Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA) researcher Benard Nsamba was awarded a prestigious individual fellowship, worth 100 000€, attributed by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, to be hosted at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA) in Garching, Germany.
The grant was attributed for his academic performance, as well as his contributions towards the understanding of stellar interiors. During his PhD, Benard Nsamba used asteroseismic1 modelling technics to assess the impact of stellar model physics on stellar parameters. This can be used in precise characterization of exoplanet host stars and their planetary systems.
Notes
- Asteroseismology is the study of stellar interiors, by measuring seismic oscillations at the star’s surface. In seismology, the different vibration modes from an Earthquake can be used to study the Earth’s interior, in order to get data from the composition and depth of its different layers. In a similar fashion, oscillations at the star’s surface can be used to infer the internal structure and composition of a star.
