Orfeu Bertolami
Encyclopedia
Orfeu Bertolami is a theoretical physicist
who works in problems of astrophysics
, cosmology
, general relativity
and quantum gravity
. He worked at Instituto Superior Técnico
in Lisbon
, Portugal
from 1991 to 2010. He is currently professor at Departamento de Física e Astronomia of the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto.
He is the author of a book to raise the awareness of the public on science about the history of ideas in astronomy, cosmology and theories of gravity (in Portuguese) and of a technical text on the aspects of gravity and propulsion in space published by the European Space Agency:
In particular, Bertolami studied the cosmological constant problem and its connection with the equivalence principle, the generalized Chaplygin gas model of unification of Dark Energy
(to explain the cosmic acceleration) and Dark Matter
(to explain the flattening of the rotation curves of galaxies) and some Modified models of gravity
with non-minimal coupling between curvature and matter. He has also worked on the Pioneer Anomaly
, which was shown to be most likely due to
on-board thermal effects and reflection of the generated radiation.
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
who works in problems of astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
, cosmology
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
, general relativity
General relativity
General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...
and quantum gravity
Quantum gravity
Quantum gravity is the field of theoretical physics which attempts to develop scientific models that unify quantum mechanics with general relativity...
. He worked at Instituto Superior Técnico
Instituto Superior Técnico
Instituto Superior Técnico is a reputed school of engineering, part of Universidade Técnica de Lisboa . IST is the largest and the most prestigious school of engineering in Portugal...
in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
from 1991 to 2010. He is currently professor at Departamento de Física e Astronomia of the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto.
He is the author of a book to raise the awareness of the public on science about the history of ideas in astronomy, cosmology and theories of gravity (in Portuguese) and of a technical text on the aspects of gravity and propulsion in space published by the European Space Agency:
- O Livro das Escolhas Cósmicas, Editora Gradiva 2006
- Gravity Control and Possible Influence on Space Propulsion: A Scientific Study, European Space Agency 2002
In particular, Bertolami studied the cosmological constant problem and its connection with the equivalence principle, the generalized Chaplygin gas model of unification of Dark Energy
Dark energy
In physical cosmology, astronomy and celestial mechanics, dark energy is a hypothetical form of energy that permeates all of space and tends to accelerate the expansion of the universe. Dark energy is the most accepted theory to explain recent observations that the universe appears to be expanding...
(to explain the cosmic acceleration) and Dark Matter
Dark matter
In astronomy and cosmology, dark matter is matter that neither emits nor scatters light or other electromagnetic radiation, and so cannot be directly detected via optical or radio astronomy...
(to explain the flattening of the rotation curves of galaxies) and some Modified models of gravity
Modified models of gravity
The existence of anomalous astrophysical and cosmological phenomena like the cosmic acceleration and the dynamics of clusters of galaxies and gas in galaxies themselves recentlyboosted the growth of several long-range modifications of the usual laws of gravitation...
with non-minimal coupling between curvature and matter. He has also worked on the Pioneer Anomaly
Pioneer anomaly
The Pioneer anomaly or Pioneer effect is the observed deviation from predicted accelerations of the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 spacecraft after they passed about on their trajectories out of the Solar System....
, which was shown to be most likely due to
on-board thermal effects and reflection of the generated radiation.
External links
- University personal webpage
- Publications according to the Stanford University High Energy Physics Database
- Contributors to Physical cosmology