title: Wolfgang Priester: from the big bounce to the Lambda-dominated universe.
abstract: Wolfgang Priester (1924-2005) was one of Germany's most versatile and quixotic astrophysicists, reinventing himself successively as a radio astronomer, space physicist and cosmologist, and making a lasting impact on each field. We focus in this personal account on his contributions to cosmology, where he will be most remembered for his association with quasars, his promotion of the idea of a nonsingular "big bounce" at the beginning of the current expansionary phase, and his recognition of the importance of dark energy (Einstein's cosmological constant Lambda) well before this became the standard paradigm in cosmology.
authors.affiliation: Gravity Probe B, Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-4085, USA. overduin@relgyro.stanford.edu
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Overduin
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Blome
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoell
mesh_terms: D001256:Astronomy / Q000266:history*; D005858:Germany; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D010825:Physics / Q000266:history*