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German astrophysicist (born 1952)
Reinhard Genzel
ForMemRS
[1] (German pronunciation:
[ˈʁaɪnhaʁt ˈɡɛntsl̩]
ⓘ ; born 24 March 1952) is a German
astrophysicist , co-director of the
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , a professor at
LMU and an emeritus professor at the
University of California, Berkeley . He was awarded the 2020
Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery of a
supermassive compact object at the
centre of our galaxy ", which he shared with
Andrea Ghez and
Roger Penrose .
[2]
[3] In a 2021 interview given to
Federal University of Pará in Brazil, Genzel recalls his journey as a physicist; the influence of his father,
Ludwig Genzel [
de ] ; his experiences working with
Charles H. Townes ; and more.
[4]
[5]
Life and career
Genzel was born in
Bad Homburg vor der Höhe , Germany, the son of Eva-Maria Genzel and Ludwig Genzel, a professor of
solid state physics (1922–2003). He studied
physics at the
University of Freiburg and the
University of Bonn , graduating in 1978 with a PhD in radioastronomy which he prepared at the
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy .
[6] Subsequently he worked at the
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian in
Cambridge ,
Massachusetts . He was a
Miller Fellow from 1980 until 1982, and also Associate and finally Full Professor in the Department of Physics at the
University of California, Berkeley from 1981. In 1986, he left Berkeley to become a director at the
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in
Garching and Scientific Member of the
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft .
[7] During that time he also lectured at
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , where he has been Honorary Professor since 1988.
[6] From 1999 to 2016, he also had a part-time joint appointment as
Full Professor at the
University of California, Berkeley .
[6]
[7] Additional activities include sitting on the selection committee for the
Shaw Prize in astronomy.
[8]
Work
Reinhard Genzel studies
infrared- and
submillimetre astronomy . He and his group are
active in developing ground- and space-based instruments for astronomy. They used these to track the motions of stars at the centre of the
Milky Way , around
Sagittarius A* , and show that they were orbiting a very massive object, now known to be a
black hole .
[9] Genzel is also active in studies of the formation and evolution of galaxies.
[7]
In July 2018, Reinhard Genzel et al. reported that
star S2 orbiting Sgr A* had been recorded at 7,650 km/s or 2.55% the speed of light leading up to the
pericentre approach in May 2018 at about 120
AU ≈ 1400
Schwarzschild radii from Sgr A*. This allowed them to test the
redshift predicted by
general relativity at
relativistic velocities , finding additional confirmation of the theory.
[10]
[11]
Awards
Reinhard Genzel in 2023
Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes , 1973–1975
[12]
Miller Research Fellowship , 1980–1982
[13]
Otto Hahn Medal ,
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft , 1980
[13]
Presidential Young Investigator Award ,
National Science Foundation , 1984
[13]
Newton Lacy Pierce Prize ,
American Astronomical Society , 1986
[13]
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize ,
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft , 1990
[13]
De Vaucouleurs Medal,
University of Texas , 2000
[13]
Prix Jules Janssen ,
Société astronomique de France (French Astronomical Society), 2000
[13]
Stern Gerlach Medal for
experimental physics ,
Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft , 2003
[13]
Balzan Prize for Infrared Astronomy, 2003
[13]
Albert Einstein Medal , 2007
[14]
Shaw Prize , 2008
[15]
"Galileo 2000" Prize, 2009
[13]
Dr. h.c.
University Leiden , 2010
[16]
Karl Schwarzschild Medal , Deutsche Astronomische Gesellschaft, 2011
[17]
Crafoord Prize ,
Royal Swedish Academy , 2012
[18]
Tycho Brahe Prize ,
European Astronomical Society , 2012
Pour le Mérite , 2013
[20]
Dr. h.c.
University Paris , 2014
[21]
Harvey Prize ,
Technion Institute, Israel, 2014
[22]
Herschel Medal ,
Royal Astronomical Society , 2014
[23]
Nobel Prize in Physics , 2020
[2]
Bayerischer Maximiliansorden , 2021
[24]
Dr. h.c.
University Grenoble , 2023
[25]
Membership of scientific societies
References
^
a
b
http://royalsociety.org/people/reinhard-genzel/ Professor Reinhard Genzel ForMemRS
^
a
b
"Press release: The Nobel Prize in Physics 2020" . Nobel Foundation. Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^ Overbye, Dennis; Taylor, Derrick Bryson (6 October 2020).
"Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to 3 Scientists for Work on Black Holes – The prize was awarded half to Roger Penrose for showing how black holes could form and half to Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for discovering a supermassive object at the Milky Way's center" .
The New York Times . Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^
Interview with Professor Reinhard Genzel (2020 Physics Nobel Prize Laureate) - Pt. I ,
archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved 11 August 2021
^
Interview with Prof. Reinhard Genzel (2020 Physics Nobel Prize Laureate) - Pt. II ,
archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved 11 August 2021
^
a
b
c
Curriculum-vitae
Archived 5 October 2009 at the
Wayback Machine , website of the
Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
^
a
b
c
"Reinhard Genzel (E)" . UC Berkeley Physics . Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^
"Selection Committees 2020–2021" . www.shawprize.org . Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^ Eckart, A.; Genzel, R. (1996). "Observations of stellar proper motions near the Galactic Centre". Nature . 383 (6599): 415.
Bibcode :
1996Natur.383..415E .
doi :
10.1038/383415a0 .
S2CID
4285760 .
^ Abuter, R.; Amorim, A. (2018).
"Detection of the gravitational redshift in the orbit of the star S2 near the Galactic centre massive black hole" .
Astronomy & Astrophysics . 615 : L15.
arXiv :
1807.09409 .
Bibcode :
2018A&A...615L..15G .
doi :
10.1051/0004-6361/201833718 .
S2CID
118891445 .
Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^
Star spotted speeding near black hole at centre of Milky Way – Chile's Very Large Telescope tracks S2 star as it reaches mind-boggling speeds by supermassive black hole ,
The Guardian , 26 July 2017
^
"Studienstiftung gratuliert ihrem Alumnus Reinhard Genzel zum Nobelpreis für Physik" . Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes . Retrieved 8 October 2020 . (in German)
^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
"Profesor Reinhard Genzel" . Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^
The Awarding of the Einstein Medal: Albert Einstein Medal Laureates at
Albert Einstein Medal website
^
"The Shaw Prize" . The Shaw Prize . 28 April 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^
"Lebenslauf Genzel" (PDF) . Retrieved 3 April 2024 .
^
"Reinhard Genzel receives Karl Schwarzschild Medal 2011" . 13 July 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2016 .
^
"Crafoord Prize for Reinhard Genzel" . Max-Planck-Gesellschaft . 22 July 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^
a
b
c
"Pour le Mérite: Reinhard Genzel" (PDF) . www.orden-pourlemerite.de . 2013. Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^
"Lebenslauf Genzel" (PDF) . Retrieved 3 April 2024 .
^
Harvey Prize 2014
Archived 2 July 2015 at the
Wayback Machine
^
"Awards, Medals and Prizes – Herschel Medal" .
Royal Astronomical Society . Retrieved 20 December 2014 .
^
Bayerischer Maximiliansorden 2021
^
"Doctor Honoris Causa Ceremony 2023" . Université Grenoble Alpes. Retrieved 9 December 2023 .
^
"Reinhard Genzel" . National Academy of Sciences . 18 June 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^
"Leopoldina-Präsident Gerald Haug gratuliert Leopoldina-Mitglied Reinhard Genzel zum Nobelpreis für Physik" . idw (in German). Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^
"Neue Mitglieder der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften" . idw (in German). Retrieved 6 October 2020 .
^
"Reinhard Genzel appointed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences" . Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics . 15 October 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2021 .
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