Bičák Jiří

Prof., RNDr., DrSc.
Born January 7, 1942 in Prague, † January 26, 2024

• Theoretical and mathematical physics, general relativity
• Member of Learned Society since 1994 (Founding Member)
• Member of LS Council 1994-1996

Educational and professional preparation:

• 1959, graduate, Prague 12 secondary school;
• 1959-1964, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University (FMP CU) theoretical; physics; 1968, CSc., RNDr.;
• 1982, Associate Professor; 1983, DrSc.; 1991, Full Professor of theoretical physics

Employment and academic positions:

• 1964-present, Department (since 1999 Institute) of Theoretical Physics, FMP CU; (1986-2003, Head/Director); study stays, involving research, lectures, organising workshops, etc. at institutes, universities, conferences in Europe, the USA, Canada, Israel, Australia, Japan, India and South Africa; Additional study stays:
• 1971, California Institute of Technology; 1976-1985, Moscow University;
• 1979, Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge (regular co-operation since 1990);
• 1982, Max Planck Institute for Physics and Astrophysics, Garching (Germany)
  (regular co-operation until 1995);
• 1994, 1996, University of Utah; Albert-Einstein-Institute (Max-Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), Golm/Potsdam (Germany) (regular co-operation since 1995)

Membership in selected domestic scientific bodies:

• Since 1986, Member, Scientific Council, FMP, CU
• 1989-1991, Chairman, Academic Senate, FMP, CU
• 1990-1993, Member, scientific councils: Institute of Physics, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (CSAS)
• 1991-1994, Member, Institute of Astronomy, CSAS
• 1992-present, Faculty of Philosophy and the Natural Sciences, University of Silesia
• 1988-1991, Member, Scientific Collegium of Physics, CSAS
• 1979-1982, Member, Prague Committee of Physical Section, former Union of Czechoslovak Mathematicians and Physicists (Jednota československých matematiků a fyziků, JČSMF)
• 1995-2001, Member, Czech Astronomical Committee
• 1990-2000, Member, Council for Promotion of Science AS CR
• 1968-1994, Member, Editorial Board, Czechoslovak Journal of Physics A

Membership and positions in selected international organizations and societies:

• 1977, International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation;
• 1980-1989 and 1995-2004 Elected Member, Governing Committee
• 1979, Member, International Astronomical Union
• 1988, Member, European Physical Society
• 1988, Fellow, British Institute of Physics (elected)
• 1990-1993, 1993-1996, Elected Member, Commission for Astrophysics of the International Union for Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP)
• 1997, Member, American Physical Society
• 1997, Academia Scientiarum et Artium Europaea, Salzburg-Vienna (elected regular member)
• 1997, Fellow, Royal Astronomical Society, London (elected)
• 2001, Academia Europaea, London (elected regular member)
• 2001, Elected Member, Council of “Gravitational Physics” Joint Section, European Physical Society and European Astronomical Society
• 2002, European Academy of Sciences, Brussels (elected regular member); 2003-present, member, Editorial Board
• 2003, Académie Européenne des Science, des Art et des Letters, Paris (elected regular member)
• 1980-1989, Member, Editorial Board, General Relativity and Gravitation
• 1985-1988, Member, Editorial Board, European Journal of Physics
• 2001-present, Member, Editorial Board, Central European Journal of Physics

Notable awards:

• 1973, Copernicus Medal, Czechoslovak Astronomical Society
• 1977, Honourable mention, Gravity Research Foundation, Massachusetts (USA)
• 1978, 1980, Award, Czech Literary Fund for scientific work
• 1980, Elected, Governing Committee, International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation (for the period 1980-1989)
• 1981, Bolzano Medal, Czechoslovak Mathematical Society
• 1987, Medal, Physics Section, Union of Czechoslovak Mathematicians and Physicists
• 1991, Award, CSAS (for promotion of science, as a member of a team)
• 1995, Elected (for second time) to Governing Committee, International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation (1995-2004)
• 2000, Sackler Distinguished Visiting Astronomer, University of Cambridge
• 2002, Gravitation: Following the Prague Inspiration - A Volume in Celebration of the 60th Birthday of Jiří Bičák, eds. O. Semerák, J. Podolský, M. Žofka, World Scientific, New Jersey-London-Singapore, pp XXI + 323

Selected publications:

• J. Bičák: Gravitational radiation from uniformly accelerated particles in general relativity, Proc. Roy. Soc. A (London) 302, 201-224 (1968)
• J. Bičák: Gravitational collapse with charge and small asymmetries, Gen. Rel. Grav. 3, 331-349 (1972)
• J. Bičák: Einstein a Praha (Einstein and Prague – in Czech, parts in German), JČSMF - Prometheus, Prague 1979, pp 64
• J. Bičák, L. Dvořák: Electromagnetic fields around black holes III. General solutions…, Phys. Rev. D 22, 2933-2940 (1980)
• J. Bičák, V. N. Rudenko: Gravitational Waves in general relativity and the methods of their detection [in Russian], Moscow University Press, Moscow 1987, pp 270
• J. Bičák, B. G. Schmidt: Asymptotically flat radiative space-times with boost-rotation symmetry: the general structure, Phys. Rev. D 40, 1827-1853 (1989)
• J. Bičák, T. Ledvinka: Relativistic disks as sources of the Kerr metric, Phys. Rev. Lett. 71, 1669-1672 (1993)
• A. Ashtekar, J. Bičák, B. G. Schmidt: Asymptotic structure of symmetry-reduced general relativity, Phys. Rev. D 55, 669-686 (1997)
• J. Bičák: Selected solutions of Einstein’s field equations: their role in general relativity and astrophysics, in Einstein’s field equations and their physical implications (Selected essays in honour of Jürgen Ehlers), ed. B. G. Schmidt, Lect. Notes Phys. 540, Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2000, pp 1-126
• J. Bičák, D. Lynden-Bell, J. Katz: Do rotations beyond the cosmological horizon affect the local inertial frame? Phys. Rev. D 69, 064011 (2004)