Pierre North

EPFL SB IPHYS LASTRO
Observatoire de Sauverny
1290 Versoix

Expertise

chemically peculiar stars, binary stars and distance determination, first generations of stars in the universe, Lyman-alpha emitting nebulae around quasars
Physics studies at University of Neuchatel and University of Geneva. PhD thesis at University of Geneva under the supervision of Prof. Bernard Hauck (University of Lausanne), and obtained in May 1984. My research activities have been first centred on the nature and evolution of chemically peculiar stars, and on the use of eclipsing binaries as tools of distance determination or probes of stellar evolution. Later, I have been interested in host galaxies of remote quasars, and I am now turning to the study of stellar populations of nearby galaxies, especially the dwarf spheroidals.

Book

A book discussing the plurality of inhabited worlds, published on the 10th of july 2010 (in French)

Selected publications

The nature of the F str lambda4077. III. Spectroscopy of the barium dwarfs and other CP stars

P. North, S. Berthet, T. Lanz
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 1994, Vol. 281, p. 775 in

A calibration of Geneva photometry for B to G stars in terms of Teff, logg and [M/H]

M. Kuenzli, P. North, R.L. Kurucz, B. Nicolet
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics Suppl., 1997, Vol. 122, p. 51 in

Do Si stars undergo any rotational braking?

P. North
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 1998, Vol. 334, p. 181 in

Magnetic Ap stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram

S. Hubrig, P. North, G. Mathys
Published in Astrophysical Journal, 2000, Vol. 539, p. 352 in

Automated spectroscopic abundances of A and F-type stars using echelle spectrographs. II. Abundaces of 140 A-F stars from ELODIE and CORALIE

D. Erspamer, P. North
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2003, Vol. 398, p. 1121 in

A purely geometric distance to the binary star Atlas, a member of the Pleiades

N. Zwahlen, P. North, Y. Debernardi, L. Eyer, F. Galland, M.A.T. Groenewegen, C.A. Hummel
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2004, Vol. 425, p. L45 in

Automated analysis of eclipsing binary light curves - II. Statistical analysis of OGLE LMC eclipsing binaries

T. Mazeh, O. Tamuz, P. North
Published in Monthly Notices of the Roy. Astron. Soc., 2006, Vol. 367, p. 1531 in

Deep optical spectroscopy of extended Ly-alpha emission around three radio-quiet z=4.5 quasars

F. Courbin, P. North, A. Eigenbrod, D. Chelouche
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2008, Vol. 488, p. 91 in

VLT multi-object spectroscopy of 33 eclipsing binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud. New distance and depth of the SMC, and a record-breaking apsidal motion

P. North, R. Gauderon, F. Barblan, F. Royer
Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2010, Vol. 520, A74 in

New distance and depth estimates from observations of eclipsing binaries in the SMC

P. L. NorthR. GauderonF. Royer

2009. 256th Symposium of the International-Astronomical-Union, Keele, ENGLAND, Jul 28-Aug 01, 2008. p. 57-62. DOI : 10.1017/S1743921308028263.

The evolution of Ap stars

P. L. NorthJ. BabelD. Erspamer

2008. CP/AP Workshop 2007, Vienna, AUSTRIA, Sep 10-14, 2007. p. 375-384.

Magnetic fields in massive stars

S. HubrigM. SchollerM. BriquetM. A. PogodinR. V. Yudin  et al.

2008. CP/AP Workshop 2007, Vienna, AUSTRIA, Sep 10-14, 2007. p. 223-228.

Improved parameters for the transiting planet HD 17156b: a high-density giant planet with a very eccentric orbit

M. GillonA. H. M. J. TriaudM. MayorD. QuelozS. Udry  et al.

Astronomy & Astrophysics. 2008. DOI : 10.1051/0004-6361:20079238.

Deep optical spectroscopy of extended Ly alpha emission around three radio-quiet z=4.5 quasars

F. CourbinP. NorthA. EigenbrodD. Chelouche

Astronomy & Astrophysics. 2008. DOI : 10.1051/0004-6361:200809789.

Chemically peculiar stars and their temperature calibration

M. NetopilE. PaunzenH. M. MaitzenP. NorthS. Hubrig

Astronomy & Astrophysics. 2008. DOI : 10.1051/0004-6361:200810325.

Assessing Solar Bidirectional Light Distribution with the Heliodome

M. AndersenE. StokesN. Gayeski

2008. IESNA 2008 - Illuminating Engineering Society Of North America Annual Conference, Savannah GA, November 9-11, 2008.

Individual, Organizational and Environmental Drivers of Job Creation in New Firms

J. DenckerM. GruberS. Shah

Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference, Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina, June 5-7, 2008.

Do European Entrepreneurs evaluate business opportunities differently than US Entrepreneurs? A Conjoint Experiment on Two Continents

M. GruberJ. BrinckmannV. Rao

Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference, Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina, June 5-7.

Cool Casting and green ideas from Europe

A. Nussbaumer

2008. North American Steel Construction Conference (NASCC), Nashville, April 2-5, 2008.

The potential for Premium-intermodal Services to Reduce Freight CO2 Emissions in the Quebec City - Windsor Corridor: A Stated Preference Application

Z. Patterson

53rd Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International, Toronto, Canada, November 18, 2006.

Medio ambiente urbano y disparidades sociales en America Latina

J.-C. Bolay

Scientific North – South Partnership, EPFL, Lausanne, 2-3 of December, 1999.

Infoscience

New distance and depth estimates from observations of eclipsing binaries in the SMC

P. L. NorthR. GauderonF. Royer

2009. 256th Symposium of the International-Astronomical-Union, Keele, ENGLAND, Jul 28-Aug 01, 2008. p. 57-62. DOI : 10.1017/S1743921308028263.

The evolution of Ap stars

P. L. NorthJ. BabelD. Erspamer

2008. CP/AP Workshop 2007, Vienna, AUSTRIA, Sep 10-14, 2007. p. 375-384.

Magnetic fields in massive stars

S. HubrigM. SchollerM. BriquetM. A. PogodinR. V. Yudin  et al.

2008. CP/AP Workshop 2007, Vienna, AUSTRIA, Sep 10-14, 2007. p. 223-228.

Improved parameters for the transiting planet HD 17156b: a high-density giant planet with a very eccentric orbit

M. GillonA. H. M. J. TriaudM. MayorD. QuelozS. Udry  et al.

Astronomy & Astrophysics. 2008. DOI : 10.1051/0004-6361:20079238.

Deep optical spectroscopy of extended Ly alpha emission around three radio-quiet z=4.5 quasars

F. CourbinP. NorthA. EigenbrodD. Chelouche

Astronomy & Astrophysics. 2008. DOI : 10.1051/0004-6361:200809789.

Chemically peculiar stars and their temperature calibration

M. NetopilE. PaunzenH. M. MaitzenP. NorthS. Hubrig

Astronomy & Astrophysics. 2008. DOI : 10.1051/0004-6361:200810325.

Assessing Solar Bidirectional Light Distribution with the Heliodome

M. AndersenE. StokesN. Gayeski

2008. IESNA 2008 - Illuminating Engineering Society Of North America Annual Conference, Savannah GA, November 9-11, 2008.

Individual, Organizational and Environmental Drivers of Job Creation in New Firms

J. DenckerM. GruberS. Shah

Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference, Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina, June 5-7, 2008.

Do European Entrepreneurs evaluate business opportunities differently than US Entrepreneurs? A Conjoint Experiment on Two Continents

M. GruberJ. BrinckmannV. Rao

Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Conference, Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina, June 5-7.

Cool Casting and green ideas from Europe

A. Nussbaumer

2008. North American Steel Construction Conference (NASCC), Nashville, April 2-5, 2008.

The potential for Premium-intermodal Services to Reduce Freight CO2 Emissions in the Quebec City - Windsor Corridor: A Stated Preference Application

Z. Patterson

53rd Annual North American Meetings of the Regional Science Association International, Toronto, Canada, November 18, 2006.

Medio ambiente urbano y disparidades sociales en America Latina

J.-C. Bolay

Scientific North – South Partnership, EPFL, Lausanne, 2-3 of December, 1999.