Conny Aerts

{{Infobox academic

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Conny Clara Aerts

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| image = Conny Aerts presenting in 2023.jpg

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| caption = Aerts presenting in 2023

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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|01|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = Brasschaat

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| nationality = Belgian

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| awards = Francqui Prize
Kavli Prize
Crafoord Prize

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| education = University of Antwerp

| alma_mater = KU Leuven

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| discipline = Astrophysics

| sub_discipline = Astroseismology

| workplaces = KU Leuven
Radboud University

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Conny Clara Aerts, born 26 January 1966, is a Belgian (Flemish) professor in astrophysics. She specialises in asteroseismology. She is associated with KU Leuven and Radboud University, where she leads the Chair in the Astroseismology group.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ru.nl/english/people/aerts-c/|title=Search for people or departments|last=ingevoerd|first=Geen OWMS velden|website=Radboud University|language=en|access-date=2 January 2019}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.essc.esf.org/membership/essc-members/conny-aerts/|title=Conny Aerts – ESF – ESSC|website=www.essc.esf.org|access-date=2 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416001835/http://www.essc.esf.org/membership/essc-members/conny-aerts/|archive-date=16 April 2019|url-status=dead}} In 2012, she became the first woman to be awarded the Francqui Prize in the category of Science & Technology.{{Cite web|url=http://www.francquifoundation.be/rapport-test/rapport-jury-aers/|title=2012 – Rapport Jury Conny Aerts – Fondation Francqui – Stichting|website=www.francquifoundation.be|access-date=2 January 2019}} In 2022, she became the third woman to be awarded the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics for her work in asteroseismology.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kavliprize.org/laureates|title=Kavli Prize Laureates|website=Kavli Prize|access-date=1 June 2022}}

Biography

Aerts was born in Brasschaat, Belgium. She received her Bachelor and Master in Mathematics from the University of Antwerp. She participated in the International Astronomical Youth Camp in 1987 and 1988. She then went on to complete her PhD in 1993 at KU Leuven. After completing she spent several months doing research at the University of Delaware.{{Cite web|url=http://www.francquifoundation.be/wp-content/uploads/Rapport-Jury-Aerts_en.pdf|title=Report of Jury Conny Aerts|website=www.francquifoundation.be|access-date=2 January 2019}} She was a postdoctoral fellow with the Fund for Scientific Research from 1993 to 2001, when she was appointed lecturer at KU Leuven.{{Cite web|url=https://fys.kuleuven.be/ster/research-projects/prosperity/Conny_Aerts/Conny_Aerts|title=CONNY AERTS|website=fys.kuleuven.be|language=en|access-date=2 January 2019}} She became first associate professor in 2004, and then full professor in 2007 at KU Leuven.

Research

In her research, she uses the star oscillations to determine the internal rotation profile of stars.{{Cite web|url=http://www.interseismology.org/conny-aerts.html|title=Conny Aerts|website=Interseismology|access-date=2 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103055848/http://www.interseismology.org/conny-aerts.html|archive-date=3 January 2019|url-status=dead}} The oscillations are obtained from both ground and space-based telescopes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.expatica.com/be/astronomer-wins-prestigious-francqui-prize/|title=Astronomer wins prestigious Francqui Prize|date=11 May 2012|website=Expat Guide to Belgium {{!}} Expatica|language=en-US|access-date=2 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103060102/https://www.expatica.com/be/astronomer-wins-prestigious-francqui-prize/|archive-date=3 January 2019|url-status=dead}} In her PROSPERITY project, she used data obtained from the CoRoT satellite and the NASA Kepler satellite.{{Cite web|url=https://fys.kuleuven.be/ster/research-projects/prosperity/welcome|title=ERC ADVANCED GRANT|website=fys.kuleuven.be|language=en|access-date=2 January 2019}} She is currently the Belgian principal investigator on the PLATO mission.{{Cite web|url=https://platomission.com/2018/05/03/connie-aerts/|title=Conny Aerts|last=PLATOMission|date=3 May 2018|language=en|access-date=2 January 2019}}

Aerts developed methodology using Gaussian mixture classification to analyse the data.{{Cite web|url=https://fys.kuleuven.be/ster/staff/conny-aerts/conny-aerts|title=Conny Aerts|website=fys.kuleuven.be|language=en|access-date=2 January 2019}} She uses this to determine the star structure and inform stellar models within stellar evolution theory. With these techniques she has made a number of discoveries, including that of non-non-rigid rotation in giant stars.

The theoretical models she develops based on the star oscillations also allow her determine the age of stars with a high accuracy.

Aerts has twice been awarded an Advanced Grant by the European Research Council (ERC): in 2008 for PROSPERITY, and again in 2015 for a project entitled MAMSIE{{Cite web|url=https://fys.kuleuven.be/ster/research-projects/mamsie|title=MAMSIE project|date=3 May 2018|language=en|access-date=2 January 2019}} (Mixing and Angular Momentum Transport of Massive Stars).

Outreach

Aerts is Vice-Dean of Communication & Outreach at the Faculty of Science at KU Leuven.{{Cite web|url=http://www.iac.es/divulgacion.php?op1=16&op2=402&id=122&lang=en|title=Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias – IAC – Educational Outreach|website=www.iac.es|access-date=2 January 2019}} She is outspoken about the need to increase gender equality in the sciences, and is a member of the International Astronomical Union Women in Astronomy Working Group.{{Cite web|url=http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/IAU-WIAWG/members/OC.html|title=IAU Working Group on Women in Astronomy|website=astronomy.swin.edu.au|access-date=2 January 2019|archive-date=10 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110310010729/http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/IAU-WIAWG/members/OC.html|url-status=dead}}

Prizes and recognition

In 2010 she was elected Honorary Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.{{Cite web|url=http://www.flanderstoday.eu/current-affairs/face-flanders-21|title=Face of Flanders {{!}} Flanders Today|website=www.flanderstoday.eu|access-date=2 January 2019|archive-date=3 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190103060105/http://www.flanderstoday.eu/current-affairs/face-flanders-21|url-status=dead}}
In 2011 she was elected Member of the Royal Flemish Academy for Sciences and Arts.
In 2012 she won the Francqui prize.
In 2016 she received the title of Commander of the Order of Leopold.{{Cite web|url=http://www.flanderstoday.eu/current-affairs/week-brief-25-july|title=The week in brief: 25 July {{!}} Flanders Today|website=www.flanderstoday.eu|access-date=2 January 2019|archive-date=28 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160728131024/http://www.flanderstoday.eu/current-affairs/week-brief-25-july|url-status=dead}}
In 2017 she was awarded the Hintze Lecture at Oxford University, delivering also a public lecture entitled "Starquakes expose stellar heartbeats".
In 2018 she was awarded the ESA Lodewijk Woltjer Lecture for her work in the field of asteroseismology.
In 2019, asteroid 413033 Aerts was named in her honor. The official {{MoMP|413033|naming citation}} was published by the Minor Planet Center on 18 May 2019 ({{small|M.P.C. 114955}}).
In 2020 she was awarded the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO) Excellence Prize in Exact Sciences.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fwo.be/en/news/news/laureates-fwo-excellence-prizes/|title=Laureates FWO-Excellence prizes|website=FWO|access-date=1 July 2020}}
In 2022 she was awarded the Kavli Prize in Astrophysics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kavliprize.org/events/kavli-prize-announcement-2022|title=Kavli Prize Announcement 2022|website=Kavli Prize|date=June 2022 |access-date=1 June 2022}}
In 2024 she received the Crafoord Prize in Astronomy.[https://www.crafoordprize.se/news/this-years-crafoord-laureates-can-see-inside-stars-and-describe-geometric-shapes/ Crafoord Prize 2024]