Faculty

College / Department

Teaching areas

Physics, Astronomy

Research areas

Gamma-Ray Astrophysics: Positron-Electron Annihilation; Nuclear gamma-ray lines; Gamma-Ray Bursts. Crescent Visibility and Islamic Calendar. Science, Religion, Education, and Popularization of Science.

Education

PhD in Theoretical Astrophysics, University of California at San Diego (UCSD), USA.

MSc in Physics, UCSD, USA.

BSc in Theoretical Physics, University of Science and Technology of Algiers, Algeria

Professional experience

American University of Sharjah, UAE, 2000-present

College of Technological Studies, Kuwait, 1995-2000

University of Blida, Algeria, 1990-1995

NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland, USA, 1988-1990

Memberships

Board of Trustees of the John Templeton Foundation (2011-2017), International Astronomical Union (IAU), International Society for Science and Religion (Executive Committee: 2011-present)

Contact

[email protected]

+971 6 515 2512

Dr. Nidhal Guessoum

Professor

PhD in Astrophysics, University of California at San Diego, USA

Previous to his appointment at AUS, Nidhal Guessoum taught in Kuwait and Algeria and spent two years as a post-doctoral researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. His area of expertise is cosmic gamma-ray sources (the galactic center, accretion disks, bursts, etc.), but he has also written many articles and several books on issues related to science, education and Islam, such as “Islamic Astronomy” (the crescent observation problem, the Islamic calendar, etc.).

Publications

“Determination of Cosmological Parameters from Gamma-Ray Burst Characteristics and Afterglow Correlations”, Zitouni, H., Guessoum, N., Azzam, W.J., Astroph. & Sp. Sci., 361 (12), 383 (2016)

“Statistical Study of Observed and Intrinsic Durations among BATSE and Swift/BAT GRBs”, Zitouni, H., Guessoum, N., Azzam, W.J., Mochkovitch, R., Astroph. & Sp. Sci., vol. 357, Iss. 1, pp.1-9, (2015).

“Preliminary search for astronomical observatory sites in the MENA region”, Guessoum, N., Alsaeed, N., Abdelhafez, N., The Observatory, Vol. 134, p. 339-347 (2014).

“Positron astrophysics and areas of relation to low-energy positron physics”, Guessoum, N., European Physical Journal D, Vol. 68, Iss. 5, pp. 137-142 (2014).

“Testing pulse density distribution for terrestrial gamma ray flashes”, Abukhaled, M., Allen, E., Guessoum, N., J. Geophys. Res.: Space Physics, Vol. 119, pp. 5918-5930 (2014).

“Revisiting the Amati and Yonetoku correlations with Swift GRBs”, Zitouni, H., Guessoum, N., Azzam, W.J., Astroph. & Sp. Sci., vol. 351, Iss. 1, pp. 267-279, (2014).

“The 511 keV emission from positron annihilation in the Galaxy”, N. Prantzos et al., Rev Mod Phys., 83-3, pp. 1001-1056 (2011).

“Positron Annihilation on PAHs in the ISM”, N. Guessoum, W. Gillard, and P. Jean, MNRAS, 402, 1171 (2010).

“Evolution of the Time-Lag and Variability Luminosity Relations for Long Gamma-Ray Bursts”, W.J. Azzam, M.J. Alothman, N.Guessoum, Adv. Sp. Res., 44, 1354 (2009).

“Microquasars as Sources of Positron Annihilation Radiation”, N. Guessoum, P. Jean, and N. Prantzos, Astronomy & Astrophysics, A&A, 457, 753 (2006).

“First View of the All-Sky Distribution of Positronium Annihilation Continuum Emission with SPI/INTEGRAL”, G. Weidenspointner et al., Astronomy & Astrophysics, 450, 1013 (2006).

“Spectral Analysis of the Galactic e+e- Annihilation Emission”, P. Jean, et al., Astronomy & Astrophysics, 445, 579 (2005).

“The All-Sky Distribution of 511 keV Electron-Positron Annihilation Emission”, J. Knodleseder et al., Astronomy & Astrophysics, 441, 513 (2005).

“The Lives and Deaths of Positrons in the Interstellar Medium”, N. Guessoum, P. Jean, W. Gillard, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 436, 171 (2005).

“Models of the Positive Latitude e-e+ Annihilation Feature ”, P. von Ballmoos, N. Guessoum, P. Jean, and J. Knoedlseder; Astronomy & Astrophysics, 397, 635-643 (2003).

“Detectability and Characteristics of the 2.223 MeV Line Emission from Nearby X-Ray Binaries”, N. Guessoum & P. Jean, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 396, 157-169 (2002).

“Neutron-Capture and 2.22 MeV Emission in the Atmosphere of the Secondary of an X-ray Binary”, P. Jean & N. Guessoum, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 378, 509-521 (2001).

“Gamma-Ray Lines from the Galaxy: the GRO Revolution”, N. Guessoum, in Astrophysics & Space Science, 273, 171-185 (2001).

Conference Presentations

“Search for Best Astronomical Observatory Sites in the MENA Region using Satellite Measurements”, Abdelaziz, G., Guebsi, R., Guessoum, N., & Flamant, C., FTAPSharjah, Feb. 2017

“Investigating the Gamma-Ray Burst–Supernova Connection”, Guessoum, N., O. Alarayani, K. Al-Qassimi, M. G. AlShamsi, N. Sherif, H. Hamidani, H. Zitouni, and W. J. Azzam, FTAPSharjah, Feb. 2017

“What Can Mars Tell Us About Exoplanets?”, MBRSC Mars workshop, Dubai, UAE, Oct. 3, 2016

“Constraints on Sgr A* as Source of the Positrons Observed in the Galactic Center Region”, N. Guessoum, P. Jean, and K. Ferrière, The Multi-Messenger Astrophysics of the Galactic Centre conference, Cairns, Australia, July 2016

"Positron Studies in Astrophysics and areas of relation to low-energy positron physics", XVII Int’l Workshop on Low-Energy Positron and Positronium Physics, Japan, July 2013

Awards and Honors

The Distinguished Scholar Award, Arab Fund Fellowship Program, Jan. - July 2017

2nd Research Prize in Sciences, Engineering, and Architecture, AUS, June 2003

Invited Visiting Researcher or Professor at several academic institutions (More than 20 times total) in the USA, France, and the Arab world.

Other creative/research

The Young Muslim's Guide to Modern Science, London: Beacon Books (in press, 2017)

Islam, Big Bang et Darwin : Les questions qui fâchent (Paris : Dervy, 2015)

Islam et Science: Comment Concilier le Coran et la Science Moderne (Paris: Dervy, 2013).

"Islam's Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science", Nidhal Guessoum, IB Tauris (London, UK), 2010

“Copernicus and Ibn Al-Shatir: does the Copernican revolution have Islamic roots?”, N. Guessoum, The Observatory, Vol. 128, p. 231-239 (2008)