Zoltan Balog
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Zoltán Balog, PhD (b. 1972 Szolnok, Hungary - ) is an astronomer with the Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona. In 2006, Dr. Balog's team was the first to observe the complete process of photoevaporation of protoplanetary disks[1].
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[edit] Observations
Balog's team was the first to observe protoplanetary disk photoevaporation and the resulting dust tail[2] using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The resulting paper was published in Astrophysical Journal.[3] Balog's collaborators and co-authors are astronomers James Muzerolle, Erick T. Young, George Rieke and Kate Su[4], all of the University of Arizona at Tucson.
Balog is a member of the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) Guaranteed Time Oberservation (GTO) team lead by Dr. Geroge Rieke.
[edit] Photoevaporation
- see main article Photo evaporation
- Photoevaporation results when an extremely large star's radiation energy evaporates and literally blows away a protoplanetary disk (a mass concentration of gas and dust) in a process similar to that which forms a comet's tail. This process may explain why solar systems which have strayed too close to very large stars are often planetless.
[edit] Publications
He earned his PhD in Physics in 2005 from the University of Szeged, Hungary. An updated bibliography may be found here [1]
[edit] References
- ^ Linda Vu, Spitzer Science Center (3 Oct, 2006) Planets Prefer Safe Neighborhoods retrieved 8 Jan, 2007
- ^ Spitzer Space Telescope Image (5 Oct, 2006) retrieved 8 Jan, 2007
- ^ Abstract of Paper: Spitzer MIPS 24 μm Detection of Photoevaporating Protoplanetary Disks (Oct, 2006) retrieved 8 Jan, 2007
- ^ The University of Arizona Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory (5 Oct, 2006) retrieved 8 Jan, 2007
