MG 13 · 2012
David Arnett
David Arnett is an astrophysicist known for stellar evolution, nucleosynthesis, and supernova theory.
Born
1940, United States
Affiliation at the Time of the Award
University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
Prize Motivation
“For exploring the nuclear physics and yet unsolved problems of the endpoint of thermonuclear evolution of stars, leading to new avenues of research in physics and astrophysics.”
Meeting
MG XIII, Stockholm, Sweden
Work
The late stages of stellar evolution determine how stars explode and how chemical elements are dispersed.
Arnett developed theoretical descriptions of nuclear burning, stellar endpoints, and supernova light curves.
His work connected nuclear reaction physics to observable explosions and the chemical history of galaxies.