Monika Mościbrodzka

Monika Mościbrodzka is a Polish astrophysicist who is a professor at Radboud University Nijmegen. She is an expert in general relativistic plasma dynamics and numerical astrophysics. She was part of the Event Horizon Telescope team who contributed to the first direct image of a black hole, supermassive black hole M87*. She was awarded the 2022 Dutch Research Council Athena Prize and the 2023 Royal Astronomical Society Eddington Medal.

Monika Mościbrodzka
NationalityPolish
Alma materNicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences
AwardsEddington Medal
Scientific career
InstitutionsRadboud University Nijmegen
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Websitewww.astro.ru.nl/~monikamo/

Early life and education

Mościbrodzka earned her doctorate at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences.[1] Afterwards, she moved to the United States, where she was part of the University of Nevada and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.[1]

Research and career
A view of the M87 supermassive black hole in polarised light

Mościbrodzka has pioneered the development of numerical astrophysics, which can be used in combination with experimental observations to test general relativity.[2] These studies contributed to the first ever direct image of a black hole, specifically, the supermassive black hole at the centre of Messier 87.[3] Mościbrodzka served as coordinator of the Event Horizon Telescope Polarimetric Working Group[4] and performed polarization analysis of the M87 images.[5] In these polarization-resolved images, the lines mark the direction of the oscillations of the electric vector of the electromagnetic waves.[6]

Mościbrodzka also develops models of the accretion flows in the jets of black holes. By simulating the plasma, magnetic field dynamics and radiative transfer, Mościbrodzka can predict the signatures of accreting black holes.

Awards

Selected publications

References
  1. "Zespół |". Astrofizyka. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  2. ""Miałem poczucie doniosłości chwili". Polscy naukowcy o pracy nad pierwszym zdjęciem czarnej dziury". TVN24 (in Polish). Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  3. "The Astronomers Who Shed Light on Black Holes". Bloomberg.com. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  4. S.A, Telewizja Polska. "Polish scientist uncovers secrets of black holes". tvpworld.com. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  5. information@eso.org. "Astronomowie uzyskali obraz pól magnetycznych na obrzeżu czarnej dziury w M87". www.eso.org (in Polish). Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  6. "Astronomers Image Magnetic Fields at the Edge of M87's Black Hole". 24 March 2021.
  7. "The Bloomberg 50". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  8. "NWO-Athena Award voor sterrenkundige Monika Mościbrodzka". www.astronomie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  9. Simion @Yonescat, Florin. "Royal Astronomical Society unveils 2023 award winners". The Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
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