Media

Winner of Shaw Prize in Astronomy Lecture at HKU on "Chaos in the Solar System"

11 Sep 2007

 

Professor Peter Goldreich, winner of the Shaw Prize in Astronomy, will deliver the Shaw Prize Lecture entitled "Three Easy Pieces: Examples of Chaos in the Solar System" tomorrow at The University of Hong Kong (HKU).  He will explain the origin of chaos and the role it plays in unpredictable orbits, in climate variations on Mars, and in the transport of meteorites from the asteroid belt to Earth. His presentation will include movies, demonstrations, and meteorites. 

HKU Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui and Dean of Science Professor Sun Kwok will give welcome addresses, in the presence of students, teachers and various guests. 

Media representatives are cordially invited to attend, details of the lecture are:
Date:       12 Sept 2007 (Wed)
Time:      11am - 12.30pm
Venue:      Wang GungWu Lecture Hall, Graduate House, HKU

The Shaw Prize is an international award and was established in 2004.   The Shaw Prize in Astronomy for 2007 will be awarded to Professor Peter Goldreich in recognition of his lifetime achievements in theoretical astrophysics and planetary sciences.  The variety, depth and breadth of his most important contributions are staggering: the effects of orbital resonances in the solar system, planetary rings, and extrasolar planets; the importance of swing amplification in the explanations of the origin of spiral structure in disk galaxies; the mechanisms by which interstellar masers are produced and can be diagnosed; the electrodynamics of pulsars; the character of the astrophysical turbulence that arises in helioseismology and interstellar scintillation; and the role of the Galilean satellite Io as a source of low-frequency radio bursts from the planet Jupiter. Goldreich is universally regarded as one of the most influential and admired theorists in modern astronomy; indeed, the quality of his work, insights, and accomplishments set the gold standard for the field.
 

Professor Goldreich is currently a Professor of the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton and the Lee A DuBridge Professor of Astrophysics and Planetary Physics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He became emeritus professor at Caltech in 2003.

For media enquires, please contact Cherry Cheung, Senior Manager (Media), HKU (tel: 2859 2606 email: cherry.cheung@hku.hk ) or Denise Wong, Manager (Media), HKU. (tel:2859 2600 , email: denise.wong@hku.hk)