Avishay Gal-Yam Ph.D.
Department of Particle Physics and Astrophysics
Born in Jerusalem, in 1970, Dr. Gal-Yam earned his BSc in physics and mathematics in 1996 and his PhD in physics and astronomy in 2003 at Tel Aviv University. He received NASA’s prestigious Hubble postdoctoral fellowship and spent four years conducting research at the California Institute of Technology. He joined the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2007.
Dr. Avishay Gal-Yam is a cosmic detective who attempts to identify the stars responsible for spectacular stellar explosions called supernovae. Solving these mysteries can provide vital clues for both the origins of the elements that make up the periodic table – including those necessary for life itself – and for cosmological questions about the origin and fate of the universe. For example, Dr. Gal Yam and his team of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows recently announced the discovery of two new types of supernova explosions. One very faint type – that occurs when helium detonates – appears to produce significantly more calcium (vital for life as we know it) and titanium than were thought possible, and probably contributes a significant portion of these critical elements in the cosmos. The second new type of mega explosions is called pair-production supernovae. These are 10 to 100 times more powerful than any previously known type and may be the first supernova explosions to have occurred after the "big bang."
In 2011, Dr. Gal-Yam, received the Krill Prize for Excellence in Scientific Research, and in 2010, the Israeli Physical Society (IPS) Prize for a Young Physicist, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research ARCHES prize, and Weizmann’s Levinson Physics Prize. His previous honors and awards include a Colton Fellowship (2000), European Union fellowships (1999 and 2007), the Italian Città di Cefalù prize (2006), and the 2008 Peter and Patricia Gruber Award. He has published more than 100 papers in prominent scientific journals, including Nature, Science, and The Astrophysical Journal.
Dr. Gal-Yam is married and has three children. He enjoys sports, and he and his family like to travel and hike together.