Josefin Larsson receives Göran Gustafsson Prize in physics
When KTH professor Josefin Larsson receives this year’s Göran Gustafsson Prize in Physics from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, it is not only a major boost to her research funding. It is also recognition that her work is at the forefront of astrophysics.
Josefin Larsson , professor of astrophysics at KTH, is awarded the prize by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) “for her pioneering research on exploding stars, which links observations to fundamental astrophysical theories.”
The Göran Gustafsson Prize is awarded to young researchers who are among the leading scientists in their fields. Each of this year’s laureates receives SEK 8.1 million – including a personal award of SEK 300,000 and SEK 7.8 million in research funding.
“The grant is fantastic, as it means we can continue our research and take advantage of the opportunities that are opening up with all the new data coming in right now,” Larsson says in a statement to KVA.
Larsson studies what happens after supernovae explode. The prize comes at a time when developments in the field are moving particularly quickly.
“Supernovae are interesting because they play an important role in the evolution of the universe. What is left behind at the centre after the explosion is a compact object – a neutron star or a black hole. And the material that is ejected contains new elements that later become part of new generations of stars and planets,” she explains.
Text: Anna Gullers (agullers@kth.se)