Bengt Hultqvist

for his distinguished work in ionospheric and space physics and his leading role in the development of European space research

Bengt Hultqvist has been a great pioneer of space research in Sweden and throughout Europe. Since 1957 he has been the Director of the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (earlier named Kiruna Geophysical Observatory and Kiruna Geophysical Institute). In addition, he has been Chairman of the Space Science Committee of the Swedish Board for Space Activities since 1972, Chairman of URSI Commission G between 1978 and 1981, Swedish delegate to the Scientific Programme Committee of ESA (and its predecessors) since 1964, Chairman of the EISCAT Council from 1988 to 1990, and President of SCOSTEP from 1990 to 1994.

Hultqvist has been involved with many satellite and rocket experiments, as well as ground based radio and radar instrumentation. He was a Principal Investigator on ESRO-1 A, B, ESRO-4, GEOS-1 and GEOS-2, and has been a Co-Investigator on numerous flights, including Viking, Phobos and Ulysses.

His research has resulted in over 160 papers in radiophysics and space physics and one book (Introduction to Geocosmophysics, 1967). He has also edited a number of volumes, including "Physics of the Hot Plasma in the Magnetosphere" (1975), "High Latitude Plasma Space Physics" (1983), "Solar Terrestrial Physics" (1986) and "Magnetospheric Physics: Achievements and Prospects" (1990).

Hultqvist is a member of many professional societies, including the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the AGU and the EGS, and he is an Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society (London). Over the years, he has received many awards. These include, the author prize of the Royal Academy of Sciences (1968), the Research Prize of the Royal Academy of Sciences (1972), "Norrlandsbjornen" – for contributions to the development of Northern Sweden (1988), the grand Gold Medal of Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (1988), Fellowship of the AGU (1990) and The King’s Medal in 8th size with the band of the Serafimer order.

It is appropriate to mark the retirement of such a great pioneer with the award of the first EGS Bartels’ Medal in 1996.

Newsletter 59, 37, 1996