Matthew Baring , a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University, was recently named a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS). The distinction is awarded to fewer than 0.5% of APS members each year, highlighting Baring’s pioneering work in astrophysics, particularly his transformative insights into magnetars, quantum electrodynamics (QED) and the mechanisms behind cosmic ray acceleration.
The APS Division of Astrophysics commended Baring for his research on magnetars — neutron stars with powerful magnetic fields — and his exploration of QED effects in these environments. His work on cosmic ray acceleration theories was also acknowledged. It has been applied to phenomena such as blazars, or galaxies with powerful jets of plasma, and supernova remnants. Additionally, the APS noted Baring’s long-standing service to the astrophysics community.
“I am honored to receive this recognition,” Baring said. “It reflects my work and the support of my colleagues, collaborators and students over the years. I look forward to continuing to explore these fascinating aspects of our universe in the years ahead.”
Baring has been a faculty member at Rice since 2001 after holding positions at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, North Carolina State University and the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany. His current research spans various areas of high-energy astrophysics and cosmic ray physics, including modeling the X-ray and gamma-ray emissions from highly magnetized pulsars, studying photon splitting and analyzing resonant Compton scattering in strong magnetic fields, all of which apply to neutron star systems like pulsars and magnetars.
One aspect of Baring’s research involves diffusive shock acceleration, which is crucial in understanding how particles are accelerated at high speeds in space. He uses Monte Carlo simulations — a mathematical technique that employs random sampling to estimate the possible outcomes of an uncertain event — to study this process at relativistic shocks such as those found in supernova remnants, jets generated by supermassive black holes in active galaxies and solar wind shocks. His research combines theoretical and computational methods to interpret data from these cosmic environs.
Baring’s examination of magnetar rotational slowdowns also produced essential findings. In a 2023 study, he explored how a volcanolike rupture on a magnetar’s surface could release a prolonged wind of massive particles, taking energy and angular momentum from the magnetar and altering the star’s magnetic fields. These changes could have triggered radio emissions later detected by China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope. An exciting update was announced in the 2024 paper “Rapid spin changes around a magnetar fast radio burst” published in Nature , which includes more recent observations of the same magnetar that cleanly mapped the wind-induced slowdown, which was accompanied by a fast radio burst, a topical class of transients that has captured the attention of radio astronomers in recent years.
In addition to his work on magnetars, Baring has made notable contributions to the study of gamma-ray bursts and has extensively analyzed relativistic beaming in these cosmic explosions to constrain how fast the plasma in their jet outflows is moving. His research on the acceleration of charges in various active galaxies called blazars also provides valuable insights into the emissions from ultrarelativistic particles in these extragalactic jets.
“I’m always excited to see how new technologies and the observational data they subsequently deliver deepen our understanding of these high-energy processes,” Baring said. “There’s still so much to learn about the universe. The more answers we provide to our questions, the more new questions arise. It is so much fun to be a part of this adventure.”
The APS Fellowship Program recognizes members who have made advances in physics through original research and publication or made significant innovative contributions to applying physics to science and technology. It also recognizes members who have made significant contributions to the teaching of physics or service and participation in the society’s activities.