Astrophysics, CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science
2011 UNSW Medal Winner for the Young Tall Poppy of the Year for NSW
Dr George Hobbs is an expert in the field of radio pulsars. He is currently leading the Australian component of an international project to make the first direct detection of gravitational waves, which if successful, will confirm Einstein’s theory of general relativity. If successful, this will push astronomic study into a new era, allowing the study of the very early universe and such phenomena as black holes and cosmic strings. Hobbs’ recent contributions include establishing the first time scale – based on pulsar observations; discovering a new phenomenon relating to the rotational stability of pulsars and publishing the most precise estimate yet for the mass of Jupiter.
Hobbs is highly committed to community outreach. He co-developed the very successful PULSE@Parkes project that has directly engaged over 600 students from around the world. It is the most successful education and outreach project of its type worldwide. George also played an active role in the ASISTM “Wildflowers of the Sky” project; developing links with the Indigenous community in Western Australia. He has given presentations about gravitational waves at the Meekatharra School of the Air, as well as at the Australian Museum, universities and numerous other forums around Australia. Hobbs has published 77 refereed journal papers, attracting more than 3100 citations.