Andreja Gomboc
Encyclopedia
Andreja Gomboc is a Slovenian astrophysicist.
Andreja Gomboc was born in Murska Sobota
, Slovenia
.
Andreja Gomboc graduated in 1995 at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics (FMF) at University of Ljubljana
with diploma work The appearance of a star
falling in a black hole
(Kako je videti padec zvezde v črno luknjo.).
From 1995 to 2001 she was a postgraduate student of physics
at FMF and also a teaching assistant. She obtained Ph.D.
by defending the dissertation Rapid luminosity changes due to interaction with a black hole (Hitre spremembe izseva ob interakciji s črno luknjo), which she prepared under supervision of Andrej Čadež
. In dissertation she treated tidal
disruption of stars during a close encounter with massive black hole
in galactic nucleus
. After obtaining PhD, she became member of Department of Physics at FMF. Currently is an assistant professor at FMF. She lectures subjects: Astrophysics at FMF, and Astronomy at Faculty of Education in Ljubljana (PeF).
For her Ph.D. disseartation she received the Pomurje research award in 2002.
From 2002 to 2004 she was a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow at the Astrophysics Research Institute (ARI) of Liverpool John Moores University
, England
. There she became involved in research project for observing optical afterglows of gamma ray burst
s with three largest robotic telescopes: Liverpool Telescope at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
at La Palma
, Faulkes Telescope North at Hawaii and Faulkes Telescope South in Australia. GRB group at ARI, Liverpool John Moores University, among which members is also Andreja Gomboc, received The Times Higher Award for research project of the year 2007 Times Higher Education. The judging panel awarded excellent team work and results of measurement
of optical afterglow polarisation, published in Science
. Among other publications, she is also a co-author of a paper in Nature
.
In January 2010 she delivered a talk entitled "Us and the Universe" (Vesolje in mi) in National Assembly of Republic of Slovenia
as part of the project "Harvesting Knowledge".
She is a member of the Gaia, which is being prepared by ESA
for launch in 2012. Gaia mission will measure distance
s and radial velocities
of about a billion of stars in our Galaxy
. The space probe is to be launched with a four-staged launch vehicle
Soyuz-ST in November 2012.
Her research fields are astronomy
and astrophysics
, the general theory of relativity, black hole
s, gamma ray bursts, stellar rotation
, and rotational velocities
of symbiotic stars.
She publishes popular science articles on astronomy and astrophysics in Slovenian astronomical magazine Spika.
In the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA) she was the Single Point of Contact and Coordinator for Slovenia. Among other IYA activities she initiated and organized exhibition of astro-photographies From Earth to the Universe at Jakopič promenade in the Tivoli Park in Ljubljana
, Travelling exhibition From Earth to the Universe, Open door days at Astronomical and Geophysical Observatory Golovec (AGO) and other. She was also co-editor of the proceedings of the workshop Slovenia and Space - yesterday, today and tomorrow and of the catalogue of the exhibition From Earth to the Universe. She received award Prometheus of Science 2007 (Prometej znanosti 2007) for co-editing monography Physics, My Profession - Life and Work of Our Female Physicists (Fizika, moj poklic - življenje in delo naših fizičark) and Prometheus of Science 2009 (for leading the Organizing Committee of International Year of Astronomy 2009 in Slovenia).
She is the president of the national committee for astronomy competition organized since 2009 by Society of Mathematicians, Physicists and Astronomers of Slovenia
.
Andreja Gomboc is a member of Marie Curie Fellows Organization, PAZU, European Astronomical Society
(EAS) and International Astronomical Union
(IAU).
Andreja Gomboc was born in Murska Sobota
Murska Sobota
Murska Sobota is a city in northeastern Slovenia. It is located in the eponymous municipality near the Mura River in the region of Prekmurje and is the regional capital.-Name:...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
.
Andreja Gomboc graduated in 1995 at the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics (FMF) at University of Ljubljana
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
with diploma work The appearance of a star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
falling in a black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
(Kako je videti padec zvezde v črno luknjo.).
From 1995 to 2001 she was a postgraduate student of physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
at FMF and also a teaching assistant. She obtained Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
by defending the dissertation Rapid luminosity changes due to interaction with a black hole (Hitre spremembe izseva ob interakciji s črno luknjo), which she prepared under supervision of Andrej Čadež
Andrej Cadež
Andrej Čadež is a Slovene physicist and astrophysicist.He is the author of Fizika zvezd published in Ljubljana in 1986.- External links :*...
. In dissertation she treated tidal
Tidal force
The tidal force is a secondary effect of the force of gravity and is responsible for the tides. It arises because the gravitational force per unit mass exerted on one body by a second body is not constant across its diameter, the side nearest to the second being more attracted by it than the side...
disruption of stars during a close encounter with massive black hole
Supermassive black hole
A supermassive black hole is the largest type of black hole in a galaxy, in the order of hundreds of thousands to billions of solar masses. Most, and possibly all galaxies, including the Milky Way, are believed to contain supermassive black holes at their centers.Supermassive black holes have...
in galactic nucleus
Bulge (astronomy)
In astronomy, a bulge is a tightly packed group of stars within a larger formation. The term almost exclusively refers to the central group of stars found in most spiral galaxies...
. After obtaining PhD, she became member of Department of Physics at FMF. Currently is an assistant professor at FMF. She lectures subjects: Astrophysics at FMF, and Astronomy at Faculty of Education in Ljubljana (PeF).
For her Ph.D. disseartation she received the Pomurje research award in 2002.
From 2002 to 2004 she was a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow at the Astrophysics Research Institute (ARI) of Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool John Moores University is a British 'modern' university located in the city of Liverpool, England. The university is named after John Moores and was previously called Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts and later Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining university status in 1992, thus...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. There she became involved in research project for observing optical afterglows of gamma ray burst
Gamma ray burst
Gamma-ray bursts are flashes of gamma rays associated with extremely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies. They are the most luminous electromagnetic events known to occur in the universe. Bursts can last from ten milliseconds to several minutes, although a typical...
s with three largest robotic telescopes: Liverpool Telescope at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
Roque de los Muchachos Observatory
Roque de los Muchachos Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in the municipality of Garafía on the island of La Palma in the Canary Islands...
at La Palma
La Palma
La Palma is the most north-westerly of the Canary Islands. La Palma has an area of 706 km2 making it the fifth largest of the seven main Canary Islands...
, Faulkes Telescope North at Hawaii and Faulkes Telescope South in Australia. GRB group at ARI, Liverpool John Moores University, among which members is also Andreja Gomboc, received The Times Higher Award for research project of the year 2007 Times Higher Education. The judging panel awarded excellent team work and results of measurement
Measurement
Measurement is the process or the result of determining the ratio of a physical quantity, such as a length, time, temperature etc., to a unit of measurement, such as the metre, second or degree Celsius...
of optical afterglow polarisation, published in Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
. Among other publications, she is also a co-author of a paper in Nature
Nature (journal)
Nature, first published on 4 November 1869, is ranked the world's most cited interdisciplinary scientific journal by the Science Edition of the 2010 Journal Citation Reports...
.
In January 2010 she delivered a talk entitled "Us and the Universe" (Vesolje in mi) in National Assembly of Republic of Slovenia
National Assembly (Slovenia)
The National Assembly is the general representative body of the Slovenian nation. According to the Constitution of Slovenia and the Constitutional Court of Slovenia, it is the major part of the distinctively incompletely bicameral legislative branch of the Republic of Slovenia. It is unicameral...
as part of the project "Harvesting Knowledge".
She is a member of the Gaia, which is being prepared by ESA
European Space Agency
The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
for launch in 2012. Gaia mission will measure distance
Distance
Distance is a numerical description of how far apart objects are. In physics or everyday discussion, distance may refer to a physical length, or an estimation based on other criteria . In mathematics, a distance function or metric is a generalization of the concept of physical distance...
s and radial velocities
Velocity
In physics, velocity is speed in a given direction. Speed describes only how fast an object is moving, whereas velocity gives both the speed and direction of the object's motion. To have a constant velocity, an object must have a constant speed and motion in a constant direction. Constant ...
of about a billion of stars in our Galaxy
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
. The space probe is to be launched with a four-staged launch vehicle
Launch vehicle
In spaceflight, a launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket used to carry a payload from the Earth's surface into outer space. A launch system includes the launch vehicle, the launch pad and other infrastructure....
Soyuz-ST in November 2012.
Her research fields are astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
and astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
, the general theory of relativity, black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
s, gamma ray bursts, stellar rotation
Rotation
A rotation is a circular movement of an object around a center of rotation. A three-dimensional object rotates always around an imaginary line called a rotation axis. If the axis is within the body, and passes through its center of mass the body is said to rotate upon itself, or spin. A rotation...
, and rotational velocities
Rotational speed
Rotational speed tells how many complete rotations there are per time unit. It is therefore a cyclic frequency, measured in hertz in the SI System...
of symbiotic stars.
She publishes popular science articles on astronomy and astrophysics in Slovenian astronomical magazine Spika.
In the International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA) she was the Single Point of Contact and Coordinator for Slovenia. Among other IYA activities she initiated and organized exhibition of astro-photographies From Earth to the Universe at Jakopič promenade in the Tivoli Park in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, Travelling exhibition From Earth to the Universe, Open door days at Astronomical and Geophysical Observatory Golovec (AGO) and other. She was also co-editor of the proceedings of the workshop Slovenia and Space - yesterday, today and tomorrow and of the catalogue of the exhibition From Earth to the Universe. She received award Prometheus of Science 2007 (Prometej znanosti 2007) for co-editing monography Physics, My Profession - Life and Work of Our Female Physicists (Fizika, moj poklic - življenje in delo naših fizičark) and Prometheus of Science 2009 (for leading the Organizing Committee of International Year of Astronomy 2009 in Slovenia).
She is the president of the national committee for astronomy competition organized since 2009 by Society of Mathematicians, Physicists and Astronomers of Slovenia
Society of Mathematicians, Physicists and Astronomers of Slovenia
The Society of Mathematicians, Physicists and Astronomers of Slovenia is the main Slovene society in the field of mathematics, physics and astronomy....
.
Andreja Gomboc is a member of Marie Curie Fellows Organization, PAZU, European Astronomical Society
European Astronomical Society
The European Astronomical Society is a learned society, founded under the Swiss Civil Code in 1990, as an association to contribute and promote the advancement of astronomy in Europe, and to deal with astronomical matters at a European level...
(EAS) and International Astronomical Union
International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union IAU is a collection of professional astronomers, at the Ph.D. level and beyond, active in professional research and education in astronomy...
(IAU).
External links
- Home page of Andreja Gomboc at FMF UL
- FMF, Department for Physics, Group for Astronomy page
- Harvesting Knowledge: Lecture Us and the Universe in National Assembly of Republic of Slovenia
- International Year of Astronomy 2009
- International Year of Astronomy 2009 in Slovenia (Mednarodno leto astronomije 2009 v Sloveniji), Proceedings of the workshop Slovenia and Space - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrw, published by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Ljubljana 2010
- Swift, Fermi and Gamma Ray Bursts, Proceedings of the workshop Slovenia and Space - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrw, published by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Ljubljana 2010
- The Times Higher Education Awards 2007
- Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University
- Gamma Ray Bursts in the Era of Rapid Followup with 2-m Robotic Telescopes
- On black holes and stars, which meet them (O črnih luknjah in zvezdah, ki jih srečajo). Spika, 2004, letn. 12, št. 4, str. 158-161.
- Birth of black holes (Rojstvo črnih lukenj). Astronomi v Kmici, Bilten, 2006
- Gomboc, Andreja (2002): Stellar Rotation from GAIA Spectra, arXiv