Zoltan Balog

Zoltán Balog, PhD (b. 1972 Szolnok, Hungary - ) is an astronomer with the Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona. In 2006, Dr. Balog's team was the first to observe the complete process of photoevaporation of protoplanetary disks [Linda Vu, Spitzer Science Center (3 Oct, 2006) [http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/happenings/20061003/ "Planets Prefer Safe Neighborhoods"] retrieved 8 Jan, 2007] .

Observations

Balog's team was the first to observe protoplanetary disk photoevaporation and the resulting dust tail [ [http://sscws1.ipac.caltech.edu/Imagegallery/image.php?
] (5 Oct, 2006) retrieved 8 Jan, 2007] using NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. The resulting paper was published in "Astrophysical Journal". [ [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2006ApJ...650L..83B&db_key=AST&data_type=HTML&format=&high=452a661d1b06455 Abstract of Paper: "Spitzer MIPS 24 μm Detection of Photoevaporating Protoplanetary Disks"] (Oct, 2006) retrieved 8 Jan, 2007] Balog's collaborators and co-authors are astronomers James Muzerolle, Erick T. Young, George Rieke and Kate Su [ [http://www.as.arizona.edu/1160080897 The University of Arizona Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory] (5 Oct, 2006) retrieved 8 Jan, 2007] , all of the University of Arizona at Tucson.

Balog is a member of the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) Guaranteed Time Oberservation (GTO) team lead by Dr. George Rieke.

Photoevaporation

:" see main article Photo evaporation"

:Photoevaporation results when an extremely large star's radiation energy evaporates and literally blows away a protoplanetary disk (a mass concentration of gas and dust) in a process similar to that which forms a comet's tail. This process may explain why solar systems which have strayed too close to very large stars are often planetless.

Publications

He earned his PhD in Physics in 2005 from the University of Szeged, Hungary.An updated bibliography may be found here [http://oberon.as.arizona.edu/publ.html]

References