Tom Abel
Encyclopedia
Tom Abel is a cosmologist
who first simulated the collapse
of a metal-free massive star
that belongs to the first generation of stars in the Universe
. This work was done in collaboration with Greg L. Bryan and Michael L. Norman and was published in Science magazine
(2002, 295, 93). He currently works at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
. He received his Doctor of Philosophy
from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
in 2000.
Additionally, he is an Associate Professor of Physics at Stanford University
in Palo Alto, California
and Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics.
His primary interests are:
Physical cosmology
Physical cosmology, as a branch of astronomy, is the study of the largest-scale structures and dynamics of the universe and is concerned with fundamental questions about its formation and evolution. For most of human history, it was a branch of metaphysics and religion...
who first simulated the collapse
Gravitational collapse
Gravitational collapse is the inward fall of a body due to the influence of its own gravity. In any stable body, this gravitational force is counterbalanced by the internal pressure of the body, in the opposite direction to the force of gravity...
of a metal-free massive star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
that belongs to the first generation of stars in the Universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
. This work was done in collaboration with Greg L. Bryan and Michael L. Norman and was published in Science magazine
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
(2002, 295, 93). He currently works at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
The Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology is an independent laboratory of Stanford University, founded in 2003 by a gift by Fred Kavli and The Kavli Foundation. It is housed on the grounds of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, as well as on the main Stanford campus...
. He received his Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich
The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich , commonly known as the University of Munich or LMU, is a university in Munich, Germany...
in 2000.
Additionally, he is an Associate Professor of Physics at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
in Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...
and Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics.
His primary interests are:
- Primordial star formationStar formationStar formation is the process by which dense parts of molecular clouds collapse into a ball of plasma to form a star. As a branch of astronomy star formation includes the study of the interstellar medium and giant molecular clouds as precursors to the star formation process and the study of young...
- Cosmological structure formation and reionizationReionizationIn Big Bang cosmology, reionization is the process that reionized the matter in the universe after the "dark ages," and is the second of two major phase changes of gas in the universe. As the majority of baryonic matter is in the form of hydrogen, reionization usually refers to the reionization of...
- Astrophysical fluid dynamicsFluid dynamicsIn physics, fluid dynamics is a sub-discipline of fluid mechanics that deals with fluid flow—the natural science of fluids in motion. It has several subdisciplines itself, including aerodynamics and hydrodynamics...
- Radiative transferRadiative transferRadiative transfer is the physical phenomenon of energy transfer in the form of electromagnetic radiation. The propagation of radiation through a medium is affected by absorption, emission and scattering processes. The equation of radiative transfer describes these interactions mathematically...