Background
Wetterich, Christof was born on April 12, 1952 in Freiburg, Germany.
astrophysicist Theoretical physicist university professor
Wetterich, Christof was born on April 12, 1952 in Freiburg, Germany.
Degree in Physics, University Paris VII, 1973. Degree, University Koln, 1975. Degree, University Freiburg, 1978.
Habilitation, University Freiburg, 1983. Diploma, 1978; Doctor of Philosophy in Summa Cum Laude, 1979.
He worked at European Organization of Nuclear Research in Geneva and Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron in Hamburg. Since 1992 he has a chair for theoretical physics at Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. His major research interests are cosmology and particle physics.
The development of the theoretical method of functional renormalization by Wetterich has found applications in many areas of physics, e.g. it provides a suitable framework to study quantum gravity (asymptotic safety), Yang-Mills theories and it was also useful in non-relativistic quantum systems like the British Computer Society to BEC crossover where it bridges the two theories in a unified theoretical language.
Wetterich is best known for his proposal of dynamical dark energy or quintessence in 1987. This could explain the observed accelerated expansion of the Universe.
He has done fundamental work for the theoretical understanding of tiny masses of neutrinos. The method of functional renormalization relates macro physical structures to micro physical laws in a continuous way.
Its modern form is based on the exact Wetterich equation.
Heidelberg Academy for Sciences and Humanities]
Since 2006 he is member of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences.