Arnold Benz

Star and planet formation, heliophysics, plasma astrophysics, dialogue science-religion

Arnold Benz was born in Winterthur (Switzerland) on April 21, 1945. He studied physics at ETH Zurich and received his Diploma degree in theoretical physics in 1969. Subsequently, he did his Ph.D. work at Cornell University, NY, USA with Thomas Gold on the acceleration of the solar wind. He moved back to ETH on October 1, 1972 and, starting in 1974, he led the group for radio astronomy and plasma physics until 2010. He was appointed professor in 1993.

His research activities concentrate on dynamic processes in star and planet formation. He has studied the outer atmospheres of the Sun and stars, the heating of coronae, and the acceleration of particles to high energies. Furthermore, he has worked on problems in supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and dwarf novae. He was Principal Investigator of the X-ray telescope STIX on Solar Orbiter of ESA launched in February 2020 and lead Co-Investigator for the Herschel Space Observatory (ESA). He also uses observations of the ETH radiospectrometers in Bleien as well as international radio telescopes such as VLBA, EVN, Arecibo, VLA, Effelsberg, ALMA) and X-ray satellites (SOHO, Yohkoh, ROSAT, ASCA, SMM, RHESSI).

His achievements include the first detailed survey and interpretation of solar flare radio emissions in decimeter radio waves, theory for particle acceleration in flares, and the relation of thermal X-ray and non-thermal X-ray emissions of solar and stellar activity. He was teaching plasma astrophysics, high-energy astrophysics, and the physics of star and planet formation.

He was president of Division II (Sun and Heliosphere) of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), president of the Swiss Society for Astrophysics and Astronomy (SSAA), and president of the Community of the European Solar Radioastronomers (CESRA).

After his retirement in 2010 he remained a member of the Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics and continues his research. The focus includes also the dialogue with theologians on science and religion. The question is how to assimilate theological concepts of reality into a worldview dominated by science. His interdisciplinary work on science and religion was awarded honorary doctor degrees by the University of Zurich and the University of the South (Sewanee TN, USA).

For the list of his PH.D. students and their theses see Additional Information.