Achim Richter
Encyclopedia
Achim Richter is a German
nuclear physicist
. He became a professor at the Institute of Nuclear Physics at the Darmstadt University of Technology
in 1974, but retired in September 2008. Since November 1, 2008 he is director of the European Centre for Theoretical Studies in Nuclear Physics and Related Areas (ECT*) in Trento
, Italy
.
of the school in 1958, with a university entrance diploma. After his application to study Physics at the technical university in Dresden was rejected five times on political and ideological grounds, he escaped from East Germany in 1959, via West Berlin
.
In 1959 he started studying Physics at the University of Heidelberg, and was accepted as a member of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
in 1963. In 1965 he graduated with a degree in Physics from the University of Heidelberg. In 1967 he was awarded a doctorate by professor Wolfgang Gentner at the Max-Planck-Institut of Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. From 1967 to 1968, he worked as a research associate in the physics deparmtent at Florida State University
in Tallahassee, Florida
, in the United States
. From 1969 to 1970 he worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the physics division of the Argonne National Laboratory
in Argonne, Illinois.
In 1971 Richter became a research associate at the Max-Planck-Institut of nuclear physics in Heidelberg. After completing his post-doctoral qualification in physics at the University of Heidelberg, he became an associate professor there. From 1971 to 1973 Richter was a scientific advisor and professor at the Ruhr University Bochum
. In 1974 he became director of the institute of nuclear physics of the Darmstadt University of Technology
.
Richter is a member of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft
and of the Deutschen Hochschulverband. At the end of 2005, the American Physical Society
elected him as the first non-American to be senior editor of the Reviews of Modern Physics
.
Richter has played the viola
from childhood. He is married to Dr. Christine Monika.
(FEL) in Germany.
He is regarded as the discoverer of the scissors mode in heavy deformed atmomic nuclei (1984). His scientific working fields cover a broad spectra in the areas of Nuclear Physics
, Atomic physics
, Radiation Physics, Accelerator Physics and of nonlinear dynamic systems
.
There are researches about symmetries and conservation laws in light nuclei and about phenomena of fluctuations in nuclear reactions, experiments for the electromagnetic excitements of nuclei with photons, electrons and hadrons as well as works on the area of channeling radiation, non-linear dynamics and quantum chaos.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
nuclear physicist
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
. He became a professor at the Institute of Nuclear Physics at the Darmstadt University of Technology
Darmstadt University of Technology
The Technische Universität Darmstadt, abbreviated TU Darmstadt, is a university in the city of Darmstadt, Germany...
in 1974, but retired in September 2008. Since November 1, 2008 he is director of the European Centre for Theoretical Studies in Nuclear Physics and Related Areas (ECT*) in Trento
Trento
Trento is an Italian city located in the Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is the capital of Trentino...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Biography
Richter was born to builder Georg Edmund Richter and his wife Elsa (née Wenzel). He attended primary and secondary school in Dresden, graduating as duxDux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
of the school in 1958, with a university entrance diploma. After his application to study Physics at the technical university in Dresden was rejected five times on political and ideological grounds, he escaped from East Germany in 1959, via West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
.
In 1959 he started studying Physics at the University of Heidelberg, and was accepted as a member of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
Studienstiftung
The German National Academic Foundation is Germany's largest organisation sponsoring students of outstanding academic achievements.It is non-political and non-denominational....
in 1963. In 1965 he graduated with a degree in Physics from the University of Heidelberg. In 1967 he was awarded a doctorate by professor Wolfgang Gentner at the Max-Planck-Institut of Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg. From 1967 to 1968, he worked as a research associate in the physics deparmtent at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
in Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. From 1969 to 1970 he worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the physics division of the Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory
Argonne National Laboratory is the first science and engineering research national laboratory in the United States, receiving this designation on July 1, 1946. It is the largest national laboratory by size and scope in the Midwest...
in Argonne, Illinois.
In 1971 Richter became a research associate at the Max-Planck-Institut of nuclear physics in Heidelberg. After completing his post-doctoral qualification in physics at the University of Heidelberg, he became an associate professor there. From 1971 to 1973 Richter was a scientific advisor and professor at the Ruhr University Bochum
Ruhr University
Ruhr University Bochum , located on the southern hills of central Ruhr area Bochum, was founded in 1962 as the first new public university in Germany since World War II...
. In 1974 he became director of the institute of nuclear physics of the Darmstadt University of Technology
Darmstadt University of Technology
The Technische Universität Darmstadt, abbreviated TU Darmstadt, is a university in the city of Darmstadt, Germany...
.
Richter is a member of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft
Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft
The Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft is the world's largest organization of physicists. The DPG's worldwide membership is cited as 60,000, as of 2011...
and of the Deutschen Hochschulverband. At the end of 2005, the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
elected him as the first non-American to be senior editor of the Reviews of Modern Physics
Reviews of Modern Physics
The Reviews of Modern Physics is a journal of the American Physical Society. The journal started in paper form. All volumes are also online by subscription.Issue 1, Volume 1 consisted of the review by...
.
Richter has played the viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
from childhood. He is married to Dr. Christine Monika.
Works
Richter and his staff members achieved important research results with the development of the superconducting electron accelerators in Darmstadt S-DALINAC, which was the first accelerator of this kind in Europe, and furthermore the design and setup of the first free electron LaserFEL
FEL may refer to:*Free electron laser*Front end loader*Front End Loading...
(FEL) in Germany.
He is regarded as the discoverer of the scissors mode in heavy deformed atmomic nuclei (1984). His scientific working fields cover a broad spectra in the areas of Nuclear Physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
, Atomic physics
Atomic physics
Atomic physics is the field of physics that studies atoms as an isolated system of electrons and an atomic nucleus. It is primarily concerned with the arrangement of electrons around the nucleus and...
, Radiation Physics, Accelerator Physics and of nonlinear dynamic systems
Dynamical system
A dynamical system is a concept in mathematics where a fixed rule describes the time dependence of a point in a geometrical space. Examples include the mathematical models that describe the swinging of a clock pendulum, the flow of water in a pipe, and the number of fish each springtime in a...
.
There are researches about symmetries and conservation laws in light nuclei and about phenomena of fluctuations in nuclear reactions, experiments for the electromagnetic excitements of nuclei with photons, electrons and hadrons as well as works on the area of channeling radiation, non-linear dynamics and quantum chaos.
Honors
Richter won numerous honors and recognitions:- 1964 Universitätspreis for Physics
- 1988 German-french Alexander-von-Humboldt-Preis
- 1990 Correspondent member of the Royal Society of South Africa
- 1992 Max-Planck-Forschungspreis
- 1995 Honorary doctorate of Chalmers University of Technology in Göteborg/Sweden
- 1996 Honorary doctorate of Ghent University/Belgien
- 1996 Correspondent member of the Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften
- 2000 Honorary doctorate of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg/South Africa
- 2000 Honorary doctorate of Kharkov National University/Ukraine
- 2001 Stern-Gerlach-Medaille of Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft
- 2002 Fellow of the American Physical Society
- 2005 Correspondend member of the Royal Society of Arts and Sciences in Göteborg/Sweden
- 2006 Tage Erlander Professur of the Swedish Research Councils
- 2007 Order of Merit of the State of Hessen
- 2010 Member of the Royal Physiographic Society in LundRoyal Physiographic Society in LundThe Royal Physiographic Society in Lund or Kungl. Fysiografiska Sällskapet i Lund, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. It was founded in Lund, on December 2, 1772, and received a Royal Charter by Gustav III, on March 6, 1778.- External links :*...
, Sweden - 2010 Member of the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, Halle (Saale)