{{Short description|American astronomer (1931–2025)}} thumb|Iben in 1973 '''Icko Iben, Jr.''' (June 27, 1931 – June 11, 2025) was an American astronomer and a Distinguished Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He received his PhD from the University of Illinois in 1958 with thesis ''Higher order effects in beta decay'', which was jointly supervised by John David Jackson and Joseph Weneser.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ph.D. and M.Sc. students supervised by John David Jackson|date=5 April 2004|url=http://www-theory.lbl.gov/jdj/PhD&MSc_students.pdf|website=www-theory.lbl.gov}}</ref> Iben served on the MIT Physics Department faculty for some time before moving to Illinois, being promoted to associate professor in 1964.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Seven receive faculty appointments, five in physics|date=9 Dec 1964|url=http://tech.mit.edu/V84/PDF/V84-N27.pdf|journal=The Tech|volume=84|number=27|page=1}}</ref> He is best known for his contributions to theoretical star models, stellar evolution theory, concerning the production of planetary nebulae, red giant heavy element convection, and modelling of asymptotic branch thermal pulses.
Iben was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1985.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Academy of Sciences Member Directory|url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/members/45766.html}}</ref> He was awarded the Henry Norris Russell Lectureship in 1989 and the Eddington Medal in 1990. He was the author of the two-volume work ''Stellar evolution physics'' (2012–2013).<ref>{{cite book|author=Iben Jr., Icko|title=Stellar evolution physics: Volume I. Physical processes in stellar interiors|year=2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hFmpIXwLUvIC|isbn=978-1-107-01656-9|postscript=; hbk}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Iben Jr., Icko|title=Stellar evolution physics: Volume II. Advanced evolution of single stars|year=2013|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-01657-6|postscript=; hbk}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Ishak, B.|title=Review of ''Stellar Evolution Physics: Volume 1. Physical Processes in Stellar Interiors'' by Icko Iben, Jr.|journal=Contemporary Physics|year=2016|volume=57|issue=1|pages=90–92|doi=10.1080/00107514.2015.1005679|s2cid=123585946}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Ishak, B.|title=Review of ''Stellar Evolution Physics: Volume 2: Advanced Evolution of Single Stars'' by Icko Iben, Jr.|journal=Contemporary Physics|year=2015|volume=56|issue=3|pages=379–380|doi=10.1080/00107514.2015.1036926|s2cid=120752234}}</ref>
Iben died on June 11, 2025, at the age of 93.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Illinois Astronomy announces the passing of Icko Iben Jr. {{!}} Department of Astronomy {{!}} Illinois |url=https://astro.illinois.edu/news/2025-06-24/illinois-astronomy-announces-passing-icko-iben-jr |access-date=2025-06-24 |website=astro.illinois.edu |language=en}}</ref>
==References== <references/>
==External links== * [http://www.astro.illinois.edu/people/i-iben1 Icko Iben's Home Page at Illinois] * [http://adsbit.harvard.edu//full/seri/QJRAS/0032//0000353.000.html Award of Eddington Medal]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Iben, Icko}} Category:1931 births Category:2025 deaths Category:American astronomers Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences
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