Stanford E. Woosley

As a theoretical and computational astrophysicist, my research centers on nuclear strophysics and models for supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and other astrophysical explosions. My principal work on the evolution of massive stars and their explosions describes how the heavy" elements needed for life, such as carbon, oxygen and iron, are forged and ejected. In addition, my "collapsar" model of massive star explosions is one of the favored explanations for the central engine of gamma-ray bursts. In this model, a huge dying star collapses into a central black hole and accretion disk. The resulting jets make the burst.