German astrophysicist (born 1952)
Reinhard Genzel ForMemRS [ 1] German pronunciation: [ˈʁaɪnhaʁt ⓘ astrophysicist , co-director of theMax Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics , a professor atLMU and an emeritus professor at theUniversity of California, Berkeley . He was awarded the 2020Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery of asupermassive compact object at thecentre of our galaxy ", which he shared withAndrea Ghez andRoger Penrose .[ 2] [ 3] Federal University of Pará in Brazil, Genzel recalls his journey as a physicist; the influence of his father,Ludwig Genzel [de ] ; his experiences working withCharles H. Townes ; and more.[ 4] [ 5]
Genzel was born inBad Homburg vor der Höhe , Germany, the son of Eva-Maria Genzel and Ludwig Genzel, a professor ofsolid state physics (1922–2003). He studiedphysics at theUniversity of Freiburg and theUniversity of Bonn , graduating in 1978 with a PhD in radioastronomy which he prepared at theMax Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy .[ 6] Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian inCambridge ,Massachusetts . He was aMiller Fellow from 1980 until 1982, and also Associate and finally Full Professor in the Department of Physics at theUniversity of California, Berkeley from 1981. In 1986, he left Berkeley to become a director at theMax Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics inGarching and Scientific Member of theMax-Planck-Gesellschaft .[ 7] Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , where he has been Honorary Professor since 1988.[ 6] Full Professor at theUniversity of California, Berkeley .[ 6] [ 7] Shaw Prize in astronomy.[ 8]
Reinhard Genzel studiesinfrared- andsubmillimetre astronomy . He and his group areactive in developing ground- and space-based instruments for astronomy. They used these to track the motions of stars at the centre of theMilky Way , aroundSagittarius A* , and show that they were orbiting a very massive object, now known to be ablack hole .[ 9] [ 7]
In July 2018, Reinhard Genzelet al. reported thatstar S2 orbiting Sgr A* had been recorded at 7,650 km/s or 2.55% the speed of light leading up to thepericentre approach in May 2018 at about 120AU ≈ 1400Schwarzschild radii from Sgr A*. This allowed them to test theredshift predicted bygeneral relativity atrelativistic velocities , finding additional confirmation of the theory.[ 10] [ 11]
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 forexperimental 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.Leiden University , 2010[ 16] Karl Schwarzschild Medal , Deutsche Astronomische Gesellschaft, 2011[ 17] Crafoord Prize ,Royal Swedish Academy , 2012[ 18] Tycho Brahe Prize ,European Astronomical Society , 2012[ 19] Pour le Mérite , 2013[ 20] Dr. h.c.University of Paris , 2014[ 21] Harvey Prize ,Technion Institute, Israel, 2014[ 22] Herschel Medal ,Royal Astronomical Society , 2014[ 23] Nobel Prize in Physics , 2020[ 2] Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art , 2021[ 24] Dr. h.c.Grenoble Alpes University , 2023[ 25] Rectorat's MedalUniversity of Chile , 2025[ 26] Membership of scientific societies [ edit ]
^a b "Royal Society congratulates winners of Nobel Prize in Physics 2020" .Royal Society . 6 October 2020. Retrieved18 February 2025 .^a b "Press release: The Nobel Prize in Physics 2020" . Nobel Foundation. Retrieved6 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 . Retrieved6 October 2020 . ^ Interview with Professor Reinhard Genzel (2020 Physics Nobel Prize Laureate) – Pt. I archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved11 August 2021 ^ Interview with Prof. Reinhard Genzel (2020 Physics Nobel Prize Laureate) – Pt. II archived from the original on 12 December 2021, retrieved11 August 2021 ^a b c Curriculum-vitae Archived 5 October 2009 at theWayback Machine , website of theMax-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik ^a b c "Reinhard Genzel (E)" .UC Berkeley Physics . Retrieved6 October 2020 .^ "Selection Committees 2020–2021" .www.shawprize.org . Archived fromthe original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved6 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 29 August 2018. Retrieved6 October 2020 . ^ Devlin, Hannah; correspondent, Hannah Devlin Science (26 July 2018)."Star spotted speeding near black hole at centre of Milky Way" .The Guardian .ISSN 0261-3077 . Retrieved25 March 2025 . {{cite news }}:|last2= has generic name (help )^ "Studienstiftung gratuliert ihrem Alumnus Reinhard Genzel zum Nobelpreis für Physik" .Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes . Retrieved8 October 2020 .(in German) ^a b c d e f g h i j k "Profesor Reinhard Genzel" .Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences . Retrieved6 October 2020 .^ The Awarding of the Einstein Medal: Albert Einstein Medal Laureates atAlbert Einstein Medal website^ "The Shaw Prize" .The Shaw Prize . 28 April 2020. Retrieved6 October 2020 .^ "Lebenslauf Genzel" (PDF) . Retrieved3 April 2024 .^ "Reinhard Genzel receives Karl Schwarzschild Medal 2011" . 13 July 2011. Archived fromthe original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved20 November 2016 .^ "Crafoord Prize for Reinhard Genzel" .Max-Planck-Gesellschaft . 22 July 2020. Retrieved6 October 2020 .^ "Tycho Brahe-Preis für Reinhard Genzel" .Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (in German). 25 February 2020. Retrieved30 September 2020 .^a b c "Pour le Mérite: Reinhard Genzel" (PDF) .www.orden-pourlemerite.de . 2013. Archived fromthe original (PDF) on 9 October 2020. Retrieved6 October 2020 .^ "Lebenslauf Genzel" (PDF) . Retrieved3 April 2024 .^ Harvey Prize 2014 Archived 2 July 2015 at theWayback Machine ^ "Awards, Medals and Prizes – Herschel Medal" .Royal Astronomical Society . Retrieved20 December 2014 .^ "Ministerpräsident Dr. Markus Söder verleiht Bayerischen Maximiliansorden an Astrophysiker Prof. Dr. Reinhard Genzel – Bayerisches Landesportal" . Retrieved25 March 2025 .^ "Doctor Honoris Causa Ceremony 2023" . Université Grenoble Alpes. Retrieved9 December 2023 .^ "MPE Director Reinhard Genzel and German Federal President Steinmeier visit threatened telescope site in Chile" .www.mpe.mpg.de . Retrieved31 July 2025 .^ "Reinhard Genzel" .National Academy of Sciences . 18 June 2020. Retrieved6 October 2020 .^ "Leopoldina-Präsident Gerald Haug gratuliert Leopoldina-Mitglied Reinhard Genzel zum Nobelpreis für Physik" .idw (in German). Retrieved6 October 2020 .^ "Neue Mitglieder der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften" .idw (in German). Retrieved6 October 2020 .^ "Reinhard Genzel appointed to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences" .Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics . 15 October 2020. Retrieved9 February 2021 .
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