3/3/2017 Vera Rubin (1928-2016) : Nature : Nature Research

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Archive Volume542 Issue7639 Obituaries Article

NATURE | OBITUARY

VeraRubin(19282016)
NetaA.Bahcall

Nature 542, 32 (02February2017) doi:10.1038/542032a

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Publishedonline 01February2017

Observationalastronomerwhoconfirmedtheexistenceofdarkmatter.

Subjectterms: Astronomyandastrophysics Spacephysics

VeraCooperRubinwasapioneeringastronomer,anadmiredrolemodel
andapassionatechampionoffemalescientists.Hergroundbreakingwork
confirmedtheexistenceofdarkmatteranddemonstratedthatgalaxiesare
embeddedindarkmatterhalos,whichwenowknowcontainmostofthe
massintheUniverse.

Inthe1970s,Rubinshowedthatthespeedatwhichstarsorbitaroundthe
centresofspiralgalaxiesremainshighevenattheoutskirts.This
contradictstheNewtoniantheoryofgravitation,whichpredictsthatthe
speedsofdistantstarsshouldfalloffasthepullofgravitydeclines,justas
thefarthestplanetsintheSolarSystemorbitmoreslowlyaroundtheSun
thandocloserones.ThediscrepancyisstrikingifJupitermovedatthe
samerateasEarth,forinstance,itwouldorbittheSunevery5years,
ratherthanevery12.

Theonlyplausibleexplanationforthesegalactic'flatrotationcurves'
(namedfortheirshapeonagraph)wasthatthemassofthegalaxiesmust
extendinvisiblybeyondthemostdistantstarsandgasclouds.Thatexcess
massisknownasdarkmatter.Itsexistencewasfirstsuggestedin1933by
astronomerFritzZwicky,whosawthatgalaxiesinclustersmovedmore
CarnegieInstitutionofWashington
quicklythanwouldbepredictedfromobservablemass.

Darkmatter,whichneitheremitsnorabsorbslight,makesup85%ofthemassdensityoftheUniverse.Wedon'tknowwhatitisforsure,
butmostastrophysiciststhinkthatitmustbeanewkindofparticle,differentfromthefamiliarbaryons(suchasprotonsandneutrons)in
stars,planetsandpeople.Thenatureofdarkmatterisoneofscience'sgreatunsolvedmysteries.Theanswerwillchangehowwethink
abouttheUniverse.

RubinmadeherdiscoverybyworkingcloselywithhercolleagueKentFord,whobuiltthesophisticatedopticalspectrographneededfor
suchaccuratemeasurements.In1970,theypublishedtheirfirstrotationcurveforthenearbyAndromedagalaxy(V.C.RubinandK.Ford
Astrophys.J.159,3791970).Insteadofobservinghydrogengasingalacticdisksat21centimetreradiowavelengths,asothershaddone,
RubinandFordchosetousespectralsignaturesatopticalwavelengths.Thisavoidedthedifficultiesofinterpretinggasdynamicsthatmight
affectotherstudies.Theirconfirmationin1978offlatrotationcurvesinalargesampleoftenspiralgalaxiesconfirmedtheexistenceofdark
matter(V.C.Rubinetal.Astrophys.J.Lett.225,L107L1111978).

VeraRubinpassedawayon25December2016,aged88.ShewasborninPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania,in1928andmovedwithherfamily
toWashingtonDCwhenshewas10.Herfascinationwiththenightskywasevidentatanearlyage.Shewouldpeeroutofherbedroom

http://sm2nn8xb3j.search.serialssolutions.com/?frbrVersion=3&ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:o/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2017-03-03T11%3A25%3A57IST&url_ 1/2
3/3/2017 Vera Rubin (1928-2016) : Nature : Nature Research
windowandwonderwhatcausedthestarstomoveacrossthesky,orwhytheMoonseemedtofollowherassherodeinthebackseatof
herparents'car.

HerinsatiabledesiretounderstandtheUniverseledhertostudyatVassarCollegeinNewYorkstate,whichshechosebecausethefirst
professionalfemaleastronomerintheUnitedStates,MariaMitchell,hadtaughttherein186588.Rubingraduatedin1948astheonly
astronomymajorinherclass,andwasmarriedthesameyear.Sheearnedhermaster'sdegreeatCornellUniversityinIthaca,NewYork,
thenmovedwithherhusbandtoWashingtonDC,whereshereceivedherPhDfromGeorgetownUniversityin1954.HerPhDthesis
demonstratedthatgalaxiesareclumpedratherthanevenlydistributedinspaceasurprisingandcrucialfinding,theimportanceofwhich
wasnotrecognizeduntilmanyyearslater.

AfterteachingatGeorgetown,Veraacceptedaresearchpositionin1965attheCarnegieInstitution'sDepartmentofTerrestrialMagnetism
inWashingtonDC,wheresheremainedfortherestofhercareer.TheresheconductedhergroundbreakingresearchwithFord,and
mentoredgenerationsofyoungastronomersintheinvestigationofgalaxydynamicsanddarkmatter.Shewasdeeplylovedandadmired
byallwhoknewher.

Inspiteofthenumerousobstaclesshefacedasafemalescientist,Rubintriumphed.Shewasalwayscheerful,passionateandpersistent.
ShehadwantedtoattendgraduateschoolatPrincetonUniversityinNewJersey,butwasdeniedbecausetheuniversitydidnotaccept
womenatthetime(PrincetonawardedRubinanhonorarydegreein2005).ShewantedtousetheHaletelescopeatthePalomar
ObservatoryinCalifornia,butwasdeniedbecausethefacilitydidnotallowwomentodosountilthe1960s.Shepavedapathforwomen
notonlybyencouragingandinspiringthem,butalsobypressingforthemtobehiredforfacultypositions,tobeawardedhonoursandtobe
invitedtospeakatconferences.Iftoofewwomenwerelistedasspeakers,shewoulddemandthatorganizersaddmore.AsVeralikedto
say,Worldwide,halfofallbrainsareinwomen.

Vera'saccomplishmentshavebeenrecognizedbynumeroushonours,includingtheUSNationalMedalofScience,theGoldMedalofthe
RoyalAstronomicalSocietyinLondon,theGruberFoundationCosmologyPrize,theJamesCraigWatsonMedaloftheUSNational
AcademyofSciencesandmanyhonorarydegrees.ShewaswidelyseenasdeservingofaNobelprizeforherpivotalobservations.Vera's
legacyasthe'mother'offlatrotationcurvesanddarkmatterwillbeforeverremembered,aswillherroleinmentoringandinspiring
generationsofscientists,maleandfemale.

Nature ISSN00280836 EISSN14764687

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