Presidential Young Investigator Award: Solar Oscillations

Libbrecht建造了一架望远镜，用来高精度地测量太阳上的速度。从空间和时间的速度模式，他推断出太阳五分钟振荡的精确频率。分析得出，在其他参数中，各种模式的寿命和太阳内部深处的旋转。观测和理论都需要并将得到改进，以便进一步推断太阳对流和太阳结构。该奖项是在总统青年研究人员计划下颁发给在太阳地震学领域已经取得优异成绩的年轻物理学家。他探索太阳内部的技术很像陆地地震学中用来探索地球内部的技术。他建造了两台望远镜并投入使用，这两台望远镜可以非常精确地测量太阳的形状和振动。他已经展示了利用数据进行重要解释的能力。太阳地震学有望对实际问题（如对流的理解）和天体物理问题（如中微子的发射和恒星的内部旋转）提供根本性的新见解。利布莱希特在教学方面表现出了主动性，他为本科生建造了一台望远镜。

Libbrecht has built a telescope designed to measure velocities on the Sun with very high accuracy. From the spatial and temporal velocity patterns he deduces the precise frequencies of the solar five-minute oscillations. Analysis yields, among other parameters, the lifetimes of the various modes and the rotation of the Sun deep in its interior. Both observations and theory need and will receive refinement to allow further deductions about solar convection and solar structure. This award is made under the Presidential Young Investigators Program to a young physicist who has already excelled in the field of solar seismology. He explores the solar interior using techniques much like those used in terrestrial seismology to explore the interior of the Earth. He has built and brought into operation two telescopes suited to measure very accurately both the shape and the oscillations of the Sun. He has demonstrated the ability to use the data for significant interpretations. Solar seismology promises fundamental new insights into practical problems such as the understanding of convection and into astrophysical problems such as the emission of neutrinos and the internal rotation of stars. Libbrecht has shown initiative in teaching by building a telescope for the use of undergraduate students.