Norman Murray (astronomer)

Norman Murray
Born
Los Angeles, California
AwardsDannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics
Academic background
EducationBSc, 1979, California Institute of Technology
PhD, 1986, University of California, Berkeley
ThesisDiffusion in Hamiltonian Systems with Applications to Twist Maps and the Two Beam Accelerator (1986)
Academic work
InstitutionsUniversity of Toronto
Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics
California Institute of Technology
Websitewww.cita.utoronto.ca/~murray/

Norman William Murray FRSC is an American theoretical astrophysicist. He is a Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto and former director of the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics. Murray is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, American Astronomical Society, National Academy of Sciences, Royal Society of Canada, and American Physical Society.

Early life and education

Murray was born in Los Angeles, California.[1] He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley.[2] He began focusing on nonlinear dynamics during his graduate studies and continued in that field as postdoctoral researcher at Queen Mary University of London.[3][4] After reaching out to astronomer Peter Goldreich, Murray was offered a second postdoctoral position at Caltech.[4] In this role, he helped Goldreich develop a theory on how solar p-mode oscillation frequencies vary in response to changes in the Sun's internal entropy and magnetic fields.[5][6]

Career

Murray left California in 1993 to accept a faculty position at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA), which was based out of the University of Toronto (U of T).[1] His early research at CITA focused on understanding how the intense light of a quasar, an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus, drives winds.[7][8] This later developed into investigating how the radiation from star formation or active galactic nuclei can regulate the growth and luminosity of galaxies through momentum-driven winds.[9] His early career research earned him the 1999 Newcomb Cleveland Award and a 2000 Province of Ontario Premier's Research Excellence Award.[10] He was also appointed a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Theoretical Astrophysics at U of T.[1]

In 2006, Murray was appointed Director of CITA.[10] He was also elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society for his "fundamental contributions to the theory of active galactic nuclei, black hole and star formation in galactic disks, planet formation, and the dynamics of planetary systems."[11] While serving as director of CITA,[10] Murray renewed his Canada Research Chair at U of T in 2008 and 2014.[12][13] Throughout his tenure at UofT and CITA, Murray shifted his focus to black holes, protoplanetary disks, and Earth's thermal tides.[7] After stepping down as director in 2016,[10] Murray was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science[10] and Royal Society of Canada for his advanced research on astronomical problems.[14] In 2022, he received the Dannie Heineman Prize for Astrophysics.[7]

In 2025, Murray was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences[15] and American Astronomical Society.[16] He was also one of 30 international researchers appointed a Member of the National Academy of Sciences.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b c Lawrence, Susan (December 21, 2000). "Seats of Power". University of Toronto Magazine. Archived from the original on May 24, 2025. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  2. ^ "Meet Our Physicists: Norman Murray". Aspen Center For Physics. Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  3. ^ Hegde, Sahil (January 10, 2023). "Meet the AAS Keynote Speakers: Prof. Norman Murray". Astrobites. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  4. ^ a b Sasaki, Chris (February 2, 2022). "CITA's Norman Murray receives the 2022 Dannie Heineman Prize for his 'deep theoretical insight'". University of Toronto. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  5. ^ Goldreich, Peter; Murray, Norman; Willette, Gregory; Kumar, Pawan (April 1, 1991). "Implications of solar p-mode frequency shifts" (PDF). The Astrophysical Journal. 370. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  6. ^ Cohen, Shirley K. (1998). "Peter Goldreich (b. 1939)" (PDF). California Institute of Technology. p. 54. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "Norman Murray Awarded 2022 Dannie Heineman Prize for His Astrophysical Insights". American Institute of Physics. 2022. Archived from the original on February 1, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  8. ^ Murray, Norman; Chiang, J. (1998). "Photoionization of Disk Winds". The Astrophysical Journal. 494: 125–138. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  9. ^ Murray, Norman; Quataert, Eliot; Thompson, Todd A. (2005). "On the Maximum Luminosity of Galaxies and Their Central Black Holes: Feedback From Momentum-Driven Winds". The Astrophysical Journal. 618: 569–585. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c d e Sasaki, Chris (November 24, 2020). "CITA's Norman Murray named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science". University of Toronto. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  11. ^ "Norman William Murray, University of Toronto". American Physical Society. Retrieved May 24, 2025.
  12. ^ "ProActive Disclosure for the Canada Research Chairs (2008)" (PDF). Government of Canada. 2008. p. 3. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  13. ^ "October 2014 Recipients List". Government of Canada. 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  14. ^ Sasaki, Chris (September 7, 2021). "CITA's Norman Murray adds Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada to a growing list of honours". University of Toronto. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  15. ^ "CITA Professor Norman Murray elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences". University of Toronto. May 26, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  16. ^ "CITA Professor Norman Murray is distinguished as a 2025 Fellow of the American Astronomical Society". Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysic. January 13, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
  17. ^ "CITA faculty member Norman Murray elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences". Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics. May 2, 2025. Retrieved May 26, 2025.
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