معرفی
Erin Kara is an Associate Professor of Physics at MIT and holds the Class of 1958 Career Development Chair. She leads the Kara Black Hole Group and is affiliated with the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. Her research focuses on observational astrophysics, particularly using X-ray reverberation mapping to study black hole accretion processes and spacetime dynamics near event horizons. She co-chairs the supermassive black hole working group for the XRISM mission and serves as Deputy Principal Investigator for the AXIS Probe Mission Concept.
Education: B.A. in Physics from Barnard College (2011), MSc and PhD in Astrophysics from University of Cambridge (2015). Postdoctoral roles included NASA Hubble Fellowships at University of Maryland and Goddard Space Flight Center. Notable missions include participation in XRISM, ULTRASAT, and LISA observatories.
Research emphasizes transient phenomena such as tidal disruption events and quasi-periodic eruptions, linking accretion processes to relativistic jet formation. Techniques include multi-wavelength reverberation mapping to trace gas dynamics near black holes.
- Awards:
- 2022 Newton Lacy Pierce Prize (AAS)
- 2022 Rossi Prize (shared)
- 2019 NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal
- Grants & Leadership:
- Principal Investigator roles in AXIS and XRISM missions
- Mitigates risks in time-domain astronomy through mission development
Labs/Teams: Leads the Kara Black Hole Group at MIT, collaborating internationally on mission science teams.
