Juhan Frank

Juhan Frank is the Lorraine and Leon August Professor of Physics & Astronomy at Louisiana State University (LSU), within the College of Science and the Department of Physics & Astronomy. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge (1978) and a Licenciado en Ciencias Físicas from the Universidad de Buenos Aires (1970). His research focuses on accretion processes in compact astrophysical systems, including active galactic nuclei, X-ray binaries, and white dwarf binaries. Notably, he explores the dynamics of accretion onto black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs, emphasizing hydrodynamics, radiative transfer, and binary system evolution.

Frank’s work includes studies on double white dwarf mergers, their implications for gravitational wave observations (e.g., LISA), and the origins of R Coronae Borealis stars. He has contributed to developing numerical methods like the Octo-Tiger code for simulating stellar mergers and mass transfer in binaries. His research also addresses the role of irradiation in cataclysmic variables and the transient behavior of low-mass X-ray binaries.

Frank has authored influential textbooks, including Accretion Power in Astrophysics (3rd ed., 2002), a graduate-level treatise on accretion disk theory. His affiliations include the Landolt Astronomical Observatory and the Hearne Institute of Theoretical Physics. Courses he has taught include Astronomy 1102: Stellar Astronomy, emphasizing scientific method and observational astronomy.

His recent research leverages high-performance computing to model complex systems, such as binary mergers and galactic structure formation. Collaborations with institutions like ORNL highlight his engagement with cutting-edge computational tools. Frank’s work bridges theoretical astrophysics, numerical simulation, and observational astronomy, with implications for understanding galaxy evolution, stellar dynamics, and gravitational wave sources.