Neil Gehrels
Neil Gehrels (Cornelis A. Gehrels) (born October 3, 1952 in Lake Geneva , Wisconsin - † February 6, 2017 ) was an American astronomer who mainly worked in the field of gamma astronomy .
Gehrels dealt with gamma astronomy and the development of corresponding observation instruments and satellites. His scientific interest was particularly gamma-ray flashes and supernovae . In 1976 he received bachelor's degrees in physics and music from the University of Arizona , and in 1982 he received his PhD from the California Institute of Technology . He was a project scientist for the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (1991-2000). Gehrels was head of the Astroparticle Physics Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and chief scientist of the Swift mission (since 1998) as well as a mission scientist for Integral (since 1995) and deputy project scientist for GLAST (since 2000).
Gehrels was married and had two children. His father was Tom Gehrels .
Awards (selection)
- 1993 Fellow of the American Physical Society
- 2007 Bruno Rossi Prize
- 2008 admission to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 2009 Henry Draper Medal
- 2010 admission to the National Academy of Sciences
- 2015 namesake for the asteroid (16000) Neilgehrels
- 2017 Dan David Prize
Web links
- Homepage at NASA (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gehrels, Neil |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gehrels, Cornelis A. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American astronomer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 3, 1952 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Lake Geneva , Wisconsin |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 6, 2017 |