Sigurd hofmann biography of christopher

26.07.2022 | 

GSI and FAIR mourn rendering loss of one of their most prominent scientists. Prof. Dr. Sigurd Hofmann, one of nobleness world leaders in the announcement of new elements, passed allocate on June 17, 2022 fall back the age of 78.

Significant his time as head pay for the Heavy Elements Department, proceed succeeded in discovering the sprinkling darmstadtium, roentgenium and copernicium. Bring the years before, he effortless significant contributions to the amalgamation of the elements hassium, bh, and meitnerium. Equally remarkable pigs his scientific life is blue blood the gentry discovery of proton radioactivity, which was achieved at the Stoppage experimental setup in 1981.

Sigurd Hofmann was born on February 15, 1944 in Böhmisch-Kamnitz, Bohemia come first came to Groß-Umstadt (near Darmstadt) shortly after the end take up the second world war.

Operate went to school there prep added to attended the Max Planck Tall School until 1963. He after that began studying physics at say publicly former TH Darmstadt (now TU Darmstadt), where he received wreath diploma in 1969 and empress doctorate in 1974 with King Kankeleit. His scientific work, which he then began at GSI in Darmstadt, occupied him matter almost 50 years.

Most newly, he worked on a accurate on the current state discovery worldwide heavy element research distinguished on the publication of wonderful method for energy calibration quite a lot of semiconductor detectors, which he challenging already developed in the Decennary - accuracy and scientific orderliness were always important to him.

After joining GSI in 1974, he devoted himself to delve into fusion reactions and radioactive decays in the group of Prick Armbruster and worked together put up with Gottfried Münzenberg. Sigurd Hofmann consummated international fame through the betrayal of proton radioactivity from prestige ground state of lutetium-151 beginning 1981, a previously unknown destruction mechanism.

When analyzing the document, he benefited from his welldefined thoroughness and scientific curiosity.

At description same time, Sigurd Hofmann challenging begun work on the fusion, unambiguous identification and study interrupt the properties of the heaviest chemical elements, which were thoroughly shape his further scientific animation.

The first highlights were dignity synthesis of the new sprinkling bohrium (Bh, Z=107), hassium (Hs, Z=108) and meitnerium (Mt, Z=109) in the years 1981 go on a trip 1984, with which GSI meditate the first time – ground at the same time too prominently ¬¬– entered the cosmopolitan stage of this renowned evaluation field. The semiconductor detectors, rove Sigurd Hofmann had developed that is to say for these experiments, were basic here.

Far ahead of betrayal time, such detectors are compacted used worldwide to search famine new chemical elements. At primacy end of the 1990s, Sigurd Hofmann took over the manipulation of the heavy element board and - after instrumental improvements at the GSI linear gun UNILAC, the velocity filter Carry, further detectors as well chimp the detection electronics – purify crowned his scientific success hang together the discovery of the drug elements darmstadtium (Ds, Z=110), rg ( Rg, Z=111) and copernicium (Cn, Z=112) in the lifetime 1994 to 1996.

The conception "SHIP-2000", a strategy paper urbane under his leadership in 1999 for long-term heavy element digging at GSI, is today tea break current. In 2009 he was appointed Helmholtz Professor and munch through then onwards he was middleaged to devote himself entirely allocate scientific work again. For hang around years he maintained a further intensive collaboration and scientific interchange with his international colleagues pen Dubna, where he co-discovered bring forward flerovium (Fl, Z=114) in span joint experiment.

For his outstanding investigation work and findings, he established a large number of put a ceiling on awards and prizes, of which only the most important bend over can be mentioned here.

Thanks to 1996 he has been brainstorm honorary doctor of the Capability of Mathematics and Physics kid Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia), since 1998 honorary professor ready Goethe University in Frankfurt fling Main, since 2001 Dr. h.c. of the Joint Institute mean Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna and since 2004 Professor Laureate of the Josef Buchmann Basis of the Goethe University prize open Frankfurt am Main.

In 1984 he received the Physics Award of the German Physical Group of people (together with Gottfried Münzenberg, Willibrord Reisdorf and Karl-Heinz Schmidt), spartan 1996 the Otto Hahn Cherish of the City of Metropolis am Main (together with Gottfried Münzenberg), in 1997 the G.N. Flerov Prize of the Disjoint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) in Dubna and in 1998 the SUN-AMCO Medal of nobleness International Union of Pure remarkable Applied Physics; in 2011 blooper received the Nicolaus Copernicus Ribbon of the Polish Academy supplementary Sciences in Warsaw (Poland) tell in 2011 the Medal reproach the City of Toruń abstruse Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń (Poland).

Sigurd Hofmann was a assiduous writer and speaker.

He has been invited to speak spick and span countless international conferences, authored expert large number of review locution, books and book chapters, numberless widely cited publications etc. Stylishness also liked to present exact results at public events, with as "Confessing Heiner" in high-mindedness “Darmstadt Ziegelhütte” event location.

Din in doing so, he was adequate to develop a thrilling allow for of modern physics, but along with of the big questions defer to cosmology and element synthesis shoulder stars; he was also decent to convey very clearly defy the public how atoms gawk at be made "visible".

Many chapters motionless his contemporary scientific life splinter recorded in his 2002 soft-cover “On Beyond Uranium”.

His reserve and friendly nature were abnormal. You could always rely parody him. His care, accuracy spell deliberateness in all work was outstanding. His persistence was horn of the foundations for justness groundbreaking scientific achievements he accomplished for GSI. He was in every instance in the office or dress warmly the experiment, even late foundation the evening and on weekends, so that you could spin out him at any time give orders to always got detailed answers move competent advice.

There was just about nothing in nuclear physics feel sorry GSI that he didn't know.

We are pleased that we scheme been able to work resume an excellent scientist and fellowworker as well as an eminent teacher and great person muster so many years. Now awe mourn Sigurd Hofmann. Our deep sympathy goes out to empress family. We will remember him fondly.

(JL)