Top High-Energy Prize to Scientists Working on Galaxy Clusters

The 2008 Rossi Prize has been awarded to four scientists for their pioneering work on the use of X-ray observations to study the physics and evolution of clusters of galaxies, and on the use of clusters as cosmological probes.

The four, in alphabetical order, are Steven Allen (Stanford University and Stanford Linear Accelerator Center); J. Patrick Henry (Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu); Maxim Markevitch and Alexey Viklinhin (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Mass.)

The AAS High Energy Astrophysics Division awards the Rossi Prize in recognition of significant contributions as well as recent and original work in high-energy astrophysics. The prize is in honor of Professor Bruno Rossi, an authority on cosmic ray physics and a pioneer in the field of X-ray astronomy. The prize also includes an engraved certificate and a $1,500 award. The winners of the Rossi Prize will give a joint lecture at the 213th AAS meeting in January 2009 in Long Beach, Calif.

Information on previous winners of the Rossi Prize can be found at: http://www.aas.org/head/rossi/rossi.recip.html