Victoria M. Kaspi
Chaire Lorne Trottier en astrophysique et cosmologie
Research field : Pulsars.
Description of the research project:
Victoria Kaspi's research centres on neutron stars: ultradense, rapidly rotating stars that are close cousins of black holes. Her research goals are to constrain fundamental physics by observing neutron stars, as their extreme physical properties are very interesting, yet cannot be simulated in a laboratory. To this end, she observes neutron stars using the largest and most powerful radio and X-ray telescopes in the world. Among the specific questions she hopes to answer are how neutron stars are formed, how fast they can rotate, what are they made of, and what sort of magnetic fields can they harbour. These questions ultimately constrain fundamental issues such as the equation of state of dense matter, and the physics of supernova explosions, the source of the matter out of which we are made. She also uses binary pulsars to study a variety of topics ranging from theories of gravity to binary evolution to stellar structure.
List of graduate students :
Thomas Abbott (M.Sc.), Mohit Bhardwaj (Ph.D.), Alice Curtin (M.Sc.), Alexander Josephy (Ph.D.), Marcus Merryfield (Ph.D.), Aaron Pearlman (postdoc), Ziggy Pleunis (postdoc), Masoud Rafiei-Ravandi (postdoc), Ketan Sand (Ph.D.), Vishwangi Shah (M.Sc.), Chia Min Tan (postdoc), Qing Hao Xu (M.Sc.)
Recipient of the following awards:
| • | 2017-01: Compagnon de l'Ordre du Canada |
| • | 2016-02: Gerhard Herzberg Award, CRSNG |
| • | 2015-01: Killam Prize, Conseil des arts du Canada |
| • | 2015-01: Election to American Academy of Arts and Sciences, |
| • | 2013-05: Prix Peter G. Martin, CASCA |
| • | 2013-02: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la Reine Elizabeth II, Bureau du Gouverneur Général du Canada |
| • | 2011-01 to 2013-12: John-C.-Polanyi Award, CRSNG |
| • | 2010-09 to 2012-08: Killam Research Fellowship, Canada Council for the Arts |
| • | 2010-01: Fellow, Royal Society of London |
| • | 2010-01: Elected member, National Academy of Sciences |
| • | 2010-01: Prix Marie-Victorin, Gouvernement du Québec |
| • | 2009-01: Femme de parole, Magazine Châtelaine |
| • | 2009-01: Sackler Prize, Harvard University |
| • | 2008-01: Fellow, Société royale du Canada |
| • | 2007-11: Prix Urgel-Archambault, Acfas |
| • | 2007-09 to 2011-08: R. Howard Webster Foundation Fellow, CIfAR |
| • | 2007-01: Rutherford Medal in Physics, Société royale du Canada |
| • | 2006-09 to 2013-12: Chaire de recherche du Canada en astrophysique d'observation |
| • | 2006-09 to 2012-08: Lorne Trottier Chair in Astrophysics and Cosmology |
| • | 2006-01: Steacie Prize for Natural Sciences, CRSNG |
| • | 2005-01 to 2005-12: Salpeter Lectureship, Cornell University |
| • | 2004-01: Herzberg Medal, Canadian Association of Physicists |
| • | 2004-01 to 2005-12: Steacie Fellow, CRSNG |
| • | 2002-09 to 2006-08: CIfAR Fellow |
| • | 2002-01 to 2002-12: Young Explorer Prize, CIfAR |
| • | 1998-12 to 1999-12: Annie Jump Cannon Prize, AAS |
| • | 1998-09 to 2000-08: Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship |
Public outreach activities :
| • 2014-04-24 : | Inflation, the Big Bang, and Gravitational Waves: A Panel Discussion on the Results of the BICEP2 Telescope with Profs. Brandenberger, Dobbs and Kaspi (Rutherford Physics Building at McGill University. 3600 rue University) |
| • 2012-07-19 : | The Cosmic X-ray Sky (Rutherford Physics Building (Room 112), McGill University
Presentation en anglais
) |
| • 2010-10-28 : | The Cosmic Gift of Neutron Stars (Oscar Peterson Concert Hall
Concordia University
7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal
) |
| • 2009-03-18 : | Les clubs de la couronne Nord (Rosemère): La Diversité dans les Étoiles à Neutrons |
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