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Heino Falcke

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Heino Falcke
Falcke in 2011
Born (1966-09-26) 26 September 1966 (age 58)
Cologne, Germany
Occupation(s)professor of radio astronomy and astroparticle physics
AwardsSpinoza Prize (2011)
Henry Draper Medal (2021)
Academic background
Alma materUniversity of Cologne, University of Bonn (MSc, PhD, Dr. habil.)
Academic work
InstitutionsRadboud University Nijmegen
Websitewww.heinofalcke.org

Heino Falcke (Cologne, 26 September 1966) is a German professor of radio astronomy and astroparticle physics at the Radboud University Nijmegen (Netherlands).[1] His main field of study is black holes, and he is the originator of the concept of the 'black hole shadow'.[2] In 2019, Falcke announced the first Event Horizon Telescope results at the EHT Press Conference in Brussels.[3]

Career

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Falcke studied physics at the University of Cologne from 1986 to 1987, and then at the University of Bonn from 1987 where he graduated with a Diploma (equivalent to a master's degree) in Physics in 1992. He subsequently obtained a PhD degree in Astronomy summa cum laude in 1994 from the University of Bonn.[1][4]

Falcke subsequently worked as a scientist for the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn (1995–1995), the University of Maryland (1995–1997), and the University of Arizona (1999).[1] He was conferred a Habilitation by the University of Bonn in 2000.[5] From 2000 to 2003, he was a staff scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn.[6][7]

In 2003, Falcke became adjunct professor of Radio Astronomy and Astroparticle physics at Radboud University Nijmegen. He also started working for ASTRON, the radio astronomy institute of the Netherlands. In 2007, he became a full professor at Nijmegen.[1]

Research

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Falcke is involved in theoretical astronomy as well as observational and experimental studies.[8] Falcke was one of the leading forces behind the radio telescope LOFAR.[1][9] Apart from his work with LOFAR, he was also involved in the development of the Square Kilometre Array.[8]

In 2000 he predicted it would be possible to make measurements near the edge of a black hole. Four years later, his team managed to do that.[8]

In 2013, Falcke, together with Luciano Rezzolla of the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics proposed that blitzars could be an explanation for fast radio bursts.[10] Blitzars would occur when a supramassive rotating neutron star slows down enough, loses its magnetic field, and then turns into a black hole.[11][12]

Falcke predicted that near the edges of a black hole, there would be a 'black hole shadow' that could be detected by a radio telescope.[2][9] This shadow was eventually observed with the Event Horizon Telescope. On 10 April 2019, the project announced that they created an image of the black hole at the centre of M87 (M87*).[13] On 12 May 2022 followed the image of the central black hole in the Milky Way (Sagittarius A*).[14][15]

Falcke wishes to place a radio telescope on the Moon and has worked with NASA and European Space Agency researchers to devise a plan to make this happen.[16]

Awards

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Book

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In 2020, Falcke co-published together with Jörg Römer the popular science book Licht im Dunkeln: Schwarze Löcher, das Universum und wir. In English, it has been translated as Light in the Darkness – Black Holes, the Universe and Us.[37] The book also has translations in German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian and Finnish.

Personal life

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Falcke is a devout Christian and serves as lay pastor in the Protestant Church in Germany.[38][39] He views his faith as a way of achieving internal rest, as well as a motivation to conduct science.[38]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Prof. H.D.E. (Heino) Falcke". Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. 26 August 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  2. ^ a b Falcke, Heino; Melia, Fulvio; Agol, Eric (1 January 2000). "Viewing the Shadow of the Black Hole at the Galactic Center". The Astrophysical Journal. 528 (1): L13–L16. arXiv:astro-ph/9912263. Bibcode:2000ApJ...528L..13F. doi:10.1086/312423. PMID 10587484. S2CID 119433133.
  3. ^ "Media Advisory: First Results from the Event Horizon Telescope to be Presented on April 10th". April 2019.
  4. ^ Falcke, Heino. Hungernde Löcher und aktive Kerne: die zentrale Maschine in galaktischen Zentren (Thesis).
  5. ^ Heino Falcke – Curriculum Vitae – website of Academia Europaea
  6. ^ "Heino Falcke is a theoretical astrophysicist and radio astronomer". 30 September 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Academy of Europe: Falcke Heino". www.ae-info.org. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "Heino Falcke kijkt verder dan de horizon van het zwarte gat" (in Dutch). Radboud University Nijmegen. Retrieved 26 July 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ a b c d e "Heino Falcke receives highest Dutch scientific award" (in Dutch). ASTRON. 7 June 2011. Archived from the original on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  10. ^ Govert Schilling (4 July 2013). "Mystery radio bursts blamed on black hole 'blitzars'". New Scientist. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Afscheidsgroet van een stervende ster" (in Dutch). Radboud University Nijmegen. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  12. ^ John Timmer (8 July 2013). "Possible explanation for radio bursts: Meet the "blitzar"". Ars Technica (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  13. ^ "First ever black hole image released". BBC News. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  14. ^ Hensley, Kerry (12 May 2022). "First Image of the Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole". AAS Nova. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  15. ^ Collaboration, Event Horizon Telescope; Akiyama, Kazunori; Alberdi, Antxon; Alef, Walter; Algaba, Juan Carlos; Anantua, Richard; Asada, Keiichi; Azulay, Rebecca; Bach, Uwe; Baczko, Anne-Kathrin; Ball, David; Baloković, Mislav; Barrett, John; Bauböck, Michi; Benson, Bradford A. (May 2022). "First Sagittarius A* Event Horizon Telescope Results. III. Imaging of the Galactic Center Supermassive Black Hole". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 930 (2): L14. arXiv:2311.09479. Bibcode:2022ApJ...930L..14E. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ac6429. ISSN 2041-8205.
  16. ^ Jester, Sebastian; Falcke, Heino (May 2009). "Science with a lunar low-frequency array: from the dark ages of the Universe to nearby exoplanets". New Astronomy Reviews. 53 (1–2): 1–26. arXiv:0902.0493. Bibcode:2009NewAR..53....1J. doi:10.1016/j.newar.2009.02.001.
  17. ^ "Recipients of the Ludwig Biermann Award". Astronomische Gesellschaft. Retrieved 26 July 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  18. ^ "Leibniztag der Berlin-Brandenburgischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 5. und 6. Mai 2006". www.bbaw.de. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Akademiepreis 2006" (in German). Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Archived from the original on 20 April 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  20. ^ "Drie prestigieuze Europese onderzoeksbeurzen voor Nederlands-Vlaamse astronomen". www.astronomie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  21. ^ redacteuren, een onzer (6 June 2011). "Dit zijn de winnaars van de Spinozapremies". NRC (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  22. ^ "Spinozapremie voor Nijmeegse astronoom Falcke". www.astronomie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  23. ^ "NWO Spinoza Prize 2011". Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research. 26 August 2014. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  24. ^ "ERC Synergy Grant voor astronomen op zoek naar waarnemingshorizon van zwart gat". www.astronomie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  25. ^ "Heino Falcke". Academia Europaea. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019.
  26. ^ "Heino Falcke". Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020.
  27. ^ "Small-Body Database Lookup". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  28. ^ "Amerikaanse Academie van Wetenschappen onderscheidt Heino Falcke en Sheperd Doeleman met Henry Draper-medaille". www.astronomie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  29. ^ "2021 NAS Awards Recipients Announced". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  30. ^ "Heino Falcke ontvangt Amaldi Medal 2021". www.astronomie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  31. ^ "The Amaldi medal". SIGRAV. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  32. ^ "Astronomers receive ERC Synergy Grant to make colour movies of black holes and build new telescope in Africa". www.astronomie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  33. ^ "British awards for Nijmegen black hole researchers". www.astronomie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  34. ^ Simion @Yonescat, Florin. "Royal Astronomical Society unveils 2023 award winners". The Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  35. ^ "Heino Falcke receives Balzan Prize for high-resolution images of black holes". www.astronomie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  36. ^ "Heino Falcke: 2023 Balzan Prize for High resolution images". Fondazione Internazionale Premio Balzan. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  37. ^ Falcke, Heino; Römer, Jörg (2021). Light in the darkness: black holes, the universe, and us. The international bestseller. London: Wildfire. ISBN 978-1-4722-7449-6.
  38. ^ a b Ellen Nieuwenhuijze (15 March 2013). "Wetenschap beantwoordt niet alles". Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  39. ^ "Predigerinnen und Prediger". Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Frechen (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2023.
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