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 Sunny Vagnozzi |
Katherine Freese, born on February 8, 1957, is a brilliant scientist who studies the universe. She is a professor of physics at the University of Texas at Austin. Professor Freese is famous for her work in cosmology, which is the study of the universe's past, present, and future. She connects ideas from particle physics (the study of tiny particles) with astrophysics (the study of stars and galaxies).
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Her Journey in Science
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. She then received her master's degree from Columbia University. Later, she earned her PhD from the University of Chicago. Her advisor there was David Schramm.
After finishing her studies, she worked at several famous places. These included Harvard University and MIT. She also taught at the University of Michigan. In 2014, she became the director of Nordita. This is the Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2019, Professor Freese moved to the University of Texas at Austin. She continues her important research there.
Exploring the Universe
Professor Freese has made many important discoveries. She has done a lot of work on dark matter and dark energy. These are mysterious parts of our universe.
What is Dark Matter?
Dark matter is a type of matter we cannot see. It does not reflect or emit light. Scientists believe it makes up a large part of the universe. Katherine Freese was one of the first to suggest ways to find dark matter.
- One idea is to look for dark matter particles hitting Earth. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory experiment is trying to find these.
- Another idea is to look for a "wind" of dark matter. This wind would be felt as Earth moves around the Milky Way galaxy. Scientists around the world are searching for this.
Her work helped show that dark matter is likely made of WIMPs. WIMPs are "weakly interacting massive particles." This ruled out another idea called MACHOs. MACHOs are "massive compact halo objects."
What is Dark Energy?
Dark energy is another mystery. It is thought to be causing the universe to expand faster and faster. Professor Freese proposed a model called "Cardassian expansion." This idea suggests that dark energy might be a change to Einstein's equations.
Dark Stars
Recently, she suggested a new type of star. It is called a dark star. These stars would get their energy from dark matter. This is different from regular stars, which get energy from fusion. Fusion is when atoms combine and release energy.
The Beginning of the Universe
Professor Freese has also studied how the universe began. She looked for a theory called "inflation." Inflation is a very fast expansion that happened right after the Big Bang. Her "natural inflation" model uses special particles to explain this rapid growth. Early observations from the European Space Agency's Planck Satellite supported this idea.
Awards and Recognition
Katherine Freese has received many honors for her work.
- In 2009, she became a Fellow of the American Physical Society.
- She received a Simons Foundation Fellowship in 2012.
- Stockholm University gave her an honorary doctorate in 2012.
- In 2019, she won the Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize. This award recognized her amazing research and her efforts to share physics with everyone.
- In 2020, she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. This is a very high honor for scientists.
About Her Life
Katherine Freese was born in Freiburg, Germany in 1957. Her mother was Dr. Elisabeth Bautz. Her father, Ernst Freese, was a molecular biologist. Her brother, Andrew Freese, was a neurosurgeon. He performed the first gene therapy surgery on humans.
Sharing Science with Everyone
Professor Freese loves to share her knowledge. She wrote a book for the public called The Cosmic Cocktail: Three Parts Dark Matter. This book explains dark matter and dark energy. It also shares some of her own life story. The book talks about scientists like Fritz Zwicky. He was a very important astronomer who studied dark matter.
Katherine Freese has also appeared on TV. She was on the show Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman.
See also
In Spanish: Katherine Freese para niños
