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Prof Raman Prinja
Professor of Astrophysics
Dept of Physics & Astronomy
Faculty of Maths & Physical Sciences
- Joined UCL
- 1st Oct 1998
Research summary
My research interests are focused on studies of outflows at the extremes of stellar evolution. Current projects aim to investigate the nature of mass-loss via stellar winds in a broad range of astrophysical settings, including: The structure of fast outflows from the central stars of planetary nebulae, mass-loss, clumping and the origin of structure in the winds of luminous OB stars, accretion-disc outflows in cataclysmic variables and, the origin and nature of mass outflows from young classical T Tauri stars. I am the PI leading an international consortium on the e-MERLIN Legacy project, COBRaS, which will exploit over 300hrs of e-MERLIN radio data. The work relates to many fundamental astrophysical processes, including radiation hydrodynamics and plasma physics, accretion discs, the evolution of stars, the dynamics and enrichment of the interstellar medium, star formation, and the functioning of galaxies. The studies are based on line-synthesis analyses coupled with multi-wavelength data sets, spanning far-UV, optical and near-IR spectroscopy, plus radio and mm observations. More details are provided on the Hot Star Group web page.
Teaching summary
I have been awarded the following Teaching Prizes and Awards at UCL;
2000 MAPS Faculty Teaching Award
2007 Physics and Astronomy Departmental Teaching Prize
2010 MAPS Faculty Teaching Award
2016 Physics and Astronomy Departmental Teaching Prize
2018 UCL Education Award
Education
- University College London
- Doctorate, Doctor of Philosophy | 1985
- University College London
- First Degree, Bachelor of Science (Honours) | 1982
Biography
I was a 'Physics and Astronomy' undergraduate at UCL (1979-1982) and graduated with a Ph.D. in hot star astronomy in 1985. My route to Professor at UCL has been via an appointment as a Royal Society University Research Fellow. I have been awarded the Pol and Christiane Swings research prize by the Science Division of the Royal Academy of Belgium. In 2000, I was awarded the UCL MAPS Faculty Distinguished Teacher Award, followed by the Departmental teaching prize in 2007, the MAPS Faculty Teaching award in 2010, and the Departmental teaching prize in 2016.
I was the Programme Director for the Natural Sciences degree between 2008-2011, and was the Director of Teaching between 2011-2016. I am currently Head of the Physics & Astronomy Department.
I am heavily involved in Outreach projects and have written several popular science books, inclduing Understanding the Universe, Visions of the Universe, Wonders of the Planets and Stars: A Journey through stellar birth, life and death. I've authored a series of astronomy books for children, including my latest books, Wonders of the Planets, Science Crazy (winner of the SLA Book award 2013), The Universe Rocks, Night Sky Watcher (shortlisted for the 2015 Royal Society Young People's Book Prize), Planetarium (Winner 2019 Royal Society Young People's Book Prize; Winner American Insitute of Physics Science Communication Award 2019).
