Liz Kruesi of Astronomy magazine has been awarded the 2013 David N. Schramm award from the High Energy Astrophysics Division (HEAD) of the American Astronomical Society (AAS).
The purpose of the Schramm Award is to recognize and stimulate distinguished writing on high-energy astrophysics in order to improve the general public’s understanding and appreciation of this exciting field of research.
Kruesi’s winning piece, entitled “How we know black holes exist,” appeared in the April 2012 issue of the magazine [download a PDF of the article below]. The story outlines how scientists have learned about the existence of these mysterious objects through various avenues, many of which involve high-energy astrophysics.
“I am truly honored to win the David N. Schramm Award,” said Kruesi. “The field of high-energy astrophysics has long interested me, and it’s a privilege to help bring this exciting area of science successfully to the public.”
The award, which is sponsored by HEAD/AAS, consists of a monetary prize and a plaque containing a citation. The publisher of the winning work will receive a certificate honoring the publication in which the work appeared. The award pays the winning author’s personal travel expenses so that the award can be received in person at the next HEAD meeting, which is being held April 7-11, 2013, in Monterey, California.
David Schramm was a distinguished scientist who is widely regarded as the founder of the field of particle astrophysics, a discipline where cosmology and particle physics meet. High-energy astrophysics incorporates experimental and theoretical studies of high-energy photons and particles from the cosmos, including the disciplines of X-ray, gamma-ray, and cosmic-ray astronomy.
