Donald Lynden-Bell

Donald Lynden-Bell CBE FRS[3] (5 April 1935 – 6

February 2018) was a British theoretical astrophysicist. Donald Lynden-Bell
He was the first to determine that galaxies contain
supermassive black holes at their centres, and that such
black holes power quasars.[4] Lynden-Bell was
President of the Royal Astronomical Society (1985–
1987) and received numerous awards for his work,
including the inaugural Kavli Prize for Astrophysics.
He worked at the University of Cambridge for his
entire career, where he was the first director of its
Institute of Astronomy.

Biography
Lynden-Bell was born at Dover Castle in Dover, Kent,
into a military family,[5] as one of two children to
Lachlan Arthur Lynden-Bell (1897–1984) and Monica Lynden-Bell in 2008
Rose Thring (1906–1994). His father, a lieutenant
Born 5 April 1935
colonel, fought on the Western Front and in the Middle
Dover, United Kingdom[1]
East during World War I and had received a Military
Cross.[6] He had a sister, Jean Monica, who became a Died 6 February 2018 (aged 82)[2]
prominent music teacher in Canada.[5][7] Cambridge, United Kingdom
Alma mater University of Cambridge
He attended Marlborough College before being
Awards Karl Schwarzschild Medal (1983)
admitted to Clare College, Cambridge in 1953.[8] After
earning a distinction in the Mathematical Tripos,[8] Eddington Medal (1984)
Lynden-Bell went on to doctoral studies in theoretical Brouwer Award (1991)
astronomy working with Leon Mestel, which he Gold Medal of the Royal
completed in 1960.[9] In 1962, he published research Astronomical Society (1993)
with Olin Eggen and Allan Sandage[10] arguing that Bruce Medal (1998)
the Milky Way originated through the dynamic John J. Carty Award for the
collapse of a single large gas cloud.[11] In 1969 he Advancement of Science
published his theory that quasars are powered by (2000)
massive black holes accreting material. From counting Henry Norris Russell
dead quasars, he deduced that most massive galaxies Lectureship (2000)
have black holes at their centres.[12]
Kavli Prize for Astrophysics
Lynden-Bell developed a theory for the relaxation of a (2008)

system of particles in changing potential field known Scientific career

as "violent relaxation." Violent relaxation has many
Fields Astrophysics
applications in dynamical astronomy, affecting the Institutions University of Cambridge
orbits of stars within star clusters and galaxies.[13] Thesis Stellar and galactic dynamics
Lynden-Bell is also known for the development of the (1961)
theory of the gravothermal catastrophe, a phenomenon
Doctoral Leon Mestel
in star clusters that is the result of the negative heat
advisor
capacity of gravitational systems. The catastrophe
occurs when the core of a cluster shrinks and heats up, Doctoral Ofer Lahav
students Somak Raychaudhury
causing it to transfer energy to stars in the cluster's
Simon White
halo, leading the cluster core to collapse.[14]

Lynden-Bell authored an influential 1974 paper with James E. Pringle about the evolution of disks around
"nebular variables," which were later to become known as T Tauri stars – an early phase in a star's life
cycle.[15] The paper predicts the signature of radiation from such disks, which is emitted primarily at
infrared wavelengths where it dominates over the emission from the star.[16] Excess infrared emission
from young stars has become one of the primary methods used to identify these objects in astronomical
surveys.[17]

In 1971, he became Professor of Astrophysics (1909) and later the first director of the Institute of
Astronomy, Cambridge, when it formed from the merger of the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics and
the Cambridge Observatories in 1972.[8]

In the 1980s, he was a member of a group of astronomers known as the 'Seven Samurai' (with Sandra
Faber, David Burstein, Alan Dressler, Roger Davies, Roberto Terlevich, and Gary A. Wegner) who
postulated the existence of the Great Attractor, a huge, diffuse region of material around 250 million
light-years away that results in the observed motion of our local galaxies.[18]

Lynden-Bell, Roger Griffin, Neville Woolf, and Wallace L. W. Sargent were in the 2015 documentary
film Star Men that covered some of their professional accomplishments at their fiftieth reunion to redo a
memorable hike.[19]

His research in the last years of his life mainly focused on astrophysical jets and general relativity.[20]

Personal life and death

Donald was married to Ruth Lynden-Bell, a professor of chemistry at the University of Cambridge, on 1
July 1961.[21]
Lynden-Bell died at his home in Cambridge on 6 February 2018, at the age of 82.[2] He had a stroke in
the months preceding his death, and never fully recovered.[22] Responding to news of his death, John
Zarnecki, then President of the Royal Astronomical Society, praised Lynden-Bell's contributions to
astronomy, particularly his "incisive questions at scientific meetings and being generous in his support for
others".[23]

Honours

Awards
Karl Schwarzschild Medal (1983)[24]
Eddington Medal (1984)[25]
Brouwer Award of the American Astronomical Society, Division for Dynamical Astronomy
(1991)[26]
Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1993)[27]
Bruce Medal (1998)[28]
National Academy of Sciences, John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of Science
(2000)[29]
Henry Norris Russell Lectureship (2000)[30]
The first Kavli Prize for Astrophysics (2008), with Maarten Schmidt[4][6]
Member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.[31]

Named after him

Asteroid 18235 Lynden-Bell[32]

References
1. "The Astronomers" (http://www.starmen.space/astronomers). Star Men. Inigo Athenaeum
Enterprise Inc. 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
2. "Prof. Donald Lynden-Bell" (http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/content/prof.donald.lynden-bell).
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge. 6 February 2018. Retrieved 6 February
2018.
3. Evans, Neil Wyn (2020). "Donald Lynden-Bell. 5 April 1935— 6 February 2018" (https://doi.o
rg/10.1098%2Frsbm.2020.0008). Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 69:
333–363. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2020.0008 (https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frsbm.2020.0008).
4. Davies, Roger (28 February 2018). "Donald Lynden-Bell (1935–2018)" (https://doi.org/10.10
38%2Fd41586-018-02579-w). Obituary. Nature. 555 (7695): 166.
Bibcode:2018Natur.555..166D (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018Natur.555..166D).
doi:10.1038/d41586-018-02579-w (https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fd41586-018-02579-w).
PMID 29517024 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29517024).
5. "Donald Lynden-Bell" (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/donald-lynden-bell-f35ng2flp). The
Times. 9 February 2018. p. 53.
6. "2008 Kavli Prize Laureates in Astrophysics" (http://www.kavliprize.org/prizes-and-laureates/
prizes/2008-kavli-prize-laureates-astrophysics). www.kavliprize.org. 28 August 2008.
 7. Rowan-Robinson, Michael (27 February 2018). "Donald Lynden-Bell obituary" (https://www.t
heguardian.com/science/2018/feb/27/donald-lynden-bell-obituary). The Guardian. Retrieved
27 February 2018.
8. Lynden-Bell, Donald (2010), "Searching for Insight", Annual Review of Astronomy and
Astrophysics, 48: 1–19, Bibcode:2010ARA&A..48....1L (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/20
10ARA&A..48....1L), doi:10.1146/annurev-astro-081309-130859 (https://doi.org/10.1146%2
Fannurev-astro-081309-130859), S2CID 123363057 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/Corpu
sID:123363057)
9. Lynden-Bell, Donald (1960). Stellar and Galactic Dynamics (PhD). University of Cambridge.
10. Lynden-Bell, Donald; Schweizer, François (2012). "Allan Rex Sandage. 18 June 1926 – 13
November 2010". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 58: 245–264.
arXiv:1111.5646 (https://arxiv.org/abs/1111.5646). Bibcode:2012BMFRL..58..245L (https://u
i.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012BMFRL..58..245L). doi:10.1098/rsbm.2011.0021 (https://doi.
org/10.1098%2Frsbm.2011.0021). S2CID 72680092 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/Corpus
ID:72680092).
11. Eggen, O. J.; Lynden-Bell, D.; Sandage, A. R. (1962). "Evidence from the motions of old
stars that the Galaxy collapsed". The Astrophysical Journal. 136: 748.
Bibcode:1962ApJ...136..748E (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1962ApJ...136..748E).
doi:10.1086/147433 (https://doi.org/10.1086%2F147433).
12. Lynden-Bell, D. (1969). "Galactic Nuclei as Collapsed Old Quasars". Nature. 223 (5207):
690–694. Bibcode:1969Natur.223..690L (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1969Natur.223..
690L). doi:10.1038/223690a0 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2F223690a0). S2CID 4164497 (http
s://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:4164497).
13. Lynden-Bell, D. (1967). "Statistical mechanics of violent relaxation in stellar systems" (http
s://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmnras%2F136.1.101). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
Society. 136: 101–121. arXiv:astro-ph/0212205 (https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0212205).
Bibcode:1967MNRAS.136..101L (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1967MNRAS.136..101
L). doi:10.1093/mnras/136.1.101 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmnras%2F136.1.101).
14. Lynden-Bell, D.; Wood, Roger (1968). "The gravo-thermal catastrophe in isothermal spheres
and the onset of red-giant structure for stellar systems" (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmnras%
2F138.4.495). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 138 (4): 495.
Bibcode:1968MNRAS.138..495L (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1968MNRAS.138..495
L). doi:10.1093/mnras/138.4.495 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmnras%2F138.4.495).
15. Aswin Sekhar (15 February 2018). "Donald Lynden-Bell: A Legacy of Astronomical
Excellence" (http://thewire.in/224549/donald-lynden-bell-legacy-astronomical-excellence/).
thewire.com.
16. Lynden-Bell, D.; Pringle, J. E.; et al. (1974). "The evolution of viscous discs and the origin of
the nebular variables" (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmnras%2F168.3.603). Monthly Notices of
the Royal Astronomical Society. 168 (3): 603. Bibcode:1974MNRAS.168..603L (https://ui.ad
sabs.harvard.edu/abs/1974MNRAS.168..603L). doi:10.1093/mnras/168.3.603 (https://doi.or
g/10.1093%2Fmnras%2F168.3.603).
17. Lada, Charles J.; Lada, Elizabeth A.; et al. (2003). "Embedded Clusters in Molecular
Clouds". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 41: 57–115. arXiv:astro-
ph/0301540 (https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0301540). Bibcode:2003ARA&A..41...57L (https://
ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003ARA&A..41...57L).
doi:10.1146/annurev.astro.41.011802.094844 (https://doi.org/10.1146%2Fannurev.astro.41.
011802.094844). S2CID 16752089 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:16752089).
18. Dennis Overbye, Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos, 1st. ed., p. 410, Harper Collins, 1991
19. Bradshaw, Peter (19 November 2015). "Star Men review – desert road trip, space odyssey"
(https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/19/star-men-review-desert-road-trip-space-ody
ssey). the Guardian. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
20. "Donald Lynden-Bell, British astronomer – Stock Image C020/7225 – Science Photo Library"
(http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/589840/view). www.sciencephoto.com. Retrieved
7 February 2018.
21. "Professor emeritus Ruth Lynden-Bell" (http://www.academia-net.org/profil/professor-emerit
us-ruth-lynden-bell/1355637). AcademiaNet.
22. "R.I.P. Donald Lynden-Bell (1935–2018)" (https://telescoper.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/r-i-p
-donald-lynden-bell-1935-2018/). WordPress. 6 February 2018.
23. Hollis, Morgan (19 February 2018). "Professor Donald Lynden-Bell CBE FRS, 1935–2018"
(http://www.ras.org.uk/news-and-press/3090-professor-donald-lynden-bell-cbe-frs-1935-201
8). Royal Astronomical Society. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
24. "Recipients of the Karl Schwarzschild Medal – English" (http://www.astronomische-gesellsch
aft.org/en/activities/awards/schwarzschild). Astronomische Gesellschaft. Retrieved
7 February 2018.
25. Hide, R. (1984), "Presentation of the Eddington Medal to Lynden-Bell 1984FEB10",
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 25: 231,
Bibcode:1984QJRAS..25..231H (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1984QJRAS..25..231H)
26. "Donald Lynden-Bell received the 1991 Dirk Brouwer Award of the American Astronomical
Society.", Physics Today, 44 (1): Q82, 1991, Bibcode:1991PhT....44Q..82. (https://ui.adsabs.
harvard.edu/abs/1991PhT....44Q..82.), doi:10.1063/1.2809968 (https://doi.org/10.1063%2F
1.2809968)
27. "Gold Medal to Lynden-Bell", Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 34: 273,
1993, Bibcode:1993QJRAS..34..273. (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1993QJRAS..34..2
73.)
28. "Past Recipients of the Catherine Wolfe Bruce Gold Medal « Astronomical Society" (https://
web.archive.org/web/20170904155621/https://www.astrosociety.org/about-us/awards/past-r
ecipients-of-the-catherine-wolfe-bruce-gold-medal-2/). Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
Archived from the original (https://www.astrosociety.org/about-us/awards/past-recipients-of-t
he-catherine-wolfe-bruce-gold-medal-2/) on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
29. "John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of Science" (https://web.archive.org/web/201012
29180532/http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AWARDS_carty). National
Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original (http://www.nasonline.org/site/PageServe
r?pagename=AWARDS_carty) on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
30. "Henry Norris Russell Lectureship | American Astronomical Society" (https://aas.org/grants-a
nd-prizes/henry-norris-russell-lectureship). American Astronomical Society. Retrieved
7 February 2018.
31. "Gruppe 2: Fysikkfag (herunder astronomi, fysikk og geofysikk)" (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20110927171005/http://www.dnva.no/c26849/artikkel/vis.html?tid=40118) (in Norwegian).
Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. Archived from the original (http://www.dnva.no/
c26849/artikkel/vis.html?tid=40118) on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
32. "IAU Minor Planet Center: (18235) Lynden-Bell" (https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/sh
ow_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&object_id=18235). Retrieved 7 February 2018.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Donald_Lynden-Bell&oldid=1235120447"