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Dainis Dravins is an astronomer at Lund Observatory of Lund University, Sweden, a professor since 1984. He has worked at also other institutions, including those of ESO, (European Southern Observatory), in Germany and Chile. In 1987 he was elected member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, and in 1992 a foreign member of the Latvian Academy of Sciences.

After studies at the universities of Lund and Uppsala, and at Caltech, his PhD thesis was about magnetic structures on the Sun. His later research has focused on methods and observational techniques, enhancing spectral-, angular-, and temporal resolution in astrophysics. Experience from solar work led to methods for studying the surfaces of also other stars, often using high-resolution spectroscopy. Other work relates to searches for exoplanets, photometry through the atmosphere, long-baseline optical interferometry, quantum optics, and astrobiology.

Positions held within various international bodies include president of the IAU (International Astronomical Union) Division on “Stars”. He was involved in the transformation of a military facility from the cold war era into a civilian radio astronomy institute in Latvia, now VIRAC, Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center. 1998 he received the Grand Medal of the Latvian Academy of Sciences for “essential contribution to the development of international scientific cooperation of Latvian science”.

Publications
Papers listed on the Smithsonian/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

External link
Dainis Dravins on the Lund Observatory website