Manfred Cuntz

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Manfred Cuntz (* 1958 in Landau in the Palatinate ) is a German astrophysicist . He is a professor of physics at the US -Hochschule University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). His research interests include stellar astrophysics, astrobiology, and extrasolar planets, and also includes earth-like planets on which life could be possible.

Life

Manfred Cuntz comes from an agricultural and wine-growing business and spent the first part of his life in the Palatinate . He attended the Eduard-Spranger-Gymnasium in Landau, which he graduated with the Abitur.

After studying astronomy and physics at Heidelberg University , which he completed in 1988 with a dissertation on stellar atmospheric heating and stellar winds , Cuntz continued his scientific work in the USA. He initially conducted research at the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA), University of Colorado and at the High Altitude Observatory (HAO), National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). His main area of ​​work during these years was the study of stellar envelopes, taking into account theoretical model calculations and observation data, in particular results obtained with the help of the International Ultraviolet Explorer and the Hubble Space Telescope .

In the meantime he did a research stay at the University of Utrecht . He was also awarded his habilitation (including the Venia legendi in astronomy) from the University of Heidelberg . He then worked at the University of Alabama in Huntsville , where he dealt, among other things, with questions of solar physics and planet-star interactions and also worked with members of the local NASA Marshall Space Flight Center .

In 2000, Cuntz went to the University of Texas at Arlington as a visiting professor . In 2006 he was appointed Associate Professor (with tenure ) and in 2012 Professor. In the two decades after 2000 he turned increasingly to the exploration of extrasolar planets and also dealt with the question of the probability and possible distribution of extraterrestrial life forms. This also includes studies of stellar habitable zones and binary star systems.

A new kind of result was obtained for Gliese 581 . Together with colleagues from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), namely W. von Bloh, S. Franck and C. Bounama, Cuntz demonstrated that Gliese 581 d , a super earth , is the first planet (if finally confirmed) outside the solar system , which is located in a habitable zone, a result that was published at the same time by a team headed by F. Selsis ( ENS Lyon ).

He is also particularly interested in stars that are cooler than the sun, but have a significantly longer lifespan (also called Orange Dwarfs ). Cuntz also deals with extrasolar comets .

Holdings

Cuntz is a member of scientific associations such as the American Astronomical Society , The New York Academy of Sciences, the Astronomical Society and the German Physical Society .

Another focus is public relations. So he was z. B. Principal Investigator of the development of several shows at the UTA planetarium . Two of these shows deal with the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), the construction of which is based on a partnership between NASA and the German Aerospace Center . Cuntz was also a participant in the SOFIA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador Program (Flight 2017-09-26 UT). Another area of ​​interest for Cuntz is fake news in science. He is also a member of the editorial board of Astronomische Nachrichten magazine .

Others

A publication by Cuntz about possible Earth-like planets in the star system 55 Cancri served Kenneth E. Ingle as the inspiration for the science fiction novel First Contact: Escape to 55 Cancri.

In addition, Cuntz dealt with modern sagas (English Urban Legends ). Messages from Cuntz were received by Rolf Wilhelm Brednich , at the time Professor of Folklore / European Ethnology, University of Göttingen .

Publications

Books

  • Practical Universe: Observations, Experiments, Exercises (with N. Veerabathina, L. Gurdemir, J. Davis) . Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, Dubuque, Iowa, USA 2016, ISBN 978-1-5249-2331-0 .

Article (selection)

  • Can Planets Exist in the Habitable Zone of 55 Cancri? (2019) (with S. Satyal).
  • S-type and P-type Habitability in Stellar Binary Systems: A Comprehensive Approach. III. Results for Mars, Earth, and super-Earth Planets (2019) (with Zh. Wang).
  • Exocomets in the 47 UMa System: Theoretical Simulations Including Water Transport (2018) (with B. Loibnegger, R. Dvorak).
  • Case Studies of Exocomets in the System of HD 10180 (2017) (with B. Loibnegger, R. Dvorak).
  • The Secret Lives of Cepheids: Delta Cep, the Prototype of a New Class of X-ray Variables (2017) (with SG Engle, et al. ).
  • About Exobiology: The Case for Dwarf K Stars (2016) (with EF Guinan).
  • Fractal and Multifractal Analysis of the Rise of Oxygen in Earth's Early Atmosphere (2015) (with S. Kumar, ZE Musielak).
  • The Great Oxidation of Earth's Atmosphere: Contesting the Yoyo Model via Transition Stability Analysis (2009) (with D. Roy, ZE Musielak).
  • A Method for the Treatment of Supergranulation Advection by Giant Cells (2009) (with PE Williams).
  • The Habitability of super-Earths in Gliese 581 (2007) (with W. von Bloh, C. Bounama, S. Franck).
  • Acoustic Heating of the Solar Chromosphere: Present Indeed and Locally Dominant (2007) (with W. Rammacher, ZE Musielak).
  • A New Version of Reimers' Law of Mass Loss Based on a Physical Approach (2005) (with K.-P. Schröder).
  • On the Possibility of Earth-type Habitable Planets in the 55 Cancri System (2003) (with W. von Bloh, C. Bounama, S. Franck).
  • Orbital Stability of Terrestrial Planets inside the Habitable Zones of Extrasolar Planetary Systems (2002) (with M. Noble, ZE Musielak).
  • On Stellar Activity Enhancement Due to Interactions with Extrasolar Giant Planets (2000) (with SH Saar, ZE Musielak).
  • A Generalized Version of the Rankine-Hugoniot Relations Including Ionization, Dissociation and Related Phenomena (1993) (with H. Nieuwenhuijzen, C. de Jager, A. Lobel, L. Achmad).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Dissertation Abstract, published by Publ. Astr. Soc. Pacific, vol. 101, p. 560 (1989) .
  2. ^ Spiegel Online: Inverted World: A distant planet heats its sun .
  3. ↑ NASA News Archive: Magnetic Planet .
  4. ↑ Sky & Telescope: Footprint of a Magnetic Exoplanet .
  5. ^ New York Times: A Planet Is Too Hot for Life, but Another May Be Just Right .
  6. ↑ UT Arlington astronomers take a fresh look at previously suggested planet. UTA , October 8, 2010, accessed November 14, 2019 .
  7. ↑ World of Physics: Exoplanet has opposite orbit .
  8. ↑ a b IAU Press Release: The violent youth of solar proxies steer course of genesis of life , August 10, 2009, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil .
  9. ↑ Don't forget F-type stars in search for life, UT Arlington researchers say. In: EurekAlert. UTA , March 25, 2014, accessed November 14, 2019 .
  10. ↑ Astrobiology Magazine: Could Alien Life Cope with a Hotter, Brighter Star? .
  11. ↑ Forbes Online: Interview with M. Cuntz, Topic: The TRAPPIST-1 System .
  12. ↑ Astrobiology Magazine: Searching for Tatooine in the Kepler 16 System .
  13. ↑ NBC NEWS.com: Alien earths could have 2 suns like Tatooine in 'Star Wars' .
  14. ↑ Diane Smith: Is there anyone else out there? In: The Sydney Morning Herald . January 17, 2012, accessed November 14, 2019 .
  15. ↑ UT Arlington astrophysicist offers new method for finding regions favorable for life in stellar binary systems. UTA , December 22, 2014, accessed November 14, 2019 .
  16. ↑ PIK press release: Surprise in search of the second earth .
  17. ↑ Astronomy & Astrophysics Press Release: Gliese 581: One planet might indeed be habitable .
  18. ^ National Geographic News: New Planet May Be Among Most Earthlike — Weather Permitting, by Rachel Kaufman .
  19. ^ Forbes Online: Interview with EF Guinan and M. Cuntz, Subject: Orange Dwarfs and Exobiology .
  20. ↑ Forbes Online: Interview with M. Cuntz, Subject: Astronomers Are On The Hunt For Comets Circling Other Stars .
  21. ↑ Is There Anybody Out There? The Shorthorn, UT Arlington, by Ray Edward Buffington IV, March 29, 2007 .
  22. ^ Forbes Online: Interview with M. Cuntz (et al.), Topic: 5 Questions That Make Astrobiologists Squirm .
  23. ↑ NBC DFW News: UTA Planetarium Program for the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, July 22, 2019 .
  24. ^ SOFIA Completes First Test Flight; Filmed for Planetarium Show. (pdf) UTA, May 2, 2007, accessed on November 14, 2019 (English).
  25. ↑ Planetarium at UT Arlington premiers NASA-funded show. UTA, December 8, 2010, accessed November 14, 2019 .
  26. ↑ Planetarium produces first active stereo 3-D planetarium show about NASA's SOFIA mission. UTA, September 8, 2015, accessed November 14, 2019 .
  27. ^ Information from the SOFIA Science Center .
  28. ^ Maverick Science E-News, UT Arlington, College of Science, September 2017 .
  29. ↑ Manfred Cuntz: The Mysterious Meteorite of Chalk Mountain, Texas . In: Skeptical Inquirer . tape 36 , no. 1 , January 2012, p. 52-54 (English, csicop.org ).
  30. ^ Editorial Board Astronomische Nachrichten / Astronomical Notes .
  31. ↑ Kenneth E. Ingle: First Contact: Escape to 55 Cancri , published May 26th 2009 by Booksforabuck.com (first published April 9th ​​2009), ISBN 1602150982 (ISBN13: 9781602150980).
  32. ^ Rolf Wilhelm Brednich: Penguins in the supine position - brand new legendary stories from today, Verlag CH Beck, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-406-51069-8 .
personal data
SURNAME Cuntz, Manfred
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German astrophysicist
DATE OF BIRTH 1958
PLACE OF BIRTH Landau in the Palatinate