Dr. Takiwaki and Dr. Hada received the ASJ Young Astronomer Awards 2016
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Dr. Tomoya Takiwaki and Dr. Kazuhiro Hada received the ASJ Young Astronomer Awards 2016 (Note 1). Dr. Takiwaki is an assistant professor (Note 2) in the Division of Theoretical Astronomy, NAOJ and Dr. Hada is an assistant professor (Note 2) at NAOJ Mizusawa VLBI Observatory.
Dr. Takiwaki’s Recognized Research
The theme of Dr. Takiwaki’s recognized research is “theoretical research on the mechanism of core-collapse supernova explosions using massively-parallelized three-dimensional simulations.”
The core-collapse supernova explosion that occurs at the end of the evolution of a massive star is still not fully understood. The mechanism by which the gravitational collapse results in the supernova explosion has not been fully elucidated yet.
Dr. Takiwaki successfully developed a calculation method for three-dimensional numerical simulations. He performed the simulations with large-scale computers and reproduced the physical processes from the gravitational collapse occurring in the nucleus of the star to the beginning of the explosion. To simulate this, it was important to make the interior structure of the star spatially asymmetric. Furthermore, through the simulations he discovered a new explosion mechanism caused by the rotation of a massive star.
In the future, he will improve the calculation method invented by him. It is expected that comparing observational results with long time-scale three-dimensional calculations using next-generation computers will advance our understanding of supernova explosions and will lead to great progress in clarifying massive object explosion phenomena.
Dr.Hada’s Recognized Research
The theme of Dr. Hada’s recognized research is “observational research on super massive black hole jet production, convergence, and acceleration regions with high resolution VLBI.” Jet radiation from an active galactic nucleus black hole is a massive astronomical phenomenon extending greatly beyond the size of a galaxy. Using Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), Dr. Hada performed detailed observations on the black hole jet in galaxy M87. In particular, he succeeded in observing the black hole jet of galaxy M87 with the highest resolution. Furthermore, he measured the precise position of the root of the jet, and elucidated the relationship between the position of the black hole and the structure of the jet seen in electromagnetic waves. He could also surmise its acceleration mechanism from detailed observations of the jet structure.
The detailed observation of galaxy M87 black hole, performed as part of the supermassive black hole direct observation project using VLBI submillimeter wavelengths, will begin soon. These results will greatly contribute to the detailed observations of the black hole.
This award ceremony took place during the spring 2016 meeting of the Astronomical Society of Japan.
(Note 1) The ASJ Young Astronomer Award is an award by the Astronomical Society of Japan, founded in 1988, to honor young astronomers who produce excellent research results.Back
(Note 2) Affiliated assistant professor at the Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Department of Astronomical Science Back