Special Issue Preface pubs.acs.org/JPCA
Tribute to Jö rn Manz
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JÖ RN MANZ: A DYNAMIC SCIENTIST
vibrant research group that during the course of time developed into a “school” of time-dependent molecular quantum mechanics, meanwhile with several outposts in Germany and elsewhere. During his fruitful academic career, Jörn Manz supervised about 25 Ph.D. theses, and he was the mentor of six habilitands. We are certain that all of his former co-workers acknowledge the precious and continuous support of Jörn Manz as we do. While taking care of providing a sustainable career, Jörn always had encouraged us to become independent scientists with individual records and publication lists. Thanks to his contributions, over the years, Berlin became an attractive center of quantum molecular dynamics for researchers and guest scientists from all over the world. Jörn Manz was a cofounder of a collaborative research center on ultrafast photoinduced dynamics and control, located in the Berlin area. It was also in Berlin where the first edition of the by now well-established Femtochemistry conference series took place in 1993, with Jörn Manz as its founder and chairman. In 1995, a two-volume book entitled Femtosecond Chemistry, edited by Jörn Manz and his experimental colleague and friend, Ludger Wöste, paved the road for a generation of young scientists entering the field of Femtochemistry. The recognition of this field culminated with the Nobel prize awarded to Ahmed Zewail in 1999. It is fair to say that Jörn Manz is one of the founders of Theoretical Femtochemistry. In fact, he and most of his co-workers oriented themselves more and more toward explicitly time-dependent, ultrafast phenomena, for example, the theory of molecular (vibrational, rotational) wave packets driven by shaped laser pulses. The research in his group broadened toward condensed-phase dynamics and, more recently, into laser-driven electron dynamics, attosecond phenomena, and strong field chemistry. Jörn Manz is the author of more than 200 research papers, and he generously made significant contributions to many others. It would be utterly wrong to reduce Jörn Manz to his achievements in science, science promotion, and science management all of them impressive indeed. He is a strong character, gifted in fine arts and sports, and driven by deep humanity and creed. If necessary and possible, he tries to support social persuasion by scientific means. To give an example: A few years ago, Jörn Manz initiated a funded, trilateral research project between Berlin and scientists from Palestine and Israel. Besides obtaining scientific achievements, a major dream was to establish a link across the Green Line separating Jerusalem. It is his credo to believe that scientists form a big family that holds by ties stronger than religion or politics. With great pleasure, we acknowledge that more than 40 colleagues, former students, friends, and competitors followed our call to contribute to this Festschrift. We warmly thank all of the authors for their original and worthwhile work. Fingerprints of the heritage of Jörn Manz can be spurred in some of these
This Festschrift of The Journal of Physical Chemistry A is devoted to Professor Jörn Manz on the occasion of his 65th birthday and official retirement from the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. Like many scientists, Jörn Manz will continue to do significant research beyond his 65th birthday, which he, together with many of us, celebrated in May of this year. The latter date was, therefore, merely a formal landmark along his trail but nonetheless an excellent opportunity and observation point for looking back and forward in time. In fact, “time” has always been a central theme of Jörn Manz’s scientific interests. Trained as a theoretical physicist in Hamburg and Munich in the late 1960s, he joined the Theoretical Chemistry group of G. L. Hofacker at the Technical University in Munich in 1970 as a doctoral student. At that time, the Theoretical Chemistry community in Germany was largely dominated by stationary electronic structure theory. Hofacker suggested to step into the then virgin territory of quantum molecular (reaction) dynamics. Jörn Manz enthusiastically accepted. This was the starting point to become, eventually, one of the pioneers of time-dependent molecular quantum theory in Germany, with impact worldwide. During his early career as a Ph.D. student, as a postdoc with R. D. Levine at Rehovot (Israel), and as a habilitand (again in Munich), Jörn Manz worked on small molecular systems, for example, the reactions of and vibrational energy transfer in three-atom arrangements, establishing new and strong ties to many scientific colleagues. His passion and intuition for science outside of the beaten track led to inventive contributions such as, for example, the “muonium chemistry”. Another highlight was the suggestion of a new type of chemical bond, that is, the “vibrational bonding” present in heavy−light−heavy species, such as IHI. While these early days were also characterized by substantial contributions to method development, Manz’s major impact came and continues coming from his pursuit and achievement of deep physical insight often triggered by intuitive model systems and model calculations. In 1985, Manz became an Associate Professor of Theoretical Chemistry in Würzburg, Germany, and in 1992, he was appointed as a Full Professor at the Freie Universität, Berlin, where he has been working until now. In Berlin, he built a © 2012 American Chemical Society
Special Issue: Jörn Manz Festschrift Published: November 26, 2012 11041
dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp308136z | J. Phys. Chem. A 2012, 116, 11041−11042
The Journal of Physical Chemistry A
Special Issue Preface
contributions. The good mix of theory and experiment proves once more that Jörn Manz’s research has been and still is influential in both areas. We trust that this collection of fine articles will inspire a great number of young scientists to join this fascinating field with new ideas and reborn enthusiasm, similar as the Femtochemistry books and conference series did in the past and keep doing at present. Last but not least, we do hope that Jörn Manz will also enjoy this Festschrift. Jörn, we heartily thank you for continuously being inspiring, caring, and supportive. We wish you ongoing success and happiness in your professional and private life.
Leticia González Oliver Kühn Peter Saalfrank
11042
dx.doi.org/10.1021/jp308136z | J. Phys. Chem. A 2012, 116, 11041−11042
