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| PRI (MPIfR) 06/2009 (1) | Press Release | June 10, 2009 |
The Marcel Grossmann Meetings on recent developments in theoretical and
experimental general relativity, gravitation, and relativistic field theories
provide an international discussion forum for physicists and astronomers.
Prof. Dr. Michael Kramer, director
at the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR) in Bonn, is one of the
recipients of the prestigious Marcel Grossmann Award which he will receive
for his fundamental contributions to pulsar astrophysics, and notably for
having first confirmed the existence of spin-orbit precession in binary
pulsars. The award will be presented at this year's Marcel Grossmann meeting
in Paris from July 12 to 18.
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Figure 1:
Left: Prof. Michael Kramer; Right: The Effelsberg 100m radio
telescope. The
observations leading to the detection
of the relativistic precession of the PSR B1913+16 pulsar system were
performed with this telescope.
Images: M. Kramer, MPIfR (left), N. Tacken, MPIfR (right)
(Click for higher resolution).
The Marcel Grossmann meetings were founded in 1975 by Remo Ruffini and Abdus Salam with the aim of reviewing developments in gravitation and general relativity with major emphasis on mathematical foundations and physical predictions. They have been organized in order to provide opportunities for discussing recent advances in gravitation, general relativity and relativistic field theories, emphasizing mathematical foundations, physical predictions and experimental tests. The objective of these meetings is to elicit exchange among scientists that may deepen our understanding of spacetime structures as well as to review the status of ongoing experiments aimed at testing Einstein's theory of gravitation either from the ground or from space. They are organized at different locations and take place every three years.
At this years meeting, held from July 12 to 18 in Paris, Prof. Michael Kramer from the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR) will receive the Marcel Grossmann Award for his research work in pulsar astrophysics, notably for the first detection of spin-orbit precession in a binary pulsar.
According to Einstein's General Relativity the rotational axis of a pulsar moving in the gravitational field of a companion continously changes its orientation (geodetic precession). Michael Kramer was able to detect such changes for the first time using Effelsberg radio observations of pulsar PSR B1913+16 (Hulse-Taylor pulsar: Physics Nobel Prize 1993 for Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor for the discovery). In the following years, Michael Kramer as part of an international team of astronomers utilized the newly found double pulsar system, PSR J0737-3039 (Fig. 2), to conduct the so far best tests of Einstein's Theory of Gravity for strong gravitational fields.
Michael Kramer obtained his PhD in 1995 with a study of pulsars and neutron stars at MPIfR. After his time as an MPG Otto-Hahn fellow at Berkeley, he returned to the MPIfR. In autumn 1999, he became a lecturer for Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester. From 2005 he was head of the pulsar group at Jodrell Bank and since 2006 full professor for astrophysics at Manchester University. Since March 2009 he is also director at the MPIfR in Bonn, holding a joint position in Bonn and Manchester. He is responsible for the Effelsberg observatory with the 100-m radio telescope which he used to detect the effects of geodetic precession in PSR B1913+16.
Other laureates of the Marcel Grossmann Award at this year's meeting are Christine Jones and Iaan Einasto (Individual Awards) and the "Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifique" in France (Institutional Award). Laureates from previous years include e.g. John Archibald Wheeler (1988), Stephen Hawking (1991), Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar (1994), Riccardo Giacconi (2000) and Joachim Trümper (2006). "It is a great honor to stand in line with such excellent scientists who have received the Marcel Grossmann Award before", says Michael Kramer.
Figure 2:
Double pulsar system:
The illustration shows two pulsars which orbit the common centre of mass
in only 147 minutes. The system was discovered by
an international
team including Michael Kramer in 2003.
The system provides the best laboratory for strong gravitational fields
presently known.
Image: Michael Kramer
(Click image for higher resolution).
Determination of the Geometry of the PSR B1913+16 System by Geodetic Precession, Michael Kramer, Astrophysical Journal Vol. 509, pp. 856-860 (1998).
Tests of General Relativity from Timing the Double
Pulsar,
Michael Kramer et al., Science Vol. 314, pp. 97-102 (2006).
12th Marcel Grossmann Meeting, Paris July 12-18.
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie (MPIfR) and its Fundamental Physics in Radio Astronomy research group.
Michael Kramer's Homepage at MPIfR.
Jodrell Bank Pulsar Astrophysics.
Large radio telescopes used in this research:
Arecibo,
Effelsberg,
Green Bank,
Jodrell Bank,
Parkes.
Prof. Dr. Michael Kramer,
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn.
Fon: +49-228-525-278
E-mail: mkramer (at)
mpifr.de
Dr. Norbert Wex,
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn.
Fon: +49-228-525-503
E-mail: wex (at)
mpifr.de
Dr. Norbert Junkes,
Public Outreach,
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Bonn.
Fon: +49-228-525-399
E-mail: njunkes (at)
mpifr.de