Nidia Morrell

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Nidia Morrell
Nidia Morrell trabajando 02.jpg
Born
Nidia Irene Morrell

(1953-07-03) 3 July 1953 (age 71)
Mar del Plata, Argentina
Alma mater National University of La Plata
OccupationAstronomer
Employer Las Campanas Observatory

Nidia Irene Morrell (born 3 July 1953) is an Argentine astronomer who is a permanent staff member at the Las Campanas Observatory in La Serena, Chile. She was a member of the Massive Stars research group led by Virpi Niemelä and the Hubble Heritage Project. Professionally, she is known for her numerous contributions related to the astrophysics of massive stars. [1] She participates in the systematic search for variations of brightness in stellar objects, including the observation of a candidate for the Thorne–Żytkow object. She was also a member of the team that discovered the supernova ASASSN-15lh.

Contents

Career

Nidia Morrell studied astronomy at the National University of La Plata (UNLP), obtaining a licentiate in 1977 and a doctorate in 1984. She received a postdoctoral fellowship (1989–1990) sponsored by the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) to conduct research in the United States, advised by Helmut Altrichter  [ de ] at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. Back in Argentina, she researched and taught at the UNLP Faculty of Astronomical and Geophysical Sciences.

She focused her work on young (mostly O-type and Wolf-Rayet) stars, in regions of star formation and binary stars of large masses, also called massive stars. That type of star quickly consumes its fuel, and ends its existence with a giant explosion: a supernova.

In La Plata, Morrell was a member of the Massive Stars research group led by Virpi Niemelä. She and Niemelä were part of the Hubble Heritage Project, which generated widely disseminated educational resources. [2] From 1996 to 2001, Morrell was a representative of Argentina and a scientific advisor to the Gemini South Observatory. [3]

For years she was one of the main users of the Jorge Sahade Telescope at the Leoncito Astronomical Complex (CASLEO). Many students, who are now astronomers and teachers, made their first observations with her at El Leoncito. [4]

Nidia Morrell pointing a telescope Nidia Morrell trabajando 01.jpg
Nidia Morrell pointing a telescope

In late 2002, Morrell joined the scientific team at Las Campanas Observatory and, later, the Carnegie Supernova Project (as a part-time researcher), while continuing to collaborate on massive star studies. [5] She was also a visiting professor at the National Autonomous University of Honduras and the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua.

In 2006 she settled in La Serena, Chile to continue her research. [6] Among her most outstanding observations, she participated in the discovery of ASASSN-15lh, the brightest supernova ever detected. [7] [8]

Since 2008, Morrell has also participated in Chilean Observation Time Assignment Committees, contributing her knowledge about instruments and procedures for astronomical observation. [9]

In 2009, she appeared in the documentary video El silencio de las Campanas made by Ricardo Benítez, which follows the daily activity of astronomers at a high-level observatory. [10]

In 2014 she was one of the leaders in the detection of a possible hybrid star or Thorne–Żytkow object, which had been a theoretical postulate for years. [11] This discovery involved the Magellan Telescopes. [12] The chemical characteristics of this star, HV 2112, were studied using spectroscopy techniques, in which Morrell is an expert. [13]

Beliefs

Throughout her career, Morrell has motivated students of all ages to participate in scientific projects. [14] She has also joined professional initiatives to raise awareness of respecting the sky as world heritage. [15]

While nowhere in the world are resources abundant, I would say that science is going through a wonderful moment, where international collaboration is clearer and more fluid than ever (especially because of the ease of sharing information and knowledge through the Internet). [16]

She is a staunch defender of the use of free software, free knowledge, and the equality and inclusion of all human beings. [17] She has also collaborated with amateur astronomers who contribute to the search for supernovae from their homes. [18]

I live my whole life with astronomy. Maybe that is the greatest achievement, the fulfillment of a vocation, although other things in life have not gone well, being able to dedicate oneself to something that one likes so much is a valuable achievement, a privilege if you will.

Recognitions

For her passion for astronomy, her dedication to mentoring students, and the enormous amount of observational data she has gathered, the international conference Massive Stars and Supernovae was held in celebration of her 65th birthday. [19] The event took place from 5 to 9 November 2018 in Bariloche, Argentina, with the institutional support of the National University of Río Negro (UNRN), the UNLP Faculty of Astronomical and Geophysical Sciences, the Argentine Astronomy Association  [ es ], the Carnegie Institution for Science, and the Municipality of Bariloche. [20]

Both for Dr. Morrell's scientific achievements and for her charisma, in the course of this meeting it was announced that the International Astronomical Union named an asteroid (Minor Planet 25906) in her honor. [21]

Related Research Articles

A Thorne–Żytkow object, also known as a hybrid star, is a conjectured type of star wherein a red giant or red supergiant contains a neutron star at its core, formed from the collision of the giant with the neutron star. Such objects were hypothesized by Kip Thorne and Anna Żytkow in 1977. In 2014, it was discovered that the star HV 2112, located in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), was a strong candidate, though this view has since been refuted. Another possible candidate is the star HV 11417, also located in the SMC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Félix Aguilar Observatory</span> Observatory

Félix Aguilar Observatory is an astronomical observatory. It was established in 1953, in San Juan Province, Argentina. In 1974, it was renamed to Carlos Ulrrico Cesco Astronomical Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National University of La Plata</span> Public university in Argentina

The La Plata National University is a national public research university located in the city of La Plata, capital of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It has over 90,000 regular students, 10,000 teaching staff, 17 departments and 106 available degrees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Campanas Observatory</span> Observatory

Las Campanas Observatory (LCO) is an astronomical observatory managed by the Carnegie Institution for Science (CIS). Located in Chile's Atacama Region, it sits about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northeast of the city of La Serena. The LCO's telescopes and facilities are positioned near the northern end of a 7 km (4.3 mi) mountain ridge. Cerro Las Campanas, situated near the southern end of this ridge and standing over 2,500 m (8,200 ft) tall, will be the future site of the Giant Magellan Telescope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leoncito Astronomical Complex</span> Observatory

The El Leoncito Astronomical Complex is an astronomical observatory in the San Juan Province of Argentina. CASLEO is one of two observatories located within El Leoncito National Park, which is in a part of the country which rarely sees cloud cover. The other facility in the park is the Carlos U. Cesco Astronomical Station of the Félix Aguilar Observatory. CASLEO was established in 1983 by an agreement between National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) of Argentina, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MINCYT) of Argentina, the National University of San Juan (UNSJ), the National University of La Plata (UNLP), and the National University of Córdoba (UNC). The facility was dedicated in 1986 and regular observations began in 1987.

The University of Toronto Southern Observatory (UTSO) was an astronomical observatory built by the University of Toronto at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile. It hosted a single 60 cm Cassegrain telescope and a small cottage for the operators, located amongst the instruments funded by other organizations. The first observational runs started in 1971, and like many smaller instruments, it was later shut down in favor of a partial share in a much larger telescope in 1997. Although small by modern standards, the Southern Observatory nevertheless became famous for its role in the discovery of SN 1987A when UofT astronomer Ian Shelton spotted the supernova while observing with another little-used telescope at the site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virpi Niemelä</span> Finnish-Argentine astronomer (1936–2006)

Virpi Sinikka Niemelä was a leading Finnish Argentine astronomer. She was the second Argentine to be elected for Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Astronomy in Chile</span>

In 2011, Chile was home to 42% of the world's astronomical infrastructure, consisting principally of telescopes. In 2015, it was estimated that Chile would contain more than 50% of the global astronomical infrastructure by 2030. In the Atacama Desert region of northern Chile, the skies are exceptionally clear and dry for more than 300 days of the year. These conditions have attracted the world's scientific community to develop highly ambitious astronomical projects in the Atacama Desert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mario Hamuy</span> Chilean astronomer

Mario Andrés Hamuy Wackenhut is a Chilean Astronomer and Professor of Astronomy at the University of Chile and Cerro Calan Observatory. He is well known for his observational work on all classes of supernovae, especially the use of Type Ia and Type II supernovae as measures of cosmic distance.

10988 Feinstein is a stony Phocaea asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt. Approximately 3.4 kilometers in diameter, it was discovered on 28 July 1968 by astronomers at the Félix Aguilar Observatory in El Leoncito, Argentina. The asteroid was named after Argentine astronomer Alejandro Feinstein in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argentine Institute of Radio Astronomy</span> Observatory

The Argentine Institute of Radio Astronomy (IAR) was created in 1962 through an agreement between the scientific agencies CONICET and CIC, and the universities of La Plata and Buenos Aires. Its functions are to promote and coordinate the research and technical development of radio astronomy in Argentina and to collaborate in the teaching and dissemination of astrophysics and related disciplines. The Institute continues its activities in the dependency of the National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), the Commission of Scientific Research of the Province of Buenos Aires (CICPBA) and the National University of La Plata (UNLP). Its current director is Dr. Gustavo E. Romero and its deputy director, Dr. Jorge A. Combi.

Anna Nikola Żytkow is a Polish astrophysicist working at the Institute of Astronomy of the University of Cambridge. Żytkow and Kip Thorne proposed a model for what is called the Thorne–Żytkow object, which is a star within another star. Żytkow in 2014 was part of the team led by Emily M. Levesque which discovered the first candidate for such an object.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LH 41-1042</span> Wolf Rayet star in the constellation Dorado

LH 41-1042 is a Wolf–Rayet star located in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). It is an extremely rare member of the WO oxygen sequence, the second to be discovered in the LMC and one of only three found so far in that galaxy.

Emily Levesque is an American astronomer, author, and associate professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Washington. She is renowned for her work on massive stars and using these stars to investigate galaxy formation. She is also the author of three books, including the 2020 popular science book The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy's Vanishing Explorers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adela Ringuelet</span> Argentine astrophysicist (1930–2023)

Adela Emilia Ringuelet was an Argentine astrophysicist and astronomer at the Félix Aguilar Observatory in Argentina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jorge Sahade</span>

Jorge Sahade was an Argentine astronomer with more than 200 publications in journals and conferences. He was the first Latin American to achieve the presidency of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) between 1985 and 1988, and was also the first director of the Comisión Nacional de Actividades Espaciales. He held this position between 1991 and 1994.

Carlos Jaschek was a German-born Argentine astrophysicist who spent time in the United States, lived in Switzerland, settled in France, became a French citizen and worked to make astronomical data accessible to all nations. As the second Director of a new center in Strasbourg, France, designed to be a computerized repository for data about the stars, he was part of its early team who were determined, clearsighted decision-makers when its resources were limited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloria Dubner</span> Argentina astrophysicist (born 1950)

Gloria Dubner is an Argentinian astrophysicist and Director of the Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio in Buenos Aires and a Senior Researcher at the National Scientific and Technical Research Council. She is known for her research on supernovas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">María Luisa Aguilar</span> Peruvian astronomer (1938-2015)

María Luisa Aguilar Hurtado, was the first professional astronomer of Peru. She studied at the Institute of Mathematics and Physics of the National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru. She graduated as an astronomer from the National University of La Plata, Argentina. In 1981, motivated to develop astronomy at a professional level, she founded and served as director of the "Astronomy and Astrophysics Seminar", nowadays called "Permanent Astronomy and Space Sciences Seminar" of the National University of San Marcos.

Ana Buenaventura Mocoroa, also known as Titina Mocoroa, was an Argentine physicist. She is known for her contributions in experimental physics and her dedication to improving the teaching of her discipline.

References

  1. ↑ "NASA/ADS search". Astrophysics Data System . Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  2. ↑ "Science Team". Hubble Heritage Project . Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  3. ↑ Sofía, Alejandra (27 April 2001). "Argentina y dos telescopios gemelos de 8 metros" [Argentina and Two 8-Meter Gemini Telescopes] (in Spanish). La Plata Astronomical Observatory . Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  4. ↑ "30 años haciendo ciencia en el Complejo Astronómico El Leoncito" [30 Years Doing Science at the El Leoncito Astronomical Complex] (in Spanish). National University of La Plata. 16 September 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  5. ↑ "CSP Members". Carnegie Supernova Project. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  6. ↑ Bañez, Facundo (22 July 2007). "La historia de los astrónomos platenses que se van del país" [The History of La Plata Astronomers Leaving the Country]. El Día (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  7. ↑ "La supernova más brillante de la historia" [The Brightest Supernova in History]. El Observador (in Spanish). 15 January 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  8. ↑ "La supernova más brillante" [The Brightest Supernova]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Madrid. Europa Press. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  9. ↑ "Lista de Socios" [List of Partners] (in Spanish). SOCHIAS. Archived from the original on 13 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  10. ↑ "El silencio de Las Campanas". KosmosLogos (in Spanish). 11 May 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  11. ↑ Levesque, E. M.; Massey, P.; Zytkow, A. N.; Morrell, N. (September 2014). "Discovery of a Thorne-Zytkow object candidate in the Small Magellanic Cloud". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . 443. Astrophysics Data System: L94–L98. arXiv: 1406.0001 . Bibcode:2014MNRAS.443L..94L. doi: 10.1093/mnrasl/slu080 .
  12. ↑ "Astronomers discover first Thorne-Żytkow object, a bizarre type of hybrid star". University of Colorado Boulder. 4 June 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  13. ↑ Choi, Charles Q. (9 October 2014). "Strange 'Hybrid Star' Discovered After 40-Year Search". Space.com . Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  14. ↑ "En Atacama se inauguró el XIII Congreso Regional Escolar de Ciencia y Tecnología Explora CONICYT y la FERECYT" [In Atacama, the 13th Explora CONICYT and FERECYT Regional School Congress of Science and Technology Begins] (in Spanish). CONICYT. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  15. ↑ "Importancia de la calidad del cielo fue el tema central de Panel Científico Técnico" [Importance of the Quality of the Sky was the Central Theme of Technical Scientific Panel] (in Spanish). University of La Serena. 24 October 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  16. ↑ Olivella, Patricia. "La curiosidad y el placer estético es lo que me atrae de la Astronomía" [Curiosity and Aesthetic Pleasure is What Attracts Me to Astronomy]. Cielo Sur (in Spanish). Buenos Aires. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  17. ↑ "The Hipatia Manifesto". Hipatia. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  18. ↑ "Meeting People". Backyard Observatory Supernova Search. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  19. ↑ "Se celebra importante conferencia internacional de Astronomía en Bariloche" [An Important International Astronomy Conference is Celebrated in Bariloche] (in Spanish). Bariloche2000. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  20. ↑ "Declaración N.º 2440-CM-18" (in Spanish). Bariloche Municipal Council. 18 October 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  21. ↑ "(25906) Morrell". Minor Planet Center . Retrieved 10 June 2019.
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