Associated Universities, Inc. President wins 2002 Nobel Prize for Physics

The Nobel Prize in Physics has just been awarded to Riccardo Giacconi,
President of Associated Universities, Inc., and Research Professor at
Johns Hopkins University, “for pioneering contributions to astrophysics,
which have led to the discovery of cosmic X-ray sources.” The award was
also given to Raymond Davis Jr., Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University of Pennsylvania, and to Masatoshi Koshiba, International
Center for Elementary Particle Physics, University of Tokyo, Japan, for
their work in neutrino astrophysics.

Giacconi, known as the father of X-ray astronomy, used X-ray detectors
launched on rockets to discover the first cosmic X-ray source in 1962.
In order to investigate cosmic X-ray radiation, which is absorbed in the
Earth’s atmosphere, it is necessary to place instruments in space. He
outlined a methodical program to investigate this new X-ray universe
and, working with his research group at American Science and
Engineering, Inc. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, developed the first space
satellite dedicated to this new field of X-ray astronomy. The first
rocket experiments were funded by the Department of Defense. The
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) later took over as
major sponsor of the rocket and satellite-based program.

Named Uhuru, the first dedicated X-ray satellite observatory was
launched in 1970. Uhuru discovered hundreds of X-ray sources. Giacconi
and his group found that the emission of many X-ray objects varied,
leading to the conclusion these sources were compact objects in orbit
around other stars. The compact objects were neutron stars and black
holes. Black holes had been previously hypothesized but never seen.
They are now found to be present not just in binary systems, but on a
larger scale, also at the centers of galaxies. Giacconi also was the
first to prove that the Universe contains background radiation of X-ray
light.

Uhuru made many other discoveries, including the presence of gas in
clusters of galaxies, which dwarfed the mass present in the stars we
see. Uhuru not only revolutionized our view of the Universe, but paved
the way for other satellite observatories. Giacconi and his group, now
located at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), went
on to develop and operate the Einstein X-ray Observatory, which took the
first images of astronomical X-ray sources in 1978. After Giacconi left
to become the first director of the Space Telescope Science Institute,
the CfA group carried forward the program, culminating in the currently
operating Chandra X-ray Observatory. Giacconi’s contributions laid the
foundations of X-ray astronomy.

Riccardo Giacconi has played a key role in other astronomy programs. As
its first director, he established the Space Telescope Science Institute
to conduct the science program of the Hubble Space Telescope. He not
only created a first rank research institute, but also one which made
Hubble into the pre-eminent observatory it is. He later moved to
Germany to become Director-General of the European Southern Observatory,
building the Very Large Telescope, an array of four 8-meter telescopes
built atop a flattened mountain in Chile. In 1999, he returned to the
United States to become President of Associated Universities, Inc.
(AUI), which operates the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. AUI
also is currently leading a collaborative effort proposing to establish
an Institute to manage the research program of the International Space
Station.

CAREER SUMMARY

Riccardo Giacconi

After a few years of teaching and post-doctoral training in elementary
particle physics at Milano, Indiana, and Princeton universities, in 1959
Riccardo Giacconi joined American Science and Engineering Corporation
(ASE), a 28-man private research corporation located in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. He was given the responsibility to initiate space
research activities for the corporation using Federal grant support.
Starting with a few people, the Space Research and System Division (SR &
SD) of ASE grew to approximately 500 people by 1970. The work of SR &
SD included design and development of space hardware as well as
reduction and analysis of data for several programs of research
sponsored by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

In 1962, Dr. Giacconi’s group succeeded in detecting the first extrasolar
X-ray source. In 1963 the same group obtained the first solar X-ray
picture by use of an X-ray telescope that was conceived, advocated,
designed, fabricated, and tested by them. In 1963, Dr. Giacconi
proposed an X-ray astronomy Explorer. The proposal led to a program of
construction (1996 to 1970) followed by a successful launch in 1970.
The satellite became known as “UHURU” and represented a major
qualitative step in X-ray astronomy’s observational capability.

Following the early work on solar X-ray studies, a major program
initiated in 1968 culminated in the flight of the SO-54 X-ray telescope
on the ATM’s Skylab mission.

In 1970, the program for construction of a 1.2 meter X-ray telescope for
study of extrasolar sources was initiated. The program was modified in
1973 and finally led to the “Einstein” Observatory mission, successfully
launched in 1978. Dr. Giacconi had responsibility for the scientific as
well as the management direction for all these programs.

In the late 1960s, Dr. Giacconi assumed additional responsibility for the
commercial product and educational divisions of ASE Corporation. He was
promoted to Executive Vice President in 1969 with broad responsibilities
for the activities of the Corporation. He participated in the
acquisition of subsidiaries, the first public offering of corporate
stock, and in the development of corporate facilities.

In 1973, Dr. Giacconi joined the faculty of Harvard University and became
Associate Director of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
High Energy Astrophysics Division, which, in 1981, had a staff of
approximately 100.

Among the most significant activities of the Division under Dr.
Giacconi’s leadership were the scientific direction of the Einstein
Observatory program, preparation of the software and hardware for data
reduction and analysis for Einstein, and the institution and
implementation of the Guest Observer Program.

While the Einstein mission was conceived and executed as a Principal
Investigator (PI) experiment, the Observatory was used as a National
Facility by a large number of astronomers. In its lifetime it reached a
level of community involvement comparable to that at a major
ground-based National Center.

Dr. Giacconi served as the PI during the conception, design, and
fabrication phase of the Einstein Observatory and acted as Director of
the Observatory in the sense of being responsible for the setting of
observational programs and the running of the Guest Observer Program.

In September of 1981, Dr. Giacconi was appointed Director of the new
Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), located on the Homewood
Campus of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He was
also appointed a Professor of Astronomy in the Department of Physics and
Astronomy of Johns Hopkins. STScI, managed by the Association of
Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) for NASA, is the center of
scientific operations and research for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).

Since 1981, STScI has developed a formidable array of hardware and
software tools to carry out the scientific operations of HST. A highly
competent and motivated staff of 350 (including 100 astronomers) was
assembled in newly constructed facilities on campus. This staff assumed
full responsibility for the science operations of HST immediately after
launch in April 1990. Upon discovery of the HST mirror flaw, the STScI
staff provided the technical and managerial leadership for the design of
the instrument COSTAR. Astronauts placed this instrument in the HST
during the famed recovery mission of December19, 1993.

Dr. Giacconi was appointed Director General of the European Southern
Observatory (ESO), an intergovernmental organization of eight European
nations, in December 1992. ESO operates a number of observing
facilities in Chile on behalf of the European astronomical community and
is currently engaged in the construction of the most advanced and
largest system of telescopes in the world. Known as the Very Large
Telescope (VLT), it consists of four 8-meter telescopes and several
auxiliary telescopes. The telescopes can be used singly or as an
interferometric array.

First Light of the first of the 8-meter VLT telescopes was achieved at
the Paranal Observatory on May 25, 1998. The images that were obtained
were of remarkable quality and demonstrated that the concept developed
at ESO for the construction of the VLT, namely an actively controlled
single thin mirror, yields a very superior performance. The angular
resolution achieved even at this early stage was among the best achieved
by any large ground-based telescope. The combination of angular
resolution and the large area of the completed array yields a
sensitivity to stars superior to any yet achieved by any telescope on
Earth.

The VLT is the largest ground-based astronomy program yet undertaken and
was carried out on schedule and on cost.

Dr. Giacconi has retained an interest in research throughout this period
and is currently responsible for several research programs in X-ray
astronomy , including observations with the recently launched Chandra
satellite.

Dr. Giacconi has authored technical books on X-ray astronomy and has
written over 180 articles on astrophysical topics. In 1987 he shared
the prestigious Wolf Prize in Physics for his pioneering research in
X-ray astrophysics. In 1991 he was appointed Professor of Physics in
the Physics Department of the University of Milan, where he lectured on
X-ray astronomy.

From 1987 to 1988, Dr. Giacconi served as a consultant to Montedison, an
Italian chemical conglomerate, with the title of Chairman of the Board
to Instituto Donegani, the research arm of the parent corporation.
Initiated at the request of the President of Montedison, the purpose of
this consultancy was part of an attempt by Montedison to elevate
Instituto Donegani to a world-class level center of excellence in
chemistry. Following a corporate takeover, this activity was abandoned.

Dr. Giacconi completed his service as Director General of ESO on June 30,
1999.

On July 1, 1999, Dr. Giacconi assumed the Presidency of Associated
Universities, Inc. (AUI), headquartered in Washington, DC. AUI operates
the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) under a Cooperative
Agreement with the National Science Foundation (NSF). As AUI President,
Dr. Giacconi will continue efforts begun when he was at ESO to bring
about the successful construction and operation of the Atacama Large
Millimeter Array (ALMA) in northern Chile. The ALMA Project is being
carried out through an international collaboration between North America
(the United States and Canada) and a European Consortium, with possible
future participation by Japan.

Concurrent with his position as AUI President, Dr. Giacconi is a Research
Professor at Johns Hopkins University.

In the last few years Dr. Giacconi has participated in several high-level
committees, advisory bodies, and workshops concerned with U.S. science
policy. The issues of how to best carry out first-rate research
initiatives while insuring the achievements of the societal benefits
that are the potential result of these activities have been among his
major concerns. These societal benefits include scientific education
and technical and management training at all levels with a view to
improve the quality of life in our nation as well as our competitiveness
in the international market place. To this end, the methodology and
institutional settings that are chosen to carry out the research are as
important as the ultimate scientific goals.

Points of Contact

Professor Martha P. Haynes

Chair, Board of Trustees

Associated Universities, Inc.

(607) 255-0610

haynes@astro.cornell.edu

Dr. Riccardo Giacconi

President

Associated Universities, Inc.

(202) 462-1676

giacconi@aui.edu