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].

Contents

[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. George 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

  1. ^ Linda Vu, Spitzer Science Center (3 Oct, 2006) Planets Prefer Safe Neighborhoods retrieved 8 Jan, 2007
  2. ^ Spitzer Space Telescope Image (5 Oct, 2006) retrieved 8 Jan, 2007
  3. ^ Abstract of Paper: Spitzer MIPS 24 μm Detection of Photoevaporating Protoplanetary Disks (Oct, 2006) retrieved 8 Jan, 2007
  4. ^ The University of Arizona Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory (5 Oct, 2006) retrieved 8 Jan, 2007