MG 14 · 2015
Ken'ichi Nomoto
Ken'ichi Nomoto is an astrophysicist known for stellar evolution, supernova progenitors, nucleosynthesis, and binary-star channels.
Born
1946, Tokyo, Japan
Affiliation at the Time of the Award
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Japan
Prize Motivation
“For heralding the role of binary systems in the evolution of massive stars.”
Meeting
MG XIV, Rome, Italy
Work
Massive stars and compact binaries determine how heavy elements are made and how stellar explosions occur.
Nomoto modeled the evolution of massive stars and binaries, clarifying pathways to supernovae and related explosive transients.
His work helped connect observed supernova diversity to stellar interiors, binary interaction, and chemical enrichment.