Michel Mayor
Encyclopedia
Dr. Michel G. E. Mayor is a Swiss
astrophysicist and professor emeritus at the University of Geneva's Department of Astronomy
. He formally retired in 2007, but remains active as a researcher at the Observatory of Geneva
. He is co-winner of the 2010 Viktor Ambartsumian
International Prize.
Together with Didier Queloz
in 1995 he discovered 51 Pegasi b
, the first extrasolar planet
orbiting a sun-like star, 51 Pegasi
(the first exoplanets at all were dicovered in 1992 by Aleksander Wolszczan
around pulsar PSR 1257).
After earning a Master's degree in Physics
at the University of Lausanne
in 1966, Mayor obtained his doctorate
in Astronomy at the Geneva Observatory in 1971. His thesis included an "Essay on the kinematical properties of stars in the solar vicinity: possible relation with the galactic spiral structure." He studied briefly at the University of Cambridge
Institute of Astronomy and spent sabbatical semesters at the European Southern Observatory
(ESO) in Chile
and at the Institute for Astronomy
of the University of Hawaii
.
.
His doctoral thesis at the University of Geneva was devoted to the search for evidence of a spiral structure in the Milky Way
galaxy in the velocity distribution of stars close to the Sun. Kinematics data at that time were scarce and in particular acquiring the "radial velocities" of stars was a long and fastidious process. Upon completing his thesis, Mayor decided to develop a special spectrograph
, CORAVEL, to measure stellar radial velocity. "This was the start of my interest in stellar kinematics," he said, according to information in his curriculum vitae.
This research led to various fields of interest, including the study of statistical characteristics of solar-type binary stars. With fellow researcher Antoine Duquennoy, he conducted a survey of small-mass companions of stars analogous to the sun, releasing the results in one of the most cited papers published by Astronomy and Astrophysics
during its first 40 years. Mayor and Duquennoy then discovered that the mass of some of these companions could be sub-stellar.
The evolution of technology allowed for the development of a new spectrograph, ELODIE, built at the Haute-Provence Observatory
in the south of France. Mayor and Didier Queloz, a graduate student at the University of Geneva, began using the instrument in 1994 to measure night after night 140 stars similar to the Sun. The study was aimed at discovering "brown dwarfs," as well as giant planets. At the end of 1994, the pair noted that the star 51 Pegasi showed a periodic variation or movement that could be caused by the orbit of a planet smaller in size than Jupiter. Remarkably, the orbital period appeared to be only 4.2 days, which contradicted what was then believed to be theoretically possible. However, further data allowed Mayor and Queloz to announce the discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star on October 6, 1995.
Thus began a new field of research in astronomy. As of early October 2011, researchers around the world had discovered more than 680 exoplanets, many of them large so-called "hot Jupiters," gaseous planets many times the size of earth. Mayor and his collaborators have identified around 200. However, his team has concentrated its research on smaller planets, "super-earths," closer in mass to Earth. In 2003, his latest planet searching instrument, the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher
(HARPS), came online at the European Southern Observatory
(ESO)'s telescope at La Silla, Chile, allowing for more precise measurements of radial velocities.
In 2007, Mayor was one of 11 European scientists who discovered Gliese 581 c
, the first extrasolar planet in a star's habitable zone, from ESO's telescope in La Silla, Chile.
In 2009, Mayor and his team discovered the lightest exoplanet ever detected around a main sequence
star, Gliese 581 e
.
By October 2011, Mayor had co-authored more than 700 scientific publications. From 1989 to 1992 he was involved in scientific research at ESO, from 1988 until 1991 he worked on the study of galactic
structure with the International Astronomical Union
, and from 1990 until 1993 he was president of the Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy.
in recognition of his work and its significance for human life. As of 2003, he was a member of the board of trustees. He received the Prix Jules Janssen
from the French Astronomical Society in 1998. In 2000, he was awarded the Balzan Prize
. Four years later, he was awarded the Albert Einstein Medal
. In 2005, he received the Shaw Prize
in Astronomy, along with American astrophysicist Geoffrey Marcy
. Mayor was made a knight of the French Legion d'Honneur
in 2004.
In collaboration with Pierre-Yves Frei, Mayor wrote a book in French called Les Nouveaux mondes du Cosmos (Seuil
, 260 pages), which was awarded the Livre de l'astronomie 2001 prize by the 17th Astronomy Festival Haute Maurienne, (France).
He has received honorary doctorate degrees from seven universities: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
(Belgium), 2001; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne (EPFL) (2002); Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), 2006; Uppsala University (Sweden), 2007; Paris Observatory
(France), 2008; Université Libre de Bruxelles
(Belgium), 2009; University of Provence
(Marseille, France), 2011.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
astrophysicist and professor emeritus at the University of Geneva's Department of Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
. He formally retired in 2007, but remains active as a researcher at the Observatory of Geneva
Observatory of Geneva
Observatoire de Genève is an astronomical observatory at Sauverny in the municipality of Versoix, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland...
. He is co-winner of the 2010 Viktor Ambartsumian
Viktor Hambardzumyan
Viktor Hambardzumyan was a Soviet Armenian scientist, and one of the founders of theoretical astrophysics. He worked in the field of physics of stars and nebulae, stellar astronomy, dynamics of stellar systems and cosmogony of stars and galaxies, contributed to Mathematical physics...
International Prize.
Together with Didier Queloz
Didier Queloz
Didier Queloz is a Geneva-based astronomer with a prolific record in finding extrasolar planets. He is understudy to Michel Mayor.Didier Queloz was a Ph.D...
in 1995 he discovered 51 Pegasi b
51 Pegasi b
51 Pegasi b , sometimes though unofficially named Bellerophon, is an extrasolar planet approximately 50 light-years away in the constellation of Pegasus...
, the first extrasolar planet
Extrasolar planet
An extrasolar planet, or exoplanet, is a planet outside the Solar System. A total of such planets have been identified as of . It is now known that a substantial fraction of stars have planets, including perhaps half of all Sun-like stars...
orbiting a sun-like star, 51 Pegasi
51 Pegasi
51 Pegasi is a Sun-like star located 15.6 parsecs from Earth in the constellation Pegasus...
(the first exoplanets at all were dicovered in 1992 by Aleksander Wolszczan
Aleksander Wolszczan
Aleksander Wolszczan is a Polish astronomer. He is the co-discoverer of the first extrasolar planets and pulsar planets.- Scientific career :...
around pulsar PSR 1257).
After earning a Master's degree in 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 the University of Lausanne
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
in 1966, Mayor obtained his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in Astronomy at the Geneva Observatory in 1971. His thesis included an "Essay on the kinematical properties of stars in the solar vicinity: possible relation with the galactic spiral structure." He studied briefly at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
Institute of Astronomy and spent sabbatical semesters at the European Southern Observatory
European Southern Observatory
The European Southern Observatory is an intergovernmental research organisation for astronomy, supported by fifteen countries...
(ESO) in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and at the Institute for Astronomy
Institute for Astronomy
The Institute for Astronomy is a research unit within the University of Hawaii system, led by Günther Hasinger as Director. IfA main headquarters are located at 2680 Woodlawn Drive in Honolulu, Hawaii, , on the University of Hawaii at Mānoa campus. Additional facilities are located at Pukalani,...
of the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
.
Academic positions
From 1971 to 1984, Mayor worked as a research associate at the Observatory of Geneva, which is home to the astronomy department of the University of Geneva. He became an associate professor at the university in 1984. In 1988, the university named him a full professor, a position he held until his retirement in 2007. Mayor was director of the Observatory of Geneva from 1998 to 2004. He has been professor emeritus at the University of Geneva since 2007.Research
Professor Mayor's research interests include extrasolar planets (also known as exoplanets), instrumentation, statistical properties of double stars, globular cluster dynamics, galactic structure and kinematicsKinematics
Kinematics is the branch of classical mechanics that describes the motion of bodies and systems without consideration of the forces that cause the motion....
.
His doctoral thesis at the University of Geneva was devoted to the search for evidence of a spiral structure in the Milky Way
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...
galaxy in the velocity distribution of stars close to the Sun. Kinematics data at that time were scarce and in particular acquiring the "radial velocities" of stars was a long and fastidious process. Upon completing his thesis, Mayor decided to develop a special spectrograph
Spectrograph
A spectrograph is an instrument that separates an incoming wave into a frequency spectrum. There are several kinds of machines referred to as spectrographs, depending on the precise nature of the waves...
, CORAVEL, to measure stellar radial velocity. "This was the start of my interest in stellar kinematics," he said, according to information in his curriculum vitae.
This research led to various fields of interest, including the study of statistical characteristics of solar-type binary stars. With fellow researcher Antoine Duquennoy, he conducted a survey of small-mass companions of stars analogous to the sun, releasing the results in one of the most cited papers published by Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy and Astrophysics
* Astronomy and Astrophysics has a 2010 impact factor of 4.410.-See also:*The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review*Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics*Astronomy & Geophysics*Astronomical Journal*Astrophysical Journal...
during its first 40 years. Mayor and Duquennoy then discovered that the mass of some of these companions could be sub-stellar.
The evolution of technology allowed for the development of a new spectrograph, ELODIE, built at the Haute-Provence Observatory
Haute-Provence Observatory
The Observatoire de Haute-Provence was established in 1937 as a national facility for French astronomers. Astronomical observations began in 1943 using the 1.20 m telescope, and the first research papers based on observations made at the observatory were published in 1944...
in the south of France. Mayor and Didier Queloz, a graduate student at the University of Geneva, began using the instrument in 1994 to measure night after night 140 stars similar to the Sun. The study was aimed at discovering "brown dwarfs," as well as giant planets. At the end of 1994, the pair noted that the star 51 Pegasi showed a periodic variation or movement that could be caused by the orbit of a planet smaller in size than Jupiter. Remarkably, the orbital period appeared to be only 4.2 days, which contradicted what was then believed to be theoretically possible. However, further data allowed Mayor and Queloz to announce the discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star on October 6, 1995.
Thus began a new field of research in astronomy. As of early October 2011, researchers around the world had discovered more than 680 exoplanets, many of them large so-called "hot Jupiters," gaseous planets many times the size of earth. Mayor and his collaborators have identified around 200. However, his team has concentrated its research on smaller planets, "super-earths," closer in mass to Earth. In 2003, his latest planet searching instrument, the High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher
High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Searcher
The High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher is a high-precision echelle spectrograph installed in 2002 on ESO's 3.6m telescope at La Silla Observatory in Chile. The first light was achieved in February 2003...
(HARPS), came online at the European Southern Observatory
European Southern Observatory
The European Southern Observatory is an intergovernmental research organisation for astronomy, supported by fifteen countries...
(ESO)'s telescope at La Silla, Chile, allowing for more precise measurements of radial velocities.
In 2007, Mayor was one of 11 European scientists who discovered Gliese 581 c
Gliese 581 c
Gliese 581 c or Gl 581 c is a planet orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581. It is the second planet discovered in the system and the third in order from the star. With a mass at least 5.6 times that of the Earth, it is classified as a super-Earth...
, the first extrasolar planet in a star's habitable zone, from ESO's telescope in La Silla, Chile.
In 2009, Mayor and his team discovered the lightest exoplanet ever detected around a main sequence
Main sequence
The main sequence is a continuous and distinctive band of stars that appears on plots of stellar color versus brightness. These color-magnitude plots are known as Hertzsprung–Russell diagrams after their co-developers, Ejnar Hertzsprung and Henry Norris Russell...
star, Gliese 581 e
Gliese 581 e
Gliese 581 e or Gl 581 e is an extrasolar planet found around Gliese 581, an M3V red dwarf star approximately 20.5 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Libra...
.
By October 2011, Mayor had co-authored more than 700 scientific publications. From 1989 to 1992 he was involved in scientific research at ESO, from 1988 until 1991 he worked on the study of galactic
Galaxy
A galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system that consists of stars and stellar remnants, an interstellar medium of gas and dust, and an important but poorly understood component tentatively dubbed dark matter. The word galaxy is derived from the Greek galaxias , literally "milky", a...
structure with the 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...
, and from 1990 until 1993 he was president of the Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy.
Awards and distinctions
In August 1998, Mayor was awarded the Swiss Marcel Benoist PrizeMarcel Benoist Prize
The Marcel Benoist Prize, offered by the Marcel Benoist Foundation, is a monetary prize that has been offered annually since 1920 to a scientist of Swiss nationality or residency who has made the most useful scientific discovery. Emphasis is placed on those discoveries affecting human life...
in recognition of his work and its significance for human life. As of 2003, he was a member of the board of trustees. He received the Prix Jules Janssen
Prix Jules Janssen
The Prix Jules Janssen is the highest award of the French Astronomical Society. Created in 1897 and awarded annually, it is usually given in alternate years to a French astronomer, and to an astronomer of another nationality. It is distinct from the Janssen Medal , which is awarded by the French...
from the French Astronomical Society in 1998. In 2000, he was awarded the Balzan Prize
Balzan Prize
The International Balzan Prize Foundation awards four annual monetary prizes to people or organisations who have made outstanding achievements in the fields of humanities, natural sciences, culture, as well as for endeavours for peace and the brotherhood of man.-Rewards and assets:Each year the...
. Four years later, he was awarded the Albert Einstein Medal
Albert Einstein Medal
The Albert Einstein Medal is an award presented by the Albert Einstein Society in Bern. First given in 1979, the award is presented to people who have "rendered outstanding services" in connection with Albert Einstein each year.- Recipients :...
. In 2005, he received the Shaw Prize
Shaw Prize
The Shaw Prize is an annual award first presented by the Shaw Prize Foundation in 2004. Established in 2002 in Hong Kong, it honours living "individuals, regardless of race, nationality and religious belief, who have achieved significant breakthrough in academic and scientific research or...
in Astronomy, along with American astrophysicist Geoffrey Marcy
Geoffrey Marcy
Geoffrey W. Marcy is an American astronomer, who is currently Professor of Astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley, famous for discovering more extrasolar planets than anyone else, 70 out of the first 100 to be discovered, along with R...
. Mayor was made a knight of the French Legion d'Honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
in 2004.
In collaboration with Pierre-Yves Frei, Mayor wrote a book in French called Les Nouveaux mondes du Cosmos (Seuil
Seuil
Seuil is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.-Population:...
, 260 pages), which was awarded the Livre de l'astronomie 2001 prize by the 17th Astronomy Festival Haute Maurienne, (France).
He has received honorary doctorate degrees from seven universities: Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is a Dutch-speaking university in Flanders, Belgium.It is located at the centre of the historic town of Leuven, and is a prominent part of the city, home to the university since 1425...
(Belgium), 2001; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne (EPFL) (2002); Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (Brazil), 2006; Uppsala University (Sweden), 2007; Paris Observatory
Paris Observatory
The Paris Observatory is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centres in the world...
(France), 2008; Université Libre de Bruxelles
Université Libre de Bruxelles
The Université libre de Bruxelles is a French-speaking university in Brussels, Belgium. It has 21,000 students, 29% of whom come from abroad, and an equally cosmopolitan staff.-Name:...
(Belgium), 2009; University of Provence
University of Provence
The University of Provence Aix-Marseille I is a public university mostly located in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. It is one of the three Universities of Aix-Marseille and is part of the Academy of Aix and Marseille.-Overview:...
(Marseille, France), 2011.
Participation in professional associations
- organizer and publisher of nine Saas-Fee Advanced Courses of the Swiss Society of Astrophysics and Astronomy
- member of the editorial board of Europhysics News, 1985-1990
- Swiss delegate for the European Space AgencyEuropean Space AgencyThe European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states...
(ESA)'s Astronomical Working Group, 1985-1987 - President of the International Astronomical UnionInternational Astronomical UnionThe 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)'s Commission 33 on the "Structure and dynamics of the galactic system, 1988-1991 - Chairman of the European Southern ObservatoryEuropean Southern ObservatoryThe European Southern Observatory is an intergovernmental research organisation for astronomy, supported by fifteen countries...
's Scientific Technical Committee, 1990-1992 - President of the Swiss Society of Astrophysics and Astronomy (SSAA), 1990-1993
- Member of the organizing committee of the IAU Commission on Bioastronomy, 1997-2003
- Swiss delegate to the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Council, 2003-2007
- President of the IAU commission on extra-solar planets, 2006-2009
- Member of the European Academy of SciencesEuropean Academy of SciencesThe European Academy of Sciences has as mission to promote excellence in science and technology and their essential roles in fostering social and economic development and progress. It is registered in and operates under rules and regulations of Belgium. The European Academy of Sciences is an...
, 2004 - Foreign Associate of the French Academy of SciencesFrench Academy of SciencesThe French Academy of Sciences is a learned society, founded in 1666 by Louis XIV at the suggestion of Jean-Baptiste Colbert, to encourage and protect the spirit of French scientific research...
(Académie des sciences), 2003 - Honorary Fellow of the Royal Astronomical SocietyRoyal Astronomical SocietyThe Royal Astronomical Society is a learned society that began as the Astronomical Society of London in 1820 to support astronomical research . It became the Royal Astronomical Society in 1831 on receiving its Royal Charter from William IV...
(UK), 2008 - Foreign member of the National Academy of SciencesNational Academy of SciencesNational Academy of Sciences commonly refers to the academy in the United States of America.National Academy of Sciences may also refer to :* National Academy of Sciences of Argentina* Armenian National Academy of Sciences...
(US), 2010 - Foreign member of the American Academy of Arts and SciencesAmerican Academy of Arts and SciencesThe American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
, 2010