Archives de la catégorie : Le bulletin Cassiopeia

(Cassiopeia – Autumn / l’automne 2022)

by / par Dr. Indrani Das
Thesis defended on July 25, 2022
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Western University
Thesis advisor: Prof. Shantanu Basu

Link to the Electronic thesis: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/8728/

Abstract
My dissertation focuses on the effect of magnetic fields on disk and core evolution during star-formation. We investigate the fragmentation scales of gravitational instability of a rotationally-supported self-gravitating protostellar disk using linear perturbation analysis in the presence of two nonideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects: Ohmic dissipation and ambipolar diffusion. Our results show that molecular clouds exhibit a preferred lengthscale for collapse that depends on mass-to-flux ratio, magnetic diffusivities, and the Toomre-Q parameter. In addition, the influence of the magnetic field on the preferred mass for collapse leads to a modified threshold for the fragmentation mass, as opposed to a Jeans mass, that might lead to giant planet formation in the early embedded phase. Furthermore, we apply the nonideal MHD threshold for fragmentation scales to fit the data of prestellar core lifetimes and as well as the number of enclosed cores formed in a clump, as found with the observations of Herschel and Submillimeter Array (SMA), respectively. Our results show that the trend found in the observed lifetime and fragmentation mass cannot be explained in a purely hydrodynamic scenario. Our best-fit model exhibits B ~ n^0.43, which signifies a means to indirectly infer the effect of the ambipolar diffusion on mildly supercritical dense regions of molecular clouds. We also develop a semi-analytic formalism of episodic mass accretion (therefore episodic luminosity) from a disk to star, which provides a good match to the observed luminosity distribution of protostars. In contrast, neither a constant nor a time-dependent but smoothly varying mass accretion rate is able to do so. Our analytic work provides insight into global MHD simulations of protoplanetary disks that we carry out using the FEOSAD numerical code. Our numerical results demonstrate the long-term evolution of disks, including the formation and evolution of clumps, and especially the episodic nature of accretion, which might explain the origin of observed knots in the molecular jet outflows.

Keywords: ISM: clouds – magnetic fields – magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) – stars: formation, gravitational collapse, disk evolution: episodic accretion, young stellar objects (YSOs)

By / par Kristine Spekkens (Canadian SKA Science Director) and the AACS
(Cassiopeia – Autumn / l’automne 2022)

Artist’s impression of the SKA, combining elements from South Africa and Australia from left to right in the image. Photos of real hardware have been blended with realizations of the future SKA antennas. Image credit: SKA Observatory.

The SKA Observatory (SKAO) is now 15 months into the construction phase of SKA Phase 1 (=SKA1), with the staged construction plan anticipating the first correlated SKA1-Low stations and SKA1-Mid dishes in 2024, the first data from scientifically competitive arrays in 2026, and science readiness reviews of completed arrays underway by 2028.  Forty-one contracts for a total commitment of over 150 million euros have now been awarded, with a focus on the components and subsystems needed for the initial integration phases for SKA1-Mid and SKA1-Low as well as on the development of software infrastructure for telescope management and delivery. Full production contracts for the major infrastructure components are expected to be secured by the end of 2022, with mitigation plans being implemented to navigate exceptional global challenges including inflation, shipping costs/times, labour shortages and component availability.

The SKAO’s mission is “to build and operate cutting-edge radio telescopes to transform our understanding of the Universe, and deliver benefits to society through global collaboration and innovation”. The broader impacts of the SKA are structured around the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and include building partnerships with Indigenous and local communities at the remote sites where the dishes and antennas will be located. In Australia, an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) with the Wajarri Yamaji, on whose traditional lands SKA1-Low will be located, provides ongoing consent for the Murchison Radio Observatory (MRO) where ASKAP and the MWA currently operate. The completion of a new SKA1-Low-specific ILUA – the outcome of years of negotiations – is expected by the end of this year. In South Africa, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with representatives of the San people, whose early ancestors walked the land on which SKA1-Mid will be located, was signed to protect and promote San culture and heritage. An MOU is also in place with Agri-SA, many of whose members own farms which border or will host SKA1-Mid antennas. NRC, SKAO, and LCRIC are organising a webinar this fall to provide CASCA members with additional information regarding the ongoing process of respectful engagement with Indigenous peoples and local communities on which the SKAO will continue to build across the lifetime of the project.

Canada is currently an Observer of the SKAO Council that governs the project. A cooperation agreement between NRC and the SKAO allows Canada’s scientific and engineering communities to continue participating in the SKA through March 2023, while longer-term SKAO membership is given full consideration by the federal government. Work under the cooperation agreement is fully funded and proceeding on schedule, with the Canadian correlator team from NRC and industry partner MDA on track to provide the backends to support the initial four-dish Array Assembly (= AA0.5) and the subsequent 8-dish Array Assembly (= AA1) for SKA1-Mid. A prototype system integration facility has been set up at MDA, with a compute cluster installed and digitizer and correlator hardware to be delivered in mid-September.  A Critical Design Review for the SKA1-Mid Single Pixel Feed and Receiver was held July 5-7, resulting in a conditional pass to proceed with construction of the Band 1 & 2 design pending the implementation of the recommendations generated by the review panel.

In order to maintain our leading role in SKA1-Mid correlator work, a commitment to construction and operations beyond the cooperation agreement will soon be required from our government. Bilateral meetings between NRC and SKAO held over the summer discussed a broad range of topics related to fulfilling the LPR2020 recommendation regarding Canadian participation in SKA1. These meetings have provided the ministries and agencies involved in the file with the most detailed, up-to-date information available to aid our government in its decision on long-term participation in the SKA.

New Eyes on the Universe, an international conference that will highlight the complementarity and synergies between the SKA and the ngVLA, will be held in Vancouver the week of April 30, 2023. The meeting will explore the science opportunities enabled by the unprecedented combined frequency coverage, sensitivity and resolution of the ngVLA and the SKA.  Plenary talks will feature the areas of greatest synergy between the two observatories, while contributed talks will focus on topics that highlight each facility’s strengths. Additional details regarding the conference as well as opportunities to participate will be circulated to CASCA members as they become available.

For more information and updates on Canada and the SKA:

• subscribe to the Canadian SKA email list by sending a blank email to all+subscribe@skacanada.groups.io and
• visit the SKA Canada website.

By / par Erik Rosolowsky (U Alberta), Joan Wrobel (NRAO)
(Cassiopeia – Autumn / l’automne 2022)

More details on all items may be found here.

ngVLA Key Science Goal 1: Unveiling the Formation of Solar System Analogues on Terrestrial Scales. Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF

New Eyes on the Universe: SKA & ngVLA Conference

The SKA and the ngVLA are pleased to announce a landmark radio astronomy science conference designed to highlight the complementarity and synergies between these premier radio observatories of the 21st century. To be held in Vancouver, Canada the week of 30 April 2023, this conference will review, discuss, and extend the cutting-edge science opportunities enabled by the unprecedented SKA-ngVLA coverage across three decades of radio frequency (50 MHz to 116 GHz).

ngVLA Special Session: Chemical Probes of Astrophysical Systems

The NRAO and the ngVLA will convene a Special Session titled « Chemical Probes of Astrophysical Systems » at the January 2023 American Astronomical Society meeting in Seattle, WA. Invited presentations by Eliza Kempton (UMD), Brett McGuire (MIT), David Meier (NMT), Stefanie Milam (GSFC), Dominique Segura-Cox (MPE), and Kamber Schwarz (MPIA) will be featured. Contributed iPoster presentations on any ngVLA theme are welcomed.

ngVLA Site Selection Begins in Mexico

In September 2022, the NRAO began supporting a Mexican astronomer’s work to select and develop antenna sites in northern Mexico for the ngVLA.

ngVLA Completes Its Technical Conceptual Design Review

The ngVLA successfully completed its Technical Conceptual Design Review in July 2022. This verifies that the technical design is likely to meet all the performance-driving requirements. This successful milestone sets the stage for the Programmatic Conceptual Design Review, to be run in March 2023 by the US National Science Foundation.

Computational Astrophysics in the ngVLA Era: Synergistic Simulations, Theory, and Observations

Held in June 2022 at the Simons Foundation’s Flatiron Institute in Manhattan, New York, USA, this conference brought together 80+ theoreticians, modellers, and observers. Their 50+ presentations dealt with the computational astrophysics and observational challenges for the next generation of observatories, with a focus on the ngVLA.

VLA/VLBA to ngVLA Transition Advisory Group (TAG)

This group will determine how to transition operations between the currently operating VLA/VLBA to the ngVLA during construction process. TAG membership, including Stefi Baum (Manitoba), was announced in May 2022. The TAG will develop, quantitatively assess, and evaluate a set of possible transition options that can be prioritized on their scientific promise, cost, and technical/personnel impacts. It is anticipated that the TAG’s final report will be delivered by mid-2023 to the NRAO and the US National Science Foundation.

By / par John Hutchings, Patrick Côté (NRC Herzberg Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Centre)
(Cassiopeia – Autumn / l’automne 2022)

CASTOR continues to make progress on several fronts. The following list summarizes activities since the last e-CASS report in June.

1. The ongoing work towards a collaboration with India featured a meeting between CSA and ISRO in July. Enthusiasm for the collaboration was expressed on both sides, and schedules exchanged. The next formal step awaits a meeting of the ISRO advisory committee APEX this month to formalize the joint mission. In the meantime, the Canadian and Indian teams continue to work on a common design and science plan.
2. The UK Space Agency has issued an Announcement of Opportunity to fund bilateral missions of interest that specifically include CSA, and a proposal to fund CASTOR scientific and technical work is in preparation now. This is a timely step towards the UK participation that has been in discussion for some years.
3. CSA will attend at International Astronautical Congress meeting in Paris later this month, where bilateral discussions are planned with these and other potential partners (NASA/JPL, ESA) for CASTOR. In addition, CASTOR will be on the agenda for regular CSA meetings with NASA.
4. The ongoing CSA technical and phase 0 contracts continue to make progress. The work on acquiring, doping and coating prototype detectors involves Canadian industry, Teledyne-E2V, JPL, and HAA. Science working groups are detailing specific surveys and investigations as a design reference mission, aided by an extensive set of simulation and planning tools (FORECASTOR) being developed at HAA. A detailed costing exercise for the entire mission is also under way as part of the Phase 0 study.
5. Overall, progress is on track to have a well-defined mission with international partners by about a year from now, as a powerful, Canadian-led mission of unique capability that will serve the community and the world over a wide range of research interests. These range from deep UV imaging surveys and spectra for cosmology, galactic evolution and AGN, to detailed studies of nearby galaxies, exoplanets, the outer solar system, and also enable unique time-domain and multi-messenger astronomy in the UV-blue.

For more information on the mission, see the CASTOR mission website.

By / par Gregg Wade (on behalf of the Canadian BRITE team)
(Cassiopeia – Autumn / l’automne 2022)

BRITE-Constellation is an international space astronomy mission consisting of a fleet of 20x20x20 cm nanosatellites dedicated to precision optical photometry of bright stars in two photometric colours. The mission continues in full science operations, with 64 datasets available in the public domain from the BRITE public archive. As of April of 2020, all data is made public as soon as decorrelation is complete, with no proprietary period.

The BRITE mission is a collaboration between Canadian, Austrian and Polish astronomers and space scientists. The Canadian partners represent University of Toronto, Université de Montréal, Mount Allison University, and Royal Military College of Canada. The mission was built, and the Canadian satellites operated, by the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies Space Flight Lab (UTIAS-SFL). The Canadian Space Agency funded the construction of the Canadian satellites and continues to support their day-to-day operations.

Operations

There are five BRITE satellites in the Constellation, which work together to obtain well-sampled, long term continuous (~6 months) light curves in both red and blue band passes across a variety of sky fields.

As this issue of Cassiopeia went to press, the assignments of the BRITE nanosats were:

• BRITE Toronto (Canada): This satellite observes with a red filter. It is currently observing the Cyg V with good pointing performance. (As indicated by the roman numeral, Cygnus is a BRITE legacy field being observed for the 5th time.)
• BRITE Lem (Poland): Lem observes with a blue filter, but is currently idle due to unresolved stability issues.
• BRITE Heweliusz (Poland): Heweliusz observes with a red filter. It is currently being set up on the Ori IX field.
• BRITE Austria (Austria): BRITE Austria observes with a blue filter. It is currently observing the Sgr VIII field.
• UniBRITE (Austria): Currently out of order.

The BRITE Constellation observing program is currently set through mid-2022. Details of the observing plan will be available on the BRITE photometry Wiki page.

Recent Science Results

“Towards a consistent model of the hot quadruple system HD 93206 = QZ Carinae – I. Observations and their initial analyses” (Harmanec et al. 2022, A&A, in press)

Fit to BRITE and TESS light curves of HD 93206 with the synthetic light curve computed with PHOEBE 1.

The hot nine-component system HD 93206, which contains a gravitationally bounded eclipsing Ac1+Ac2 binary (P=5.9987d) and a spectroscopic Aa1+Aa2 (P=20.734d) binary can provide important insights into the origin and evolution of massive stars. Using archival and new spectra, and a rich collection of ground-based and space photometric observations, we carried out a detailed study of this object. We provide a much improved description of both short orbits and a good estimate of the mutual period of both binaries of about 14500d (i.e. 40 years). For the first time, we detected weak lines of the fainter component of the 6.0d eclipsing binary in the optical region of the spectrum, measured their radial velocities, and derived a mass ratio of MAc2/MAc1=1.29, which is the opposite of what was estimated from the International Ultraviolet explorer (IUE) spectra. We confirm that the eclipsing subsystem Ac is semi-detached and is therefore in a phase of large-scale mass transfer between its components. The Roche-lobe filling and spectroscopically brighter component Ac1 is the less massive of the two and is eclipsed in the secondary minimum. We show that the bulk of the Hα emission, so far believed to be associated with the eclipsing system, moves with the primary O9.7I component Aa1 of the 20.73d spectroscopic binary. However, the weak emission in the higher Balmer lines seems to be associated with the accretion disc around component Ac2. We demonstrate that accurate masses and other basic physical properties including the distance of this unique system can be obtained but require a more sophisticated modelling.

Conferences, Resources, and Social Media

Conferences

No conferences are planned for the immediate future.

Resources

The BRITE Public Data Archive, based in Warsaw, Poland, at the Nikolaus Copernicus Astronomical Centre, can be accessed here.

The mission Wiki (including information on past, current and future fields) can be accessed here.

BRITE Constellation is on Facebook, at @briteconstellation.

The BRITE International Advisory Science Team

The BRITE International Advisory Science Team (BIAST), which consists of BRITE scientific PIs, technical authorities, amateur astronomers, and mission fans, advises the mission executive on scientific and outreach aspects of the mission. If you’re interested in joining BIAST, contact Catherine Lovekin, the chair of BEST.

Submitted by / Proposé par Kathryn MacLeod (Senior Communications Advisor, Communications Branch National Research Council Canada / Government of Canada; Conseillère principale en communications, Direction des communications Conseil national de recherches Canada / Gouvernement du Canada)

(Cassiopeia – Summer / été 2022)

La version française suit

Tom Landecker awarded the W.G. Schneider Medal

Dr. Tom Landecker, Researcher Emeritus, has recently been awarded the W.G. Schneider Medal – the highest expression of recognition for achievement at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). This award recognizes an employee who has made an outstanding contribution to the NRC above and beyond the expectations of their job duties, and who exemplifies the NRC’s values.

Dr. Landecker has been a major force in, and an inspiration to, Canadian astronomy for 5 decades. With expertise in both engineering and astronomy, he has pushed technological improvement in the service of science, working with academic partners to develop novel telescopes at the NRC’s Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO) which have enabled science, including some of the world’s foremost research on Fast Radio Bursts here in Canada.

He is a publishing powerhouse, authoring 150 refereed journal articles in science and engineering. He celebrated his 80th birthday with 9 new papers in 2021 alone.

He is highly respected among his peers in astronomy, not just for his expertise, but also for his enthusiasm, leadership and mentorship, inspiring and encouraging the next generation of Canadian astronomers.

A Legacy of Telescopes and the Discovery They Enable

Dr. Landecker first arrived at the DRAO as a postdoctoral fellow now a part of the NRC Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, in 1969.

In that role, he helped build the Synthesis Telescope – a unique imaging radio telescope that is open to all Canadian and international astronomers. Later, as Director of the DRAO, Dr. Landecker used the Synthesis Telescope to lead the team carrying out one of the largest surveys of the interstellar medium (dust and gas), the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS, 1995-2014). He developed techniques for wide-field polarization imaging that have become standard in the field. The project produced over 400 refereed publications, and continues to generate about 20 more each year. This success spawned an international era of wide-field radio surveys.

Following this, Dr. Landecker started the Global Magneto-Ionic Medium Survey (GMIMS), mapping out the polarization of the entire radio sky, and making this available to all astronomers via the NRC’s Canadian Astronomy Data Centre. The GMIMS consortium comprises 14 Canadian and 22 international scientists, including many experts in magnetic field studies.

All of Dr. Landecker’s projects have developed new technical capabilities to support science that previously was simply not possible, from telescope upgrades and new algorithms for the CGPS, to new feed concepts and on-site demonstrations leading to the success of the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME).

Supporting University Collaboration

Dr. Landecker has also played an instrumental role in the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), sited at the DRAO. He advised university partners on the development of CHIME’s unprecedented “half-pipe” design, to realize a valuable new tool for cosmology and the hunt for Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). CHIME has been spectacularly successful, receiving the Governor General’s Award for Innovation (2020) and the Berkeley Prize of the American Astronomical Society (2022). A CHIME result on FRBs was lauded among the top scientific results of 2020 among both Nature and Science magazines.

“Tom has been absolutely crucial to the success of CHIME, on account of his deep knowledge of radio instrumentation, his amazing expertise on Galactic emission, his enthusiastic appreciation and detailed knowledge of a very broad range of research topics, and his very deep respect for his colleagues.”

– Mark Halpern, University of British Columbia and Principal Investigator, CHIME

“Tom has been a major driving force behind Canadian radio astronomy for many decades… Tom has been absolutely essential to the development, construction, implementation, testing, calibration and scientific exploitation of CHIME.”

– Victoria Kaspi, McGill University and Principal Investigator, CHIME/FRB

Mentorship

Dr. Tom Landecker’s enthusiasm, technical expertise, scientific focus and hands-on work ethic have directly inspired generations of students and postdoctoral fellows. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Calgary and the University of British Columbia – Okanagan. He has supervised 17 graduate students at Canadian universities, and worked closely with many more, acting in particular as a strong advocate and mentor for women in engineering and science.

“Tom Landecker has been my mentor since I was in graduate school… In a world filled with competitive agents, he is the most collaborative and inclusive person I know. My graduate students and I have benefited immensely from his knowledge and wisdom; I am eternally grateful for his support and friendship.”

– Professor Jo-Anne Brown, University of Calgary

“Through mentorship, Tom has encouraged female students and postdocs, myself included, into the traditionally male-dominated fields of astronomy and engineering, always with a genuine trust in their abilities and their potential to contribute… His way of communicating empowers me to learn new concepts and fill in gaps in my understanding while feeling that I am part of a productive conversation.”

– Anna Ordog, current Postdoctoral Fellow, University of British Columbia-Okanagan

Congratulations Tom!

Tom Landecker reçoit la médaille W.G. Schneider

Tom Landecker (Ph. D.), chercheur émérite, a récemment reçu la médaille W.G. Schneider — la plus haute expression de la reconnaissance des réalisations au Conseil national de recherches du Canada (CNRC). Ce prix récompense un employé ou une employée qui a apporté une contribution exceptionnelle au CNRC, au-delà des attentes liées à ses fonctions, et qui incarne les valeurs du CNRC.

M. Landecker a été une force de travail exceptionnel et une source d’inspiration pour l’astronomie canadienne pendant cinq décennies. Grâce à son expertise en génie et en astronomie, il a grandement contribué à l’amélioration technologique au service de la science, travaillant avec des partenaires universitaires pour mettre au point de nouveaux télescopes à l’Observatoire fédéral de radioastrophysique (OFR) du CNRC qui ont permis la réalisation de travaux scientifiques, y compris certaines des recherches les plus importantes au monde sur les sursauts radio rapides ici au Canada.

Il est l’auteur de 150 articles de revues scientifiques et techniques avec comité de lecture. Il a célébré son 80e anniversaire en publiant neuf nouveaux articles en 2021 seulement.

Il est grandement respecté par ses pairs en astronomie, non seulement pour son expertise, mais aussi pour son enthousiasme, son leadership et son mentorat, inspirant et motivant la prochaine génération d’astronomes canadiens.

L’héritage des télescopes et les découvertes qu’ils permettent de réaliser

C’est à titre de boursier postdoctoral que M. Landecker est arrivé en 1969 à l’OFR qui fait maintenant partie du Centre de recherche Herzberg en astronomie et en astrophysique du CNRC.

À cette époque, il a contribué à la construction du radiotélescope à synthèse d’ouverture — un imageur unique en son genre, accessible à tous les astronomes canadiens et internationaux. Plus tard, en tant que directeur de l’OFR, M. Landecker a exploité ce radiotélescope pour diriger l’équipe chargée de l’une des plus grandes études du milieu interstellaire (poussière et gaz), l’Étude canadienne du plan galactique (ECPG, 1995-2014). Il a conçu des techniques d’imagerie de polarisation à grand champ qui sont devenues la norme dans le domaine. Le projet a donné lieu à plus de 400 publications avec comité de lecture, et continue d’en générer une vingtaine d’articles chaque année. Ce succès a donné naissance à une ère internationale de relevés radio à grand champ.

Par la suite, M. Landecker a lancé le relevé mondial des milieux magnéto-ioniques (GMIMS), qui cartographie la polarisation de l’ensemble du ciel radio et la met à la disposition de tous les astronomes par l’intermédiaire du Centre canadien de données astronomiques du CNRC. Le consortium GMIMS comprend 14 scientifiques nationaux et 22 scientifiques internationaux, dont de nombreux experts en études des champs magnétiques.

Tous les projets de M. Landecker ont permis de créer de nouvelles capacités techniques pour appuyer des activités scientifiques qui étaient tout simplement impossibles auparavant qu’il s’agisse de la mise à niveau de télescopes et de nouveaux algorithmes pour le Relevé canadien du plan galactique (CGPS), de nouveaux concepts d’alimentation et de démonstrations sur place qui ont mené au succès de l’Expérience canadienne de cartographie de l’hydrogène (CHIME).

Soutien à la collaboration universitaire

M. Landecker a également joué un rôle déterminant dans l’Expérience canadienne de cartographie de l’hydrogène (CHIME), située à l’OFR. Il a conseillé ses partenaires universitaires sur le développement de la conception sans précédent du « demi-tube » de CHIME, afin de réaliser un nouvel outil précieux pour la cosmologie et la chasse aux sursauts radio rapides (FRB). Le projet CHIME a connu un succès retentissant, recevant le Prix du Gouverneur général pour l’innovation (2020) et le prix Berkeley de l’American Astronomical Society (2022). Un résultat du projet CHIME sur les sursauts radio rapides a été salué comme l’un des meilleurs résultats scientifiques de 2020 par les périodiques Nature et Science.

« Tom a joué un rôle indéniable dans le succès du projet CHIME, en raison de sa connaissance approfondie de l’instrumentation radio, de son étonnante expertise de l’émission galactique, de son appréciation enthousiaste et de sa connaissance détaillée d’un très large éventail de sujets de recherche, et de son très profond respect pour ses collègues. »

– Mark Halpern, Université de la Colombie-Britannique, et chercheur principal du projet CHIME

« Tom a été l’une des chevilles ouvrières de la radioastronomie canadienne pendant de nombreuses décennies… Il a été un acteur absolument essentiel du développement, de la construction, de la mise en œuvre, des essais, de l’étalonnage et de l’exploitation scientifique du projet CHIME. »

– Victoria Kaspi, Université McGill, et chercheuse principale du projet CHIME et des sursauts radio rapides

Mentorat

L’enthousiasme, l’expertise technique, l’orientation scientifique et l’éthique de travail pratique de Tom Landecker se sont révélés une source d’inspiration directe pour des générations d’étudiants et boursiers postdoctoraux. Il est professeur associé à l’Université de Calgary et à l’Université de Colombie-Britannique — Okanagan. Il a supervisé 17 étudiants diplômés dans des universités canadiennes et a travaillé en étroite collaboration avec de nombreux autres, agissant en particulier comme un ardent défenseur et mentor des femmes en ingénierie et en sciences.

« Tom Landecker est mon mentor depuis mes études supérieures… Dans un monde marqué par la concurrence, il est la personne la plus collaborative et la plus inclusive que j’ai la chance de connaître. Mes étudiants diplômés et moi-même avons énormément profité de ses connaissances et de sa sagesse. Je lui suis éternellement reconnaissant pour son soutien et son amitié. »

– Professeure Jo-Anne Brown, Université de Calgary

« Par son rôle de mentor, Tom a encouragé des étudiantes et des postdoctorantes, moi y compris, à se lancer dans les domaines de l’astronomie et de l’ingénierie, traditionnellement dominés par les hommes, en ayant toujours une confiance sincère dans leurs capacités et leur potentiel de contribution… Sa façon de communiquer me permet d’apprendre de nouveaux concepts et de combler les lacunes de ma compréhension, et ce, tout en ayant le sentiment de participer à une conversation productive. »

– Anna Ordog, boursière postdoctorale, Université de la Colombie-Britannique – Okanagan

Félicitations Tom!