Prof. Dr. Ulrich Lynen can be regarded as one of the fathers of the future antiproton facility as part of FAIR and with PANDA and HESR being the versatile experiment and the storage ring for the antiprotons respectively. This installation will enable precision and high statistics experiments in the field of the structure, spectroscopy, dynamics and in-media behavior of hadrons.Starting with a kick-off meeting of the Hadron Physics Study Group in early 1998 he shaped the collaboration, the physics cases and the general layout of the detector which is now in construction for eventual completion by 2023 and with annihilation of the first antiprotons in 2025. Even after his retirement he served for PANDA in the scrutiny process and various detector committees to finalize the TDR of sub-detectors. He is always influential and critical and PANDA owes him very much.
In recognition of his engagement and achievement, the PANDA collaboration awarded to him the "PANDA Honorary Lifetime Membership" for his "Outstanding Service to the PANDA Collaboration and the Field of Hadron Physics".
The certificate was presented by the PANDA Spokesperson on April 10, 2018 at the Festive Colloquium for his 80th Birthday being held at that day at GSI. The colloquium was presented by Concettina Sfienti and the laudatory speech was given by Josef Pochodzalla (both U Mainz). Both have been working with Uli Lynen for a long time at GSI.
(Photo: Gabi Otto, GSI)