Prize Talks
With its awards, the DPG honours outstanding scientific achievements in the field of physics in a special way. The following prize winners will give their prize talks at the DPG Spring Meeting in Erlangen:
Monday, 16 March 2026, 10:30, AudiMax
Paul Indelicato, Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
Gentner-Kastler-Prize 2026
is speaking about
"Exotic atoms: from fundamental tests of strong field quantum electrodynamics to nuclear and astrophysical applications"
Abstract:
Atoms where an electron is replaced by a heavier particle like the muon or an antinucleus like antiprotons are called exotic atoms. Because of the large mass of the particle, they allow to test bound state quantum electrodynamics (BSQED) in very strong fields. One can then study transitions between circular Rydberg states of such atoms to test BSQED without influence from the nucleus. Lower levels allow to do nuclear physics or strong interaction physics. A new kind of detectors, microcalorimeters have resolutions ≈ 200 times better than the Ge detectors used in the past, which allows for high precision x-ray energy measurements. They have been used on muonic atoms to test BSQED and to measure light nuclei charge radius. Test of BSQED in antiprotonic atoms are performed at the ELENA ring at CERN. It may be possible in the future that antideuterium atoms may also be observed at ELENA. Atoms with heavier antinuclei could be present in cosmic rays, following decay of dark matter. Their x-rays could be detected using detectors flying on balloons in the atmosphere like GAPS (General AntiParticle Spectrometer).
In my talk I will present results of advanced calculation, using all-order vacuum polarization for several kind of exotic atoms and exact finite size corrected self-energy for muonic atoms. I will then compare to recent measurements and possible future observations.
Tuesday, 17 March 2026, 14:45, AudiMax
Matthias Bartelmann, Heidelberg University, Germany
Robert-Wichard-Pohl-Prize 2026
is speaking about
"Between fascination and abstraction. Is it possible to teach modern physics at high-schools?"
Abstract:
Since this talk is related to the Robert Wichard Pohl Prize, which is awarded also for the conveyance of physics, let me take the opportunity to speak about some sore points in physics education and a possible approach to a solution. Undeniably, high-school teachers are decisive for instilling fascination for, or raising disgust against physics in formative years. If we want to pass our fascination for physics on to further generations, teaching teachers must be among our most important objectives. But modern physics is necessarily developing towards higher degrees of abstraction whose mathematical expression is more and more remote from the mathematics available at high-schools. Consequently, the fascination for modern physics is often lost at high-schools, physics is mistaken for an application of formulae appearing out of the blue, and essential ideas characteristic for physics do not appear. But is it possible to teach the most fascinating aspects of modern physics without having its mathematical foundation available? In this talk, I intend to argue that this is indeed possible. For this purpose, I will describe and discuss a lecture series recently introduced and tested at Heidelberg University. The lecture consists of three parts, one experimental, one theoretical, and one on timely applications. I will focus on the theoretical part, which is arguably the most difficult, and describe its motivation, ideas, structure, and summarize part of its contents.