María Magdalena González Sánchez (born May 8, 1974) is a Mexican astrophysicist, nuclear physicist, researcher, and professor best known for her contributions in

gamma ray A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ or \gamma), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic waves, typically ...

research and for being the head of the

High Altitude Water Cherenkov Experiment The High Altitude Water Cherenkov Experiment or High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory (also known as HAWC) is a gamma-ray and cosmic ray observatory located on the flanks of the Sierra Negra volcano in the Mexican state of Puebla at an altit ...

(HAWC). She has published 90 articles about her field of study in indexed journals. In 2015 she received the

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Recognition The Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Recognition ( es, Reconocimiento Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, links=no) is an award given since 2003 by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). It is presented to women of the institution for achievemen ...

from the

National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigges ...

(UNAM).

Biography

Dr. González obtained a licentiate in physics at the UNAM Faculty of Sciences within the area of

nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...

. She earned her PhD in physics at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

in the area of

high-energy astrophysics High energy astronomy is the study of astronomical objects that release electromagnetic radiation of highly energetic wavelengths. It includes X-ray astronomy, gamma-ray astronomy, extreme UV astronomy, neutrino astronomy, and studies of cosmic ...

while working at the

Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, ...

's Neutron Science and Technology Group. She had a postdoctoral residency at the , where she is currently a senior researcher. She is the initiator and collaborator on the HAWC gamma ray observatory, located on the

Sierra Negra Sierra Negra (also, and perhaps more properly, Cerro La Negra) is an extinct volcano located in the Mexican state of Puebla, close to the border with Veracruz. At officially above sea level, it is the fifth-highest peak in Mexico. Sierra Neg ...

volcano in Puebla, Mexico. She was also a collaborator and participated in the discoveries of the Milagro Experiment. Part of her research is dedicated to the study of

gamma-ray burst In gamma-ray astronomy, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies. They are the most energetic and luminous electromagnetic events since the Big Bang. Bursts can last from ten milli ...

s with satellite observatories. The most important result of her work in this area is the discovery of a type of

MeV In physics, an electronvolt (symbol eV, also written electron-volt and electron volt) is the measure of an amount of kinetic energy gained by a single electron accelerating from rest through an Voltage, electric potential difference of one volt i ...

energy emission that has been confirmed by the Fermi Telescope. Her current lines of research are: study of high-energy emissions from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), study of

Centaurus A Centaurus A (also known as NGC 5128 or Caldwell 77) is a galaxy in the constellation of Centaurus. It was discovered in 1826 by Scottish astronomer James Dunlop from his home in Parramatta, in New South Wales, Australia. There is considerable d ...

as a possible accelerator of ultra-energetic cosmic rays, high-energy gamma-ray astrophysics with the HAWC and Milagro observatories, and installation of high-altitude Atmospheric Cherenkov detectors. Her working group at the Institute of Astronomy comprises postdoctoral students and students of other academic levels, as well as academic technicians participating in the HAWC project.

Scientific contributions

As initiator and collaborator on the HAWC observatory, Magdalena González was involved in the discovery of a new

pulsar A pulsar (from ''pulsating radio source'') is a highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles. This radiation can be observed only when a beam of emission is pointing toward Ea ...

next to the

Crab Nebula The Crab Nebula (catalogue designations Messier object, M1, New General Catalogue, NGC 1952, Taurus (constellation), Taurus A) is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus (constellation), Taurus. The common name ...

. This discovery provided information valuable in solving the problem of the excess of cosmic

positron The positron or antielectron is the antiparticle or the antimatter counterpart of the electron. It has an electric charge of +1 '' e'', a spin of 1/2 (the same as the electron), and the same mass as an electron. When a positron collides ...

s that reach the Earth (

cosmic ray Cosmic rays are high-energy particles or clusters of particles (primarily represented by protons or atomic nuclei) that move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the Sun, from outside of the Solar System in our own ...

s). She also participated in the first observation of the fusion of a pair of

neutron star A neutron star is the collapsed core of a massive supergiant star, which had a total mass of between 10 and 25 solar masses, possibly more if the star was especially metal-rich. Except for black holes and some hypothetical objects (e.g. white ...

s, which was detected by

gravitational wave Gravitational waves are waves of the intensity of gravity generated by the accelerated masses of an orbital binary system that propagate as waves outward from their source at the speed of light. They were first proposed by Oliver Heaviside in 1 ...

s and in several

electromagnetic In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge. It is the second-strongest of the four fundamental interactions, after the strong force, and it is the dominant force in the interactions of a ...

wavelengths.

Awards and recognitions

* 2011:

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

International Research Travel Award * 2011:

Elsevier Foundation Award The OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early-Career Women Scientists in the Developing World are awarded annually to early-career women scientists in selected developing countries in four regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, East and Sou ...

to Young Scientists in Physics and Mathematics for the Latin America and Caribbean Region * 2015:

, UNAM

References

External links

Magdalena González Sánchez
at

UNAM The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigges ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez Sanchez, Magdalena 1974 births 21st-century Mexican scientists Living people Los Alamos National Laboratory personnel Mexican astrophysicists Mexican nuclear physicists Mexican women physicists National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni Academic staff of the National Autonomous University of Mexico Scientists from Mexico City University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Letters and Science alumni Women astrophysicists Women nuclear physicists