Gilles Fontaine

Gilles Fontaine (1948 – November 1, 2019) was a professor of astrophysics at the Université de Montréal in Quebec, Canada.

Fontaine's research interests included theoretical and observational studies of white dwarfs, sub-dwarf stars and astroseismology (the interpretation of variations in brightness of certain pulsating or vibrating stars to understand their interior structure). In particular, he found that white dwarfs can serve as test benches for the equation of state, the coefficient of transport, and the phase transition between solid and liquid states at very high densities.

Early life and education Gilles Fontaine was born in 1948 in Lévis, Quebec. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from Université Laval in 1969. He arrived at the University of Rochester in the fall of that year to begin his graduate work, initially hoping to study quantum optics. However, he ended up following his interest in astronomy to work with Hugh M. Van Horn on modeling convection in the surface layers of white dwarfs. He was promoted to associate professor in 1980 and full professor 1986. Three of Fontaine's PhD students, would go on to win the Canadian Astronomical Society Plaskett medal, awarded for the most outstanding doctoral thesis in astronomy at a Canadian university.

Fontaine died November 2, 2019, in Montreal, Quebec. 1987 - E.W.R. Steacie Prize 1989 - Urgel-Archambault award 1990 - Killam Fellowship 1992 - Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada 1999 - Prix Marie-Victorin 2000 - Carlyle S. Beals Prize 2001 - Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Stellar Astrophysics 2012 - Top 10 Discoveries of the year 2012 by Québec Science 2016 - Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Physics