Dr. Misako Tatsuuma won an honourable mention for the 2022 International Astronomical Union (IAU) PhD Prize
Misako Tatsuuma, a JSPS Research Fellow PD at Tokyo Institute of Technology, has been awarded an honourable mention for the 2022 International Astronomical Union (IAU) PhD Prize.
She received her PhD from the Department of Astronomy, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo, and the Division of Science, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ).
Established in 2016, the IAU PhD Prize is an annual award given to the best PhD thesis in one of the IAU’s nine divisions.
Applicants from around the world, whose PhD theses were reviewed in the previous year, are eligible for consideration.
Additionally, starting in 2021, honourable mentions have been introduced in several divisions.
Dr. Tatsuuma received the honourable mention in Division F Planetary Systems and Bioastronomy from among applicants whose dissertations were reviewed between December 16, 2021, and December 15, 2022.
Her dissertation, titled “Material Strength of Dust Aggregates in Planet Formation,” focuses on determining the strength of dust aggregates, which form the basis of planets.
Through simulations, theoretical modeling, and comparisons with exploration results of comets, asteroids, and other small bodies in the Solar System, she aims to gain insights into the process of planet formation.
Dr. Tatsuuma commented:
I am delighted and honored to receive such a prestigious international award on this occasion.
I would like to express my deep gratitude to my collaborators Akimasa Kataoka (NAOJ), Hidekazu Tanaka (Tohoku University), Satoshi Okuzumi (Tokyo Institute of Technology), and Tristan Guillot (Observatoire de la Cote d’Azur).
I am determined to continue shedding light on the process of planet formation from my unique perspective on the material strength of dust aggregates.
(The photo is from March 2022 when she got her PhD degree)
IAU’s webpage: https://www.iau.org/news/announcements/detail/ann23019/
Dr. Tatsuuma’s webpage: https://mtatsuuma.github.io/
