Professor of Physics and Department Chair, Open University, England.
Research Group: Astronomy
Temas de Investigación : Academic interests :
Astrophysics of neutron stars
Passively cooled infrared space telescopes
The teaching of and public understanding of physics and astronomy
The management of science in the UK
Research interests :
Including the following topics:
High Energy Theory
Laser Spectroscopy
Nuclear Physics
Solid State Physics
Theoretical Quantum Physics
Some Important Contributions :
Discovered the first four pulsars. Using a radio telescope that she helped build as part of her Ph.D. dissertation, Bell (later Burnell) detected a rapid set of pulses occurring at regular intervals. She determined that the position of the unusual radio source remained fixed with respect to the stars, which meant that it was located beyond the solar system. During the course of the next few months, she discovered 3 more pulsating radio sources (or pulsars). These pulsars were later found to be rapidly rotating neutron stars.
Research at several wavelengths (gamma ray, very short radio, infrared, X-ray) and on many astrophysical topics.
Although Burnell shared the prestigious Michelson Award with her former graduate advisor Hewish in 1973, the Nobel Committee the following year did not acknowledge her role in the discovery of pulsars when it awarded Sir Martin Ryle and Anthony Hewish the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics "for their pioneering research in radio astrophysics. Ryle for his observations and inventions... and Hewish for his decisive role in the discovery of pulsars".
Many distinguished astronomers including Sir Frederick Hoyle, Thomas Gold, and Jeremiah Ostriker have expressed the view that Burnell should have been awarded the Nobel Prize with Hewish and Ryle.
Main interest : the astrophysics of neutron stars.
Premios y distincciones : Michelson Medal, Franklin Institute, Philadelphia 1973
J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Prize, Center for Theoretical Studies, Miami 1978
Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize, American Astronomical Society 1987
Herschel Medal, Royal Astronomical Society, London 1989
Fellow, Institute of Physics
Jansky Award, National Radio Astronomy Observatory 1995
Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for her services to astronomy 1999
Honorary D.Univ., York University 1994
Selección de Publicaciones : "Observation of a Rapidly Pulsating Radio Source," Nature 217: 709 (1968), with A. Hewish, J.D.H. Pilkington, P.F. Scott, and R.A. Collins.
"Observations of Some Further Pulsed Radio Source," Nature 218: 126 (1968), with J.D.H. Pilkington, A. Hewish, and T.W. Cole.
Editor, Next Generation Infrared Space Observatory. Kluwer, 1992, with J.K. Davies and R.S. Stobie.
"Simultaneous millimetre and radio observations of Cygnus X-3 in quiescent radio state," Monthly Notices of Royal Astronomical Society 274: 633 (1995), with R.P. Fender, S.T. Garrington, R.E. Spencer, and G.G. Pooley.
"Flaring and quiescent infrared behaviour of Cygnus X-3," Monthly Notices of Royal Astronomical Society 283: 798 (1996), with R.P. Fender, P.M. Williams, and A.S. Webster.
"Comments on the superluminal motion in Cygnus X-3," Monthly Notices of Royal Astronomical Society 285: 187 (1997), with R.N. Ogley and S.J. Newell.
BELL BURNELL, JOCELYN 