Reiner Stenzel

Reiner Ludwig Stenzel (1940 – December 9, 2023) was an American plasma physicist and professor emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He was known for his experimental work in basic plasma physics, such as on whistler waves and magnetic reconnection, and had contributed to the development of various plasma probes and antennas, which included the microwave resonator (hairpin) probe. He was a fellow of the American Physical Society.

Early life and career Stenzel completed his undergraduate education and received a Diplom-Ingenieur (Dipl.-Ing.) from the Technische Hochschule Braunschweig in 1965. He then obtained a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in 1970. and were the subjects of the documentary The Power of Two.

Stenzel was also an avid climber and served as Vice Chair of the Sierra Peaks Section from 2004 to 2006.