Research

Main scientific interest: Extraterrestrial Plasma physics, Magnetospheric Physics, Planetary Magnetic Fields, Physics of Comets, Time Series Analysis

Career

• since 1991 Professor, University of Braunschweig, Germany
• 1990-1991 Hochschuldozent, University of Cologne, Germany
• 1985-1990 Senior Scientist, University of Cologne, Germany
• 1989 Habilitation, University of Cologne, Germany
• 1981-1985 Research Scientist, University of Münster, Germany
• 1985 Ph.D., University of Münster, Germany
• 1979-1980 Social Service at the Medical University Clinic Münster , Germany
• 1973-1979 Studies at the University of Münster, Germany

Projects

• 2005-2022 Principal Investigator of the Magnetometerexperiment of the BepiColombo Mission to Planet Mercury
• 2002-2016 Lead Investigator of the Magnetometerexperiment of the NASA THEMIS-Mission
• 1999-2006 Coordinator of the Priority Programme “Earth Magnetic Variations: Space-Time Structure, Processes and Effects on System Earth” of the German Science Foundation
• 1997-2016 Principal Investigator of the Magnetometerexperiment of the ROSETTA Mission to Comet Churyumov / Gerasimenko

Functions

• 2010-2014 National Delegate to COSPAR and Member of the COSPAR Bureau
• 2004-2008 Member of the Fachkollegium “Geophysik und Geodäsie” of the German Science Foundation
• 2004-2008 Member of the Science Advisory Board of the International Space Science Institute, Bern
• 2002-2006 Member of the Advisory Board of the “Gesellschaft Deutscher Naturforscher und Ärzte”
• 1999-2001 Chairman of the Science Advisory Board and Member of the Board of Trustees of the GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, Germany
• since 1998 Member of the Advisory Board „Basic Space Science“ of the German Aerospace Center DLR
• 1991-1994 Member of the Solar System Working Group of the European Space Agency

Honours and Memberships

• 2014 Basic Science Award of the International Academy of Astronautics
• 2010 Julius Bartels Medal, European Geoscience Union
• 2009 Member, International Academy of Astronautics
• 2008 Member, Academia Europaea
• 2004 Corresponding Member, Austrian Academy of Science
• 2001 External Scientific Member, Max-Planck Society, Germany
• 2001 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
• 1995 Member Braunschweigische Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft, Germany
• 1991 Werner-Heisenberg Stipend, German Science Foundation
• 1990 Ya. B. Zeldovich Medal, Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) of the International Council of Scientific Unions and the Russian Academy of Science