Johann Wempe Award 2007 - Dr. Ignasi Ribas

This year's Johann Wempe Prize of the Astrophysical Institute Potsdam (AIP) will be awarded on Friday, 9 November 2007 to Dr. Ignasi Ribas from the Institute for Space Research in Barcelona, Spain, for his outstanding work in the field of M-dwarf binary stars and his studies on the habitability of exoplanets. The prize is financed by funds bequeathed by the last director of the former Astrophysical Observatory Potsdam, Prof. Dr. Johann Wempe (1906-1980).

The laureate

Dr Ribas' central concern is research into the inner life of stars. He investigates the convective energy transport and the rotation of stars as well as the influence of magnetic fields. With the help of detailed observations of M-dwarf stars in eclipsing binaries, he draws conclusions about the inner workings in binary stars. He was already honoured for his doctoral thesis at the University of Barcelona in 1999. From 2000 to 2001, he was first a Fulbright Fellow, then a post-doctoral researcher at Villanova University in the USA. From 2001 to 2004, he was an assistant professor at the University of Barcelona. He is currently a Ramón y Cajal Fellow at the Institute of Space Research in Barcelona, Spain. With 142 accepted publications, he is one of the leading young astronomers in Europe in his field.

Programme of the award ceremony on 9.11.2007

10:00
Greetings

10:15
Laudation

10:30
Presentation of prizes

10:45
Refreshments

11:15
Keynote lecture

Prof. Dr. Artie P. Hatzes (State Observatory of Thuringia)

"The Current Status of Exoplanet Research".

12:00
Bufett