Katherine Freese facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katherine Freese
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Katherine Freese in 2005
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| Born | February 8, 1957 Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Princeton University, Columbia University, University of Chicago |
| Known for | Dark matter, Dark stars, Dark energy, Inflation |
| Awards | Simons Foundation Fellowship (2012) Lilienfeld Prize (2019) Member of the National Academy Sciences (2020) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astrophysics, Cosmology |
| Institutions | University of Texas at Austin University of Michigan Nordita, Stockholm University |
| Doctoral advisor | David Schramm |
| Doctoral students | Janna Levin |
Katherine Freese (born February 8, 1957) is a brilliant scientist who studies the universe. She is a theoretical astrophysicist. This means she uses math and ideas to understand how the universe works. Currently, she is a physics professor at the University of Texas at Austin. She is famous for her research on cosmology (the study of the universe) and how it connects to tiny particles and huge stars.
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Katherine Freese's Education and Career
Katherine Freese went to some of the best universities. She earned her first degree from Princeton University. She was one of the first women to study physics there. Later, she got her master's degree from Columbia University. She then earned her PhD from the University of Chicago. Her advisor was a famous scientist named David Schramm.
After her studies, she worked at several top research places. These included Harvard University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. She then became a professor at MIT. Later, she moved to the University of Michigan. There, she was a special physics professor.
In 2014, Katherine Freese became the director of Nordita. This is the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics in Stockholm, Sweden. She also became a visiting professor at Stockholm University. In 2019, she joined the University of Texas at Austin. She now holds a special teaching position there.
Amazing Discoveries About the Universe
Katherine Freese has made big contributions to understanding the universe. She has done important work on dark matter and dark energy. These are mysterious parts of the universe we cannot see.
Hunting for Dark Matter
She was one of the first to suggest ways to find dark matter.
- One idea is to look for dark matter particles in Earth. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory experiment is trying this.
- Another idea involves the "wind" of dark matter. This wind happens as Earth moves around the Milky Way galaxy. Scientists worldwide are searching for this.
Her research also helped rule out one type of dark matter. This type was called MACHOs (Massive Compact Halo Objects). Her work showed that WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles) are a better fit.
Dark Energy and Dark Stars
Freese also proposed a new idea for dark energy. This idea is called "Cardassian expansion." It suggests that Einstein's equations might be slightly different. This change could explain why the universe is expanding faster.
Recently, she suggested a new type of star. It is called a dark star. These stars would get their energy from dark matter. Instead of burning fuel like our Sun, they would use dark matter crashing into itself.
The Universe's Beginning and End
Katherine Freese has also studied how the universe began. She looked for a theory called "inflation." This theory explains how the Big Bang got its start. Her "natural inflation" model uses tiny particles to explain the universe's rapid growth.
She has also thought about the Ultimate fate of the universe. This includes what might happen to life in the universe far in the future.
Awards and Honors
Katherine Freese has received many awards for her work.
- In 2009, she became a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
- She received a Simons Foundation Fellowship in 2012.
- The University of Stockholm gave her an honorary doctorate in 2012.
- In 2019, she won the Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize. This award was for her amazing research and for sharing physics with everyone.
- She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2020. This is a very high honor for scientists.
- In 2021, she received an award from the University of Chicago for her professional achievements.
About Her Life
Katherine Freese was born in Freiburg, Germany, in 1957. Her father, Ernst Freese, was a scientist who studied tiny living things. Her brother, Andrew Freese, was a brain surgeon. He performed the first surgery for gene therapy on humans.
Sharing Science with Everyone
Katherine Freese loves to share her knowledge with the public. She wrote a book called The Cosmic Cocktail: Three Parts Dark Matter. It came out in 2014. The book explains dark matter and dark energy in a way that's easy to understand. It also shares some of her own life story.
She has also appeared on TV. She was on the show Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman.
