The IAU PhD Prize recognises the outstanding scientific achievement in astronomy by PhD students around the world. There are a series of awards, one for each of the IAU’s nine Divisions, with each division selecting a winner in its own field of astronomy.

The IAU Executive Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the IAU PhD Prize for 2017 which are as follows:

• Division A Fundamental Astronomy: Gisela Ortiz Leon, Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, Mexico, Ultra-high precision astrometry with centimeter and millimeter very long baseline interferometry.
• Division B Facilities, Technologies and Data Science: Barak Zackay, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, Statistical and algorithmic techniques in observational astronomy.
• Division C Education, Outreach and Heritage: None (No candidates)
• Division D High Energy Phenomena and Fundamental Physics: Guillaume Voisin, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, Simulation of pulsar magnetospheres: detailed study of some radiative mechanisms.
• Division E Sun and Heliosphere: Christopher Moore, University of Colorado, Boulder, The Solar Corona viewed through the MinXSS (Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer) CubeSats.
• Division F Planetary Systems and Bioastronomy: Megan Ansdell, University of Hawaii, Protoplanetary disk demographics with ALMA.
• Division G Stars and Stellar Physics: Gaël Buldgen, University of Liège, Belgium, Development of inversion techniques in Asteroseismology.
• Division H Interstellar Matter and Local Universe: Georgia Virginia Panopoulou, University of Crete, Structure and evolution of magnetic molecular clouds, observational consequences and tests.
• Division J Galaxies and Cosmology: Max Gronke, Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, Oslo, Lyman alpha observables of the high-redshift Universe.
• Non-OECD: Siyao Xu, (Division H), Peking University, Study on Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and its astrophysical application.

84 candidates submitted their PhD theses by the 15 December deadline and most of them were judged excellent by the evaluation panel of the relevant Division, making the selection particularly hard.

Each recipient receives airfare, registration fee and accommodation to attend the next IAU General Assembly, to be held between 20 and 31 August 2018 in Vienna, Austria, where the Prize Certificates will be awarded. The winners will also have the opportunity to present their research work in one of the sessions of the General Assembly.

The IAU congratulates all these winners, wishes them every success in their future careers, and looks forward to another set of high-quality applications for next year’s award. The 2018 round is open for submissions until 15 December 2018; the next set of winners will be announced in spring 2019 and they will have the opportunity to attend the XXXIth General Assembly in Busan in 2021.

More Information

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 10 000 professional astronomers from almost 100 countries. Its mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers.

Links

• PhD Prize to Recognise Excellence in Astrophysics webpage
• Application form
• Official announcement about the IAU PhD Prize

Contacts

Lars Lindberg Christensen
IAU Press Officer
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 320 06 761
Cell: +49 173 38 72 621
Email: lars@eso.org