanism for the extraction of energy from a rotating black hole, discovered by Roger Blandford and Roman Znajek in 1977. It is one of the best explanations for the way quasars are powered. It requires an accretion disc with a strong polar magnetic field around a...
which is a model for the extraction of energy from a black hole. In April 2005 he wrote a letter to the astronomy community showing his concern about the George W. Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
US space science policy.
He is also the chair of Astro2010, the decadal survey that helps define and recommend funding priorities for U.S. astronomy research in the upcoming decade. The Astro2010 was released August 13, 2010.
Awards
- Helen B. Warner Prize for AstronomyHelen B. Warner Prize for AstronomyThe Helen B. Warner Prize for Astronomy is awarded annually by the American Astronomical Society to a young astronomer for a significant contribution to observational or theoretical astronomy....
(1982) - Dannie Heineman Prize for AstrophysicsDannie Heineman Prize for AstrophysicsThe Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics is jointly awarded each year by the American Astronomical Society and American Institute of Physics for outstanding work in astrophysics. It is funded by the Heineman Foundation in honour of Dannie Heineman....
(1998) - Eddington MedalEddington MedalThe Eddington Medal, named after Sir Arthur Eddington, is awarded by the Royal Astronomical Society nominally once every two years for investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics.- Recipients :* 1953 Georges Lemaître...
(1999) - Humboldt PrizeHumboldt PrizeThe Humboldt Prize, also known as the Humboldt Research Award, is an award given by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to internationally renowned scientists and scholars, and is currently valued at € 60,000 with the possibility of further support during the prize winner's life. Up to one...
(2011)
External links
- Prof Roger Blandford, FRS at Debrett's People of Today