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 ), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from high energy interactions like the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei or astronomical events like solar flares. It consists o ...

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 alti ...

(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 Sor or SOR may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * School of Rock, 2003 film starring Jack Black * Shades of Rhythm, a British based rave music group * Son of Rambow, 2008 film starring Bill Milner and Will Poulter * Sor, Serdar Ortaç ...

from the

National Autonomous University of Mexico The National Autonomous University of Mexico (, UNAM) is a public university, public research university in Mexico. It has several campuses in Mexico City, and many others in various locations across Mexico, as well as a presence in nine countri ...

(UNAM).

Biography

Dr. González obtained a licentiate in physics at the

UNAM Faculty of Sciences The Faculty of Sciences () at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) is the entity where natural and exact science-based majors are taught. It has both undergraduate and graduate studies, some of the former in joint teaching with other ...

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 th ...

. She earned her PhD in physics at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

in the area of high-energy astrophysics 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 Laboratory, laboratories of the United States Department of Energy National Laboratories, United States Department of Energy ...

'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 Mexico, Mexican state of Puebla, close to the border with Veracruz. At officially above sea level, it is the fifth-highest peak in Mexico. Sie ...

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 extremely energetic events occurring in distant Galaxy, galaxies which represent the brightest and most powerful class of explosion in the universe. These extreme Electromagnetic radiation, ele ...

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 through an electric potential difference of one volt in vacuum. When us ...

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 ...

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 (''pulsating star, on the model of quasar'') is a highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its Poles of astronomical bodies#Magnetic poles, magnetic poles. This radiation can be obse ...

next to the

Crab Nebula The Crab Nebula (catalogue designations M1, NGC 1952, Taurus A) is a supernova remnant and pulsar wind nebula in the constellation of Taurus (constellation), Taurus. The common name comes from a drawing that somewhat resembled a crab with arm ...

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

positron The positron or antielectron is the particle with an electric charge of +1''elementary charge, e'', a Spin (physics), spin of 1/2 (the same as the electron), and the same Electron rest mass, mass as an electron. It is the antiparticle (antimatt ...

s that reach the Earth (

cosmic ray Cosmic rays or astroparticles 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 ...

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

neutron star A neutron star is the gravitationally collapsed Stellar core, core of a massive supergiant star. It results from the supernova explosion of a stellar evolution#Massive star, massive star—combined with gravitational collapse—that compresses ...

s, which was detected by

gravitational wave Gravitational waves are oscillations of the gravitational field that Wave propagation, travel through space at the speed of light; they are generated by the relative motion of gravity, gravitating masses. They were proposed by Oliver Heaviside i ...

s and in several

electromagnetic In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge via electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It is the dominant force in the interacti ...

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 ...

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 Asia, Ea ...

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 (, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It has several campuses in Mexico City, and many others in various locations across Mexico, as well as a presence in nine countries. It also has 34 ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez Sanchez, Magdalena 1974 births 21st-century Mexican physicists 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 21st-century Mexican women scientists