Heinrich Johannes Wendker

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Heinrich Johannes Wendker (born June 20, 1938 in Gimbte ; † April 3, 2008 in Hamburg-Bergedorf ) was a German astrophysicist and radio astronomer .

biography

After graduating from high school Augustinianum in Greven , he began studying physics and astronomy at the Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster, which he completed in 1966 with a doctorate. During his studies he was active at the KDB Alania zu Münster in the RKDB .

After completing his studies, he worked at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia, the University of Illinois , the University of Bonn and the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy . Here he was involved in the construction of the 100m radio telescope Effelsberg as a research assistant .

In 1972 he accepted a professorship at the Hamburg observatory , where he worked until he was released in 2003. From 1985 to 1989 he was the managing director of the Hamburg observatory. From 1989 to 1991 he was dean of the physics department and then from 1991 to 1993 deputy dean.

Heinrich Wendker was married and had two sons.

Scientific activity

Radio astronomical observations of the Milky Way played a central role in Heinrich Wendker's scientific activities . One focus was on the investigation of thermal and non-thermal radiation from radio sources in the constellation Swan .

He also studied radio emissions from stars and published the first catalog of radio stars.

He also made observations in the optical and X-ray range of the electromagnetic spectrum and examined the interaction of stellar winds from hot stars with surrounding gas (so-called wind blown bubbles).

He was co-author of the textbook Astronomy and Astrophysics: A Basic Course .

Books

literature

  • Obituary in communications from the Astronomical Society , No. 91 (Hamburg, 2008)

Web links