# Daniel Zajfman > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Daniel_Zajfman > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Daniel_Zajfman.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Zajfman > Source revision: 1333047262 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Daniel Zajfman** (Hebrew: דניאל זייפמן; born June 7, 1959) is an Israeli [physicist](/source/Physicist) whose main research interests are centered on the physics of simple [molecular ions](/source/Molecular_ion). On December 1, 2006, he was elected as the tenth president of the [Weizmann Institute](/source/Weizmann_Institute). ## Early life Daniel Zajfman was born in [Brussels](/source/Brussels), Belgium. He joined the [Hashomer Hatzair](/source/Hashomer_Hatzair) movement while studying at the [Athénée Robert Catteau](/source/Ath%C3%A9n%C3%A9e_Robert_Catteau).[1] In 1979 he emigrated to Israel where he met his wife, Joëlle Hayoun. In 1983 he graduated in [Physics](/source/Physics) (B.Sc.), at the [Technion](/source/Technion), Israel Institute of Technology, [Haifa](/source/Haifa). He continued his studies at the Technion and in 1989 received his PhD, in [atomic physics](/source/Atomic_physics). He conducted his post-doctoral at the [Argonne National Laboratory](/source/Argonne_National_Laboratory), [Illinois](/source/Illinois), United States. (1989–1991) ## Career In 1991 he returned to Israel and began his career as a senior scientist at the Dept. of [Particle Physics](/source/Particle_Physics) ([Weizmann Institute](/source/Weizmann_Institute) of Science). In 1997, he was appointed Associate Professor and was promoted to full professor in 2003. Since 2001, he has been an external member of the [Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics](/source/Max_Planck_Institute_for_Nuclear_Physics) in [Heidelberg](/source/Heidelberg), Germany, and in 2005, he was appointed as a Director at this [Max Planck Institute](/source/Max_Planck_Institute). On December 1, 2006, he was elected as the tenth president of the [Weizmann Institute](/source/Weizmann_Institute), the youngest ever. He was in turn succeeded in 2019 by [Alon Chen](/source/Alon_Chen).[2] On January 1, 2020, he was elected as the Chair of the Academic Board of the Israel Science Foundation. In 2023 he received the [Harnack Medal](/source/Harnack_Medal).[3] for his contributions to the advancement of science and German-Israeli cooperation ## Research and patents His research focuses on the [reaction dynamics](/source/Reaction_dynamics) of small [molecules](/source/Molecule) and how they influence the composition of the [interstellar medium](/source/Interstellar_medium). He recreates the conditions of [outer space](/source/Outer_space) in the laboratory using special devices called '[ion traps](/source/Ion_trap)' or '[storage rings](/source/Storage_ring)'. In these devices, he is able to briefly store and measure the properties of small amounts of material, as little as a few hundred [atoms](/source/Atom) or molecules-worth, under the extreme conditions of [interstellar](/source/Interstellar_space) space (especially very low temperatures and low densities). Some of his research has focused on the puzzle of how complex molecules are formed in outer space. ### Patents - [A Device for Three dimensional Imaging](https://web.archive.org/web/20110612180233/http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6072523.html) - [A new method for Mass Spectrometry](https://archive.today/20130421204759/http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6744042-claims.html) ## References 1. ["Les mots de Daniel Zajfman (Institut Weizman) à Bruno Le Maire. - IsraelValley"](http://www.israelvalley.com/2017/09/06/israel-bruno-maire-rencontre-daniel-zajfman-a-linstitut-weizman/) [The words of Daniel Zajfman (Weizman Institute) to Bruno Le Maire. - IsraelValley]. 6 September 2017. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170909190631/http://www.israelvalley.com/2017/09/06/israel-bruno-maire-rencontre-daniel-zajfman-a-linstitut-weizman/) 2017-09-09 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-10-25. 1. ["11th President of Weizmann Institute and Four New Vice Presidents Take Office"](https://www.miragenews.com/11th-president-of-weizmann-institute-and-four-new-vice-presidents-take-office/). *Mirage News*. December 1, 2019. 1. ["The Max Planck Society honours Daniel Zajfman with the Harnack Medal in recognition of his remarkable contributions to the advancement of science and German-Israeli cooperation"](https://www.mpg.de/20492897/daniel-zajfman-harnack-medal). *Max-planck-gesellschaft*. June 22, 2023. ## External links - [Weizmann Institute President Page](http://www.weizmann.ac.il/homepage/pages/pres.shtml) - [Daniel Zajfman professional page](https://www.weizmann.ac.il/particle/molecule/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Daniel Zajfman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Zajfman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Zajfman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.