Volker Springel elected to the German Academy of Sciences “Leopoldina”

Volker Springel, head of the Theoretical Astrophysics group at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies (HITS), has been elected to the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. He will be invited to present a lecture and receive his membership certificate at the official inauguration ceremony in March 2017.

The astrophysicist Prof. Volker Springel has designed and carried out the largest and most comprehensive computer simulations of the universe, including the Millennium Simulation in 2005, and the “Illustris” simulation, which is the most detailed computer simulation of galaxy formation and was published in the journal “Nature” in 2014. He developed the “Arepo” software which enabled scientists to simulate a wide range of galaxy shapes and sizes with supercomputers. Volker Springel has been leader of the “Theoretical Astrophysics” research group at HITS since 2010, and is a professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at Heidelberg University.

Founded in 1652, the Leopoldina is one of the oldest academies of science in the world. It is dedicated to the advancement of science for the benefit of humankind and to the goal of shaping a better future. With some 1,500 members, the Leopoldina brings together outstanding scientists from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and many other countries.

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HITS Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies
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