PEOPLE - APPOINTMENTS

Professor Jim Hinton, who has joined the X-ray and Observational Astronomy group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

New Appointment in Physics and Astronomy

X-ray and Observational Astronomy group welcomes Professor Jim Hinton

03 March 2010

Jim Hinton has recently joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy as Professor of Observational Astronomy.

Professor Hinton was previously an STFC Advanced Fellow at the University of Leeds. His work in astronomy uses the highest energy protons (very high energy gamma-rays astronomy) and over the years Jim has worked on instruments at the South Pole (which he describes as an interesting environment), Argentina, New Mexico and Namibia.

At Leicester Jim has joined the X-ray and Observational Astronomy group, he says “Through my appointment the group will be expanding its activities into the relatively new field of ground based gamma-ray astronomy in general and the CTA (Cherenkov Telescope Array – the first true ground-based observatory for gamma-ray astronomy) project in particular.

Jim was recently awarded a prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize. The prize, with a value of £70,000 is awarded to outstanding young scholars who have made a substantial and recognised contribution to their particular field of study, are recognised at an international level, and whose future contributions are held to be of correspondingly high promise. The citation for Jim’s prize says that he “combines talent in experimental work with excellence in data analysis and interpretation…He is an authority on TeV astronomy and is leading the UK’s contribution to the design of the next generation telescope of this part o the spectrum.”

Astronomy & Geophysics, published by the Royal Astronomical Society, recently profiled Professor Hinton, click here to read more.