With Rashid Sunyaev Interviewer: Naoki Yoshida
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Interview with Rashid Sunyaev Interviewer: Naoki Yoshida How to Become an astronomical survey, Subaru Independent Scientist Hyper Suprime-Cam survey. Sunyaev: This institute is Sunyaev: Are you participating great. in it? Yoshida: Thank you. Yoshida: Yes, and we will get Sunyaev: It was very real data and real results very interesting to see it. soon. Yoshida: Everything is Sunyaev: Very good. I going well, including a large remember that you were working at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics. Yoshida: As a student. Sunyaev: You are now working at the Hongo campus. Are you working in the Department of Physics, Rashid Sunyaev is a Chief Scientist not in this institute? of the Space Research Institute, the Russian Academy of Sciences (since Yoshida: I spend 60% of my 1992) and a Director of the Max time at the Department, and Planck Institute for Astrophysics (since 1996). He received Candidate 40% here. of Sciences (equivalent of Ph.D.) Sunyaev: It’s good sharing, in 1968 and Doctor of Sciences (astrophysics) in 1973 (this degree okay. is required in Russia to become Yoshida: Yes. I can conduct full professor), both from Moscow University. He also received a title of researches here at the Kavli Professor of Astrophysics from the IPMU. Okay, let me ask Superior Attestation Commission of the USSR Council of Ministers you about some questions in 1987. He became a Professor at today. The rst question is Moscow Institute for Physics and Technology in 1975. He was Head about“ independence.” One of the Laboratory of Theoretical particular thing I wanted to Astrophysics in 1974 – 1982, and Head of High Energy Astrophysics ask you is how to become an Department in 1982 – 2002, both independent scientist. At what at the Academy of Sciences’ Space Research Institute. He became a occasion did you rst realize corresponding member of the or become condent enough USSR Academy of Sciences in 1984, and has been a full member of the that you would be a good Russian Academy of Sciences since scientist? 1992. He received the Crafoord Prize in Astronomy in 2008, Kyoto Prize Sunyaev: It’s a very difcult in 2011, Benjamin Franklin Medal question. I have never in Physics in 2012, and many other distinguished awards. thought about it, but it’s my 10 Kavli IPMU News No. 29 March 2015 impression that there was a very well those narrow elds. moment when I recognized And then I recognized that that I wished to become I can be strong in some a scientist. It was a very elds even on the level of important moment, because those who were already full when you’re a student, you professors at that time, by don’t know what you are just interacting with people interested in, but there is a to whom Zeldovich sent great difference between the me to discuss things which interest and the belief that we were doing, and trying you really should do this. to get their advice on the Yoshida: Yes. concrete very narrow subject. Sunyaev: The second moment This was important. Then I is when you’re really starting started to work with some to be condent that you’re of these people, for example, able to do this ― Is this what these experimentalists. you ask? Experimentalists are great. I Yoshida: Yes, something like admire them because their life it. is much more difcult than Sunyaev: I was working with life of theoreticians. Anyway, Yakov Zeldovich in his group at some moment, you have at the Institute of Applied a pleasure recognizing that Mathematics, USSR Academy you might be extremely useful of Sciences. He was an for these experimentalists. extremely strong and bright You come to them and tell scientist, very well recognized that it’s possible to use their and very broad in his interests. data for this and that, and try He was sending me to to interpret their data in the different people to discuss best way. Then you see that science, recommending me you can nd your own niche Interview to work with them also. Very rapidly I recognized that Naoki Yoshida is a Professor at the there are different grades of School of Science and Kavli IPMU, the University of Tokyo. After having strong scientists. Zeldovich is graduated from the University of a very high-grade scientist. Tokyo in 1996, he completed his doctoral course in the Max Planck There are people who are Institute for Astrophysics in 2001 working in very narrow elds and received a Doctorate in Natural Science from München University in of science and who know 2002. 11 and that in this niche, you’re strong, you’re also learning so strong and so well known. and then the second person strong. a lot from them. They’re not This also showed you that made a rst correction to Yoshida: You found the value so busy and they learn much you are not absolutely the last his theory and so on. Finally, of yourself as… more rapidly than you. At person in the world. This was it became the“ seventh Sunyaev: It’s not only the some moment, they’re starting good. approximation.” From one value. I also understood the to be competitive. I think Yoshida: Okay, I think your side, people were able to go niche in which I was able to it’s very useful to work with story is very encouraging to very deep. From another side, compete with many people young people. You should young people and that’s why people were slow in progress, rather successfully. I was really do this. I wanted to ask this question because they were unable very happy and Zeldovich Yoshida: I see. Was that to you. to become broad ― the also recognized this. Written roughly when you were 30 conditions to become broader together with Zeldovich, years old? Relation between a were much more difcult. some of our papers became Sunyaev: I think it was close Supervisor and a Student Yoshida: That’s very so successful. Sometimes, to the age of 25-27. Sunyaev: It’s important. But, interesting, because many I am thinking why, and Yoshida: Okay. Then, did you you know, life is changing. younger people struggle my impression is that one become so self-condent? The behavior of people is with becoming independent of the reasons was the Sunyaev: I think I did. I also changing and the relation at some point. As a student, following. At a very early tell you this. At the beginning between a supervisor and a there is some learning without stage I recognized that I'm when I started to work with student is now very different much thinking. But, eventually, interested in how to make the Zeldovich, he was rather from that in the time when they want to become very result of a theory observable. tough when I was not doing I started. Also, the American independent and this happens Many theoreticians around something very rapidly way of interactions or Anglo in a variety of ways depending me were working only in because of difculties. Saxon way of interactions on the person. theory, for theory, for further He was showing that he has between professors and Sunyaev: Yes, it depends on development of theory. I also no time to speak with me students is very different from personality and character. I found my niche to nd what and sometimes he was not that which was accepted in completely agree with you. is possible to observe. recognizing me. For me, it was Russia and Soviet Union when A lot depends also on the Yoshida: Interesting. really very, very bad feeling. I was young. interests. Zeldovich had the Sunyaev: This made my life Yoshida: I understand. Yoshida: In Russia and Soviet feeling of what is interesting much more interesting. I Sunyaev: But, when you Union, I suppose it was more for a person. When I rst also recognized that it was were getting new results and like a mixture, more like a came to him, he asked“ What possible to work not only coming to tell him“, I have family style and also like in are you interested in?” At with Zeldovich; I can be rather new results,” he immediately a more hierarchical, logical that time, I was rather good independent. This was also got ecstatic, telling“ Okay, let’s style. in mathematics, but I told him very useful. He was pleased discuss.” Then, I understood Sunyaev: In Soviet Union, it that I liked physical processes. when I was also working with that maybe his behavior was was strongly hierarchical. It It was interesting for me other people, young people just a way to demonstrate his was the same in Germany. to learn physical processes like a friend of mine Nikolay intention to make me work Usually people were staying in working in, for example, gas Shakura ― we were working more hard. the same group if they were chambers and other detectors on the accretion onto the Yoshida: To prompt or successful, practically whole of elementary particles. Then black holes. I had many motivate you. their scientic life. This was he was trying to direct me strong students. I’m very Sunyaev: Yes, motivating, but completely different from the to where it was necessary grateful to them, not only this was a rather tough way of Anglo Saxon way. In America, to investigate elementary because students are useful, motivating. At some moment, it’s important to move from physical processes. This was but also because working I also recognized that he was place to place, and to learn interesting for me and this with strong students is a also happy to work with me.