Sverre Aarseth | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1934-07-20)20 July 1934 |
| Died | 28 December 2024(2024-12-28) (aged 90) |
| Alma mater | University of Cambridge |
| Known for | N-body dynamics |
| Awards | Brouwer Award (1998) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Astronomy |
| Institutions | Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge |
| Doctoral students | |
Sverre Johannes Aarseth, (20 July 1934 – 28 December 2024) was a Norwegian research scientist at theInstitute of Astronomy at theUniversity of Cambridge. Aarseth spent his retirement as an active researcher. He dedicated his career to the development ofN-body codes[1] ("a code" in astrophysical jargon refers to a computer program or library or a group thereof[2]). He is the author of the NBODY family of codes, the current iteration is NBODY7.[3] His areas of research included the effects ofstellar evolution inN-body codes, the influence ofblack holes on stellar systems, the evolution ofglobular clusters, and the use ofGPUs to increase the speed of his codes.
Aarseth was a visiting scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study in 1986–87.[4] He was awarded the 1998Brouwer Award for his work on advancing dynamical astronomy.[5] The asteroid9836 Aarseth is named in his honour.
Outside of research, Aarseth's interests included mountaineering, trekking and wildlife.[6] He is also a keen chess player, and was awarded the titleInternational Master for Correspondence in 1981.[7] Aarseth died on 28 December 2024, at the age of 90.[8]
