Karl-Ludwig Kratz
Karl-Ludwig Kratz (b. April 23, 1941 in Jena, Thuringia) is a German nuclear chemist and astrophysicist. He is professor for nuclear chemistry at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz and adjunct professor of physics at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.

One of the main interests of Kratz is the study of nuclear structure of very neutron-rich isotopes. He concentrated on the beta-delayed neutron decay mode, especially the spectroscopy of the emitted neutrons. These isotopes are obtained by nuclear fission or proton induced spallation of heavy elements as uranium. In general, the extremely neutron-rich species of interest are produced together with an overwhelming amount of shorter-lived ones. Therefore he is developing chemical and physical separation techniques with very high chemical selectivity. These studies are performed in international collaborations at high-flux reactors (Institut Laue-Langevin, France) or accelerator facilities as the CERN in Switzerland or the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory at Michigan State University.

The nuclear structure data are also applied by Kratz to nucleosynthesis, especially the astrophysical r-process. Elemental abundances from Supernova explosions are calculated in close collaboration with Friedrich-Karl Thielemann of the University of Basel. The calculated abundances are then compared to observed stellar abundances. Ultra-metal-poor Population II stars in the Galactic Halo exhibit a scaled-down Solar System r-process abundance pattern. Comparing calculated and observed abundances for elements as the stable europium with 
radioactive ones (thorium and uranium) the age of these stars can be determined to about 13 billion years (see Sneden's Star, Cayrel's Star, BD +17° 3248, HE 1523-0901).

In 1999 he received the "Nuclear Chemistry Award" (now Glenn T. Seaborg Award) of the American Chemical Society. In 2014, the American Physical Society rewarded him the "Hans A. Bethe Prize".
Q3150
Jena
LOC
Q1205
Thuringia
LOC
Q161982
Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz
ORG
Q178848
University of Notre Dame
LOC
Q486877
South Bend, Indiana
LOC
Q11429
nuclear fission
Concept
Q576621
spallation
Concept
Q1536754
Institut Laue-Langevin
LOC
Q42944
CERN
LOC
Q6978772
National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory
LOC
Q270222
Michigan State University
LOC
Q471702
nucleosynthesis
Concept
Q285033
r-process
Concept
Q3937
Supernova
Concept
Q99742
Friedrich-Karl Thielemann
PER
Q372608
University of Basel
LOC
Q217030
metal-poor
Concept
Q1436016
Population II
Concept
Q1396
europium
Concept
Q1115
thorium
Concept
Q1098
uranium
Concept
Q796881
Sneden's Star
CEL
Q796883
Cayrel's Star
CEL
Q795778
BD +17° 3248
CEL
Q74288
HE 1523-0901
CEL
Q247556
American Chemical Society
ORG
Q466113
American Physical Society
ORG
Q109268
Karl-Ludwig Kratz
PER
1941-04-23T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
April 23, 1941
DATE
3248-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
3248
DATE
1523-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1523
DATE
1999-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
1999
DATE
2014-01-01T00:00:00Z^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#dateTime
2014
DATE
+13^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
13
NUMBER
++17^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
+17
NUMBER
-0901^^http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#decimal
-0901
NUMBER
place of birth
date of birth
employer
employer
located in the administrative territorial entity
subclass of
employer