Douglas N. C. Lin, Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of California Santa Cruz and Director Emeritus of KIAA (2007-2011), has been awarded the prestigious Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP), one of the oldest and most respected science education organizations in the U.S. The Bruce Medal, the highest award given by the ASP, recognizes lifetime outstanding achievement in research in astronomy.
Quoting from the press release by the ASP, Dr. Lin "is recognized for his significant and seminal achievements in a variety of domains, including the orbital motion of the Magellanic Clouds, the formation and evolution of exoplanets, the physics of cataclysmic variables and accretion disks, and the dynamics, structure, and evolution of Saturn's Rings.
Professor Lin has made major contributions to our understanding of the dynamics of the Magellanic Clouds within our Galaxy's dark halo - a campaign that Dr. Lin was the driving force on for decades. His writing on the subject remains a classic reference and his study of dark matter in dwarf spheroidal galaxies started a new subfield.
Professor Lin has also investigated the evolution of planetary systems and is responsible for the models that help interpret the findings from exoplanet studies. Shortly after the discovery of a "hot Jupiter" in 51 Pegasus, Professor Lin wrote the seminal paper on how these objects could have obtained such close proximity to their host star."
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Astronomical Society of the Pacific Honors Dr. Douglas N. C. Lin With the Bruce Gold Medal
