Mission of the Bethe Center

The Bethe Center is a joint enterprise of theoretical physicists and mathematicians at various institutes of or connected with the University of Bonn. In the spirit of Hans Bethe it fosters research activities over a wide range of theoretical and mathematical physics. The research concentrates on

Elementary Particle Physics
Hadron- and Nuclear Physics
Physics of Cold Atoms
Condensed Matter Physics
Astroparticle Physics
Mathematical Physics
Algebraic Geometry and Topology
Partial Differential Equations

It provides a forum for interdisciplinary research throughout the fields of theoretical and mathematical physics. Activities of the Bethe Center include

Short and long term visitors program
Workshops on dedicated research topics
Regular Bethe Seminar Series
Lectures and seminars for graduate students

History

The Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics (BCTP) was founded in 2008 under its first director Hans Peter Nilles. On 7th of November 2008 a large inauguration ceremony took place that was joined by members of the Bethe family. The BCTP unifies different research groups from four pillars of theoretical physics research in Bonn: the Physics Institute, the Helmholtz Institut für Strahlen- und Kernphysik as well as the Mathematical Institute of Bonn University and the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics. Since the very beginning, activities of the Bethe Center include a visitors program, seminars and workshops, the Bethe Colloquium, and graduate lecture series.

Hans Bethe (1906-2005)

Hans Bethe was born in Strassburg (Strasbourg) on July 2, 1906. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Munich in 1928. In 1933 he emigrated to England and moved to Cornell University in the US in 1935 where he remained until his death.

Bethe represented one of the “last giants” of twentieth-century physics. 75 years of original research, hundreds of influential scientific papers spanning the key areas of theoretical physics are the impressive legacy of his academic work. He was the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, most notably the Nobel prize in 1967 for his groundbreaking work on the theory of energy production in stars.