Laimons Zacs
Born: February 25, 1960, Cesis, Latvia
Interests
- Astrophysics
- High Resolution Spectroscopy
- Chemically Peculiar Stars (barium, AGB and post-AGB, etc.)
- Chemical Composition of Stellar Atmospheres
- S-process Nucleosynthesis
- Circumstellar Matter
Languages: Latvian, Russian, English, German
Education
- University of Latvia (Faculty of Physics and Mathematics), 1984
- Special course in the field of observational astronomy, Special Astrophysical
Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences, 1988
- Candidate of Science, Special Astrophysical Observatory, Nizhny Arkhiz, Russia, 1992
- Dr.phys., University of Latvia, 1992
Experience
- Junior Researcher, Radioastrophysical Observatory, Latvian Academy of Sciences,
1986-1992
- Visiting astronomer, Special Astrophysical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences,
1989
- Researcher, Radioastrophysical Observatory, Latvian Academy of Sciences, 1992-1995
- Leading Researcher, Radioastrophysical Observatory, Latvian Academy of Sciences,
1995-1997
- Leading Researcher, Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre (VIRAC), 1997-2000
- Leading Researcher, Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy, University of Latvia,
2001 -
Professional Activities and Memberships
- Member, European Astronomical Society, 1994
- Member, VIRAC Council, 1999
- Referee for Astronomy and Astrophysics (A European Journal), EDP Sciences
- Member, Latvian Physical Society
- Advisor of one master and two bachelor theses at the Physics Department of the
University of Latvia
- Contributed talk (co-authors A.Alksnis and R. Spelmanis) CIT6: the early phase of
PPN? - An International workshop Post-AGB objects (Proto-planetary nebulae) as
a phase of stellar evolution, July 5-7, 2000, Torun, Poland
Lectures
- Barium- and related stars. Lund Observatory (Prof. Dainis Dravins), Lund University,
Sweden, November 1994
- Nucleosynthesis on the AGB: observational aspects
. N.Copernicus Astronomical Center
(Dr. Ryszard Szczerba), Torun, Poland, April 1996
- Invited review The Chemical Composition and Orbital Parameters of Barium Stars.
Symposium No.177 of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) The carbon star
phenomenon, Antalya, Turkey, May 27-31, 1996
- Complex investigations of PPN: results, problems, future prospects
(co-authors M.
Schmidt and R. Spelmanis) VIRAC SAC Meeting, Riga and Ventspils, 15-16 June, 1998.
International Scientific Cooperation
- A few of the observational programs on the 6-m BTA telescope of the Russian Academy of
Sciences, Nizhnij Arkhiz, North Caucasus, 1987-1994 (Drs. Vladimir E. Panchuk, Valentina
G.Klochkova, Ilfan F.Bikmaev, Gazinur A.Galazutdinov, Faig A.Musaev).
- Institute of Physics and Astronomy (Prof. Poul E. Nissen), University of Aarhus,
Denmark, November 1994.
- The observational program at the European Southern Observatory (CAT+CES), Chile (remote
control from Headquarters at Garching near Munich, Germany), December 1994.
- Institut dAstronomie et dAstrophysique (Dr. Henri M.J.Boffin), Brussels,
Belgium.
- N.Copernicus Astronomical Center (Drs. Ryszard Szczerba and Mirek Schmidt), Torun,
Poland, June 1997, March 1998, April-May 1999.
- Kazan State University (Drs. Ludmila I.Mashonkina, Ilfan F. Bikmaev), Tatarstan, Russia
- Observatorio Astronomico Nacional (Dr. William J. Schuster), UNAM, Mexico
Recent/Representative Publications
- L.Zacs. A spectroscopic analysis of barium stars. - Astronomy and Astrophysics,
1994, vol. 283, pp.937-954.
- O.Alksnis, L.Zacs. The violet opacity in the red peculiar stars. II. Spectral analysis
of the cool carbon stars WZ Cas and V Cyg. - Astrophysics and Space Science, 1994,
vol. 215, pp.73-82.
- H.M.J Boffin, L.Zacs. Examination of the wind accretion scenario for barium stars. -Astronomy
and Astrophysics, 1994, vol.291, pp.811-814.
- L.Zacs, V.G.Klochkova, V.E.Panchuk. The chemical composition of post-AGB star,
proto-planetary nebulae candidate IRAS 22272+5435 = SAO 34504. - Monthly Notices of the
Royal Astronomical Society, 1995, vol.275, pp.764-772.
- L.I.Mashonkina, L.Zacs. On the problem of selective enhancement of barium in the
atmospheres of Ba II stars. - Astrophysics and Space Science, 1996, vol.236,
pp.185-199.
- L.Zacs, V.G.Klochkova, V.E.Panchuk, R.Spelmanis. The chemical composition of the
protoplanetary nebula candidate HD 179821. - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical
Society, 1996, vol.282, pp.1171-1180.
- L.Zacs, F.A.Musaev, I.F.Bikmaev, O.Alksnis. An abundance analysis of single-lined
spectroscopic binaries with barium stars like orbital elements. I. Analysis and results. -Astronomy
and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 1997, vol.122, pp.31-42.
- L.Zacs. Detection of C2 and C3 absorption in two post-AGB objects
IRAS22272+5435 and CIT6. - Astrophysics and Space Science, 1997, vol. 251,
pp.289-292.
- L.Zacs, P.E.Nissen, W.J.Schuster. The chemical composition of HD196944: a carbon and
s-process rich, very metal-poor star. - Astronomy and Astrophysics, 1998, vol. 337,
pp.216-222.
- L.Zacs, O.Alksnis, F.A.Musaev, I.F.Bikmaev, G.A.Galazutdinov. An abundance analysis of
the single-lined spectroscopic binaries with barium stars like orbital elements. II. The
spectroscopic data. - Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series, 1999, vol.136,
pp.453-454.
- L.Zacs, M.R.Schmidt, R.Szczerba. A search for diffuse absorption bands in the spectra of
two PPN candidate stars: HD179821 and SAO34504. - Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Society, 1999, vol.306, pp.903.
- L.Zacs. The chemical composition and orbital parameters of barium stars. In: IAU
Symp. 177: The Carbon Star Phenomenon (ed. R.Wing), Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000,
pp.277-284.
- L.Zacs, M.R.Schmidt, W.J.Schuster. A carbon rich star BD+75r 348: a binary? - Astronomy
and Astrophysics, 2000, vol.358, pp.1022-1026.
- L Zacs, R.Spelmanis. The violet opacity in the red peculiar stars. III. Spectral
analysis of the SC star GP Ori. Astrophysics and Space Science, 2001.
vol.275, pp.239-246.
- L.Zacs. A detailed spectroscopy of selected peculiar stars in open clusters. Proceedings
of Taiwan-Baltic Workshop Dynamical and Chemical Evolution of Star Clusters
(Ed. W.P.Chen), Nationa; Centyral University, Chung-Li, 2003, pp.147-159.
- Zacs L., Spelmanis R., Musaev F.A., Galazutdinov
G.A. A search for diffuse absorption bands in carbon-rich stars. I. Barium and related
stars. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Blackwell Science,
2003, vol.339, pp.460-466.
- Zacs L., Schmidt M., Musaev F.A., Galazutdinov G.A., Sperauskas J. A detailed
spectroscopy of the search for carbon-rich star BD+570 2161. Astronomy
and Astrophysics, 2005, vol.441, pp.303-308.
- Schmidt M., Zacs L., Mikolajewska J., Hinkle K. An abundance analysis of the symbiotic
star CH Cygni. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2006, vol.446, pp.603-609.
Research Projects
- L.Zacs. (Head of Project). Preconditions for the Formation of Barium Stars. C&EE
Programme of European Southern Observatory (1993-1994).
- L.Zacs. (Head of Project). The evolutionary link among peculiar red giants. Latvian
Council of Science (1995-1996).
- L.Zacs. (Head of Project). Complex investigations of protoplanetary nebulae candidate. Latvian
Council of Science (1997-2000).
- L. Zacs (Head of Project). A spectroscopic analysis of AGB objects. Latvian Council of Science (2001-2004).
- L. Zacs (Head of Project). Examination of Neutron-capture Nucleosynthesis in Stars Using
High-resolution Spectroscopy. Latvian Council of
Science (2005 - ).
Last update 26.10.2007