I. Félix Mirabel


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Academic Degrees:

  • License in Astronomy. University of La Plata, Argentina (1971).
  • Professor in Philosophy. University of Buenos Aires, Argentina (1974).
  • Ph.D. in Astronomy. University of La Plata, Argentina (1975)

    • Distinctions:

  • Doctor Honoris Causa. University of Barcelona (2004). Discurso de Investidura. (Reduced version in English published by the French Academy of Sciences)
  • Rossi Prize of the High Energy Division. American Astronomical Society (1996).
  • Grand Prix Deslandres. French National Academy of Sciences (2011).
  • Houssay Prize for the Trajectory in Science and Technology. Ministry of Science and Technology of Argentina (2011).
  • National Award in Physics. French Commission for Atomic & Alternative Energies (1995).
  • Prix Konex 2013. One of the five most productive argentine scientists in Physics and Astronomy during the last decade.
  • Consecration Prize. National Academy of Exact Sciences, Physical and Natural Sciences of Argentina (2010).
  • Guggenheim Foundation Fellow. California Institute of Technology (1989).
  • Productivity Awards. National Science Foundation-EPSCOR (USA) (1988 and 1989).
  • Member of the National Academy of Exact Sciences, Physical and Natural Sciences of Argentina (2011).
  • Member of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) - for the Advancement of Science in developing countries (2015)

    • Participated in the discovery of:

  • Microquasars
  • Superluminal motions in the Galaxy
  • Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies
  • Tidal Dwarf Galaxies

    • Current areas of research:

  • High Energy Astrophysics
  • Extragalactic Astronomy
  • Cosmology

    • Positions held:

  • Representative and Head of the Office of Science in Chile of the European Southern Observatories
  • Directeur de Recherches. Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives. France
  • Researcher "Superior" of the National Research Council. Argentina
  • Professor (Associate - Full). Univ. of Puerto Rico, USA
  • Guggenheim Fellow. California Institute of Technology. USA
  • Associate Researcher. University of Maryland. USA
  • Post-doctoral Researcher. University of Manchester. UK
  • Fellow of the National Research Council. Argentina

    • Publications:

  • 661 (361 in refereed journals) with more than 19.600 citations
  • H-Index = 65 (Based on SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System)
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    Main publications in High Energy Astrophysics:

  • "Sources of relativistic jets in the Galaxy", Mirabel, I.F. & Rodríguez, L.F., 1999, Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol 37, 409-443.(Astro-ph 9902062).
  • "Microquasars in our Galaxy", Mirabel, I.F., & Rodríguez, L.F., 1998, Nature, 392, 673.
  • "A Superluminal Source in the Galaxy", Mirabel, I.F. & Rodríguez, L. F. 1994, Nature, 371, 46-48.
  • "A Double-sided Radio Jet from The Compact Galactic Centre Annihilator 1E1740.7-2942", Mirabel, I.F., Rodríguez, L.F., Cordier, B., Paul, J., & Lebrun, F., 1992, Nature, 358, 215-217.
  • "A High Velocity Black Hole in a Galactic Halo Orbit", Mirabel, I.F et al. 2001, Nature, 413, 139.
  • "Formation of a Black Hole in the Dark", Mirabel, I.F. & Rodrigues, I. 2003, Science, 300, 1119.
  • "Very Energetic Gamma-Rays from Microquasars and Binary Pulsars", Mirabel, I.F., 2006, Science, 312, 1759.
  • "Accretion instabilities and jet formation in GRS 1915+105", Mirabel, I.F. et al., 1998. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 330,L9
  • "Gamma-Ray Binaries Revealed". Mirabel, I.F., Science 2012, 335,175
  • "The Formation of Stellar Black Holes", Mirabel, I.F., Invited Review for New Astronomy Reviews (2017, in press). See http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.newar.2017.04.002.

    • Main publications in extragalactic astronomy:

  • "Luminous Infrared Galaxies". D.B. Sanders & I.F. Mirabel, 1996 Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 34, 749-792.
  • "A barred spiral at the centre of the giant elliptical radio galaxy Centaurus A". Mirabel, I.F. et al. 1999, Astronomy and Astrophysics 341, 667-694
  • "The dark side of star formation in the Antennae galaxies", Mirabel, I.F. et al. 1998, Astronomy and Astrophysics 333, L1-L4.
  • "The Superantennae". Mirabel, I.F., Lutz, D. & Maza, J. 1991. Astronomy and Astrophysics 243, 367-374.
  • "Genesis of a dwarf galaxy from the debris of the Antennae". Mirabel, I.F., Dottori, H. & Lutz, D. 1992. Astronomy and Astrophysics 256, L19-L22.
  • "Stellar black holes at the dawn of the universe", I.F. Mirabel et al. 2011. Astronomy & Astrophysics 528, A149.
  • Black holes at cosmic dawn in the redshifted 21cm signal of HI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newar.2022.101642 (doi: 10.1016/j.newar.2022.101642)

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    Mirabel et.al.
    (Nature 413,139;2001)    		 Mirabel & Rodríguez
    (Nature 371,46;1998)    		 Mirabel & Rodríguez
    (Sky & Telescope May 2002)

    Astronomical images:

    The first microquasar in the Galactic Center region: Observed with the Very Large Array at 6-cm in the C configuration (angular resolution of 3 arc sec). See Mirabel et al. (1992, Nature, 358, 215).
    The first superluminal source detected in our Galaxy: GRS 1915+105, the first superluminal source detected in the Galaxy in a sequence of 3.6-cm images that shows its ejecta moving in the sky. The images were taken with the Very Large Array in the A configuration with an angular resolution of 0.2 arc sec. See Mirabel and Rodríguez (1994, Nature, 371, 46). See an animation here .
    Accretion/ejection connection in microquasars: See Mirabel & Rodríguez 1998, Nature 392, 673; Mirabel et al. 1998, A&A 330, L9

    A black hole in the Galactic Halo: Mirabel et al. 2001, Nature 413, 139.
    Here you can get the reprint    .
    Here you can see an animation (MPEG).
    The press release of NRAO related on this discovery:
    http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2001/blackhole/
    The press release of STScI related on this discovery: http://oposite.stsci.edu/pubinfo/PR/2001/29/index.html
    The Astronomy Picture of the Day image: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap010921.html

    Black hole binary system shot by a supernova explosion. Here you can see an animation (MPEG). More info: ESA Homepage, NASA Homepage.
    Here you can get the reprint    .
    Scorpius X-1: The first discovered extra-solar X-ray source.Here you can see an animation (MPEG).
    Here you can get the preprint.
    Formation of a Black Hole in the Dark . Here you can get the News in Science Now.
    Here you can get a Science reprint.
    A Microquasar shot out from its birth place.Here you can see the NRAO Press Release.
    Here you can get the article.
    Gamma - Ray Binairies
    Here you can get the perspec tive article in Science Magazine. See Mirabel (2006, Science 312, 1759)
    The symbiotic galaxy Centaurus A: Deep inside Centaurus A, the closest active galaxy to Earth, lies ... another galaxy! Cen A is a giant elliptical galaxy a mere 10 million light-years distant with a central jumble of stars, dust, and gas that probably hides a massive black hole. This composite combines an optical picture of Cen A with dark lines tracing lobes of radio emission and an infrared image from the ISO satellite (in red).The ISO data maps out the dust in what appears to be a barred spiral galaxy about the size of the prominent nearby spiral M33. The discoverers believe that the giant elliptical's gravity helps this barred spiral galaxy maintain its shape.In turn, material funneled along the spiral's bar fuels the central black hole which powers the elliptical's radio lobes. This apparently intimate association between two distinct and dissimilar galaxies suggests a truly cosmic symbiotic relationship.See Mirabel et al. (1999, Astronomy and Astrophysics 341, 667-694).
    The dark side of star formation: Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) image of the prototype spiral-spiral merger (The Antennae) superimposed on an HST optical image. See Mirabel et al. (1998, Astronomy and Astrophysics 333, L1-4).
    The Superantennae (IRAS 19254-7245): Prototype ultraluminous infrared galaxy. Optical r-band image and inset in the K-band (2.2 microns) of the nuclear regions. See Mirabel et al. (1991, Astronomy and Astrophysics 243, 367).
    Microquasars in the Milky Way: A copy of the article by Mirabel and Rodríguez (Sky & Telescope, May 2002, 32) can be obtained upon request writing to felix.mirabel@cea.fr.
    Course on Microquasars at the XI Advances School on Astrophysics, Campos do Jordão, Brazil (1-6 September 2002): Here you can get the slides (MS PowerPoint) Lecture 1 (20Mb) Lecture 2 (2 Mb) Lecture 3 (2.4 Mb) Lecture 4 (1.5 Mb)

    Personal pictures

    For personal pictures, click here.

    Last update: October 28, 2015