The Copernicus Prize, awarded by the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), honors scientists who have made exceptional achievements within the framework of Polish-German scientific cooperation. The award is named after the outstanding astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, whose works laid the foundations of modern astronomy.
Prof. Andrzej Udalski from the University of Warsaw and prof. Joachim Wambsganss from the University of Heidelberg are the winners of the prestigious Copernicus 2024 Prize, awarded by the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). The jury appreciated the joint research and achievements of researchers regarding extrasolar planets. The breakthrough contribution of scientists to the development of astrophysics through research on gravitational lensing and the discovery of extrasolar planets was appreciated.
For over two decades, prof. Andrzej Udalski and prof. Joachim Wambsganss is leading research to discover the secrets of planets in other star systems. Their work revolutionized this field of astronomy, bringing significant advances in the detection and characterization of planets beyond our solar system.
Their main research tool is gravitational lensing, which uses a star's gravitational field as a lens to amplify light from a background star. This method enables the detection of planets orbiting stars - lenses that would otherwise remain invisible. The winners' scientific collaboration not only deepened the understanding of planetary systems, but also contributed to the development of new observing strategies and data analysis techniques that have broad applications in this field.
Among the numerous achievements of prof. Udalski and prof. Wambsganssa is home to the publication of over sixty collaborative peer-reviewed articles, including significant discoveries such as the detection of the most Earth-like exoplanet in 2007 and a 2011 paper in the journal Nature showing that almost every star in the Milky Way has at least one planet. Their research has received over 3,200 citations in publications around the world.
OGLE project (Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment) led by prof. Andrzej Udalski and complementary theoretical work and intensive observations of gravitational microlensing phenomena managed by prof. Joachim Wambsganss set new standards in the study of planets in other star systems. This cooperation has also brought significant benefits to young scientists, enabling numerous PhD students and post-doctoral researchers to participate in this international endeavor.
The scientists' nomination for the 2024 Copernicus Prize has been endorsed by leading figures in the scientific community. Prof. Paul Schechter from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT highlighted their innovative work and the challenges they overcame in their research on gravitational lensing and detection of extrasolar planets, and Prof. Keith Horne from the University of St Andrews praised their pioneering efforts and successfully establishing the search for planets using gravitational lensing as a significant new field of research.
The Copernicus Prize has been awarded every two years since 2006. It can be awarded to a pair of collaborating scientists from Poland and Germany. The aim is to promote research achievements that are the result of close cooperation between scientists from Poland and Germany. The prize amount is PLN 200,000. euro. Each winner receives half of the amount and can use it for further scientific research and strengthening Polish-German cooperation.
source: University of Warsaw
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