| Chūshirō Hayashi | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 25, 1920 |
| Died | February 28, 2010 (aged 89) Kyoto, Japan |
| Nationality | Japan |
| Fields | astrophysics |
| Institutions | Kyoto University |
| Alma mater | University of Tokyo |
| Influences | Hideki Yukawa |
| Notable awards | Eddington Medal in 1970 Kyoto Prize in 1995 Bruce Medal in 2004 |
Chushiro Hayashi (林 忠四郎 Hayashi Chūshirō, July 25, 1920 – February 28, 2010) was a Japanese astrophysicist. Hayashi tracks on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram are named after him.
He earned his B.Sc in physics at the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1942. He then worked as a research associate under Hideki Yukawa at Kyoto University. He made additions to the big bang nucleosynthesis model that built upon the work of the classic Alpher-Bethe-Gamow paper.[1] Probably his most famous work was the astrophysical calculations that led to the Hayashi tracks of star formation,[2] and the Hayashi limit that puts a limit on star radius. He was also involved in the early study of Brown dwarfs, some of the smallest stars formed.[3] He retired in 1984.
He won the Eddington Medal in 1970, the Kyoto Prize in 1995, and the Bruce Medal in 2004.
Chushiro Hayashi died from pneumonia at a Kyoto hospital on February 28, 2010.[4][5]