~ Famous Physicists ~

[MysteRy]

Richard Feynman (1918-1988)



Born: May 11, 1918 in Manhattan, New York

Died: Feb 15, 1988 (at age 69) in Los Angeles, California

Nationality: American

Famous For: Acoustic wave equation, Bethe–Feynman formula, Feynman checkerboard, Feynman diagrams, Feynman gauge, Feynman–Kac formula, Feynman Long Division Puzzles, Feynman parametrization, and many others

Awards: Albert Einstein Award (1954), E. O. Lawrence Award (1962), Nobel Prize in Physics (1965), Oersted Medal (1972) and National Medal of Science (1979)

Richard was a theoretical physicist who made major contribution in physics. He was born on May 11th, 1918 in Manhattan, New York, United States. He studied at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in 1939. From an early age he was influenced by his father to challenge orthodox thinking and this contributed to his love for the study of Physics.

Education

Richard attended the Far Rockaway High School. When he was 15, he taught himself advanced algebra, trigonometry, analytic geometry, infinite series, as well as integral and differential calculus. Before joining college, he was already recreating mathematical models and experimenting with them. He won the New York Math Championship in his last year in high school. After studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology he went on to learn more at Princeton University.

Contributions and Academic Career

After completing his PhD in 1942, Richard became an assistant physics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After the WWII and his participation in the Manhattan Project, he joined Cornell University where he taught physics in the period from 1945 to 1950. In his later years, he joined the California Institute of Technology as a professor due to his love for teaching. Throughout his academic career, he gained the reputation of being a “great explainer” due to his ability to clarify complex concepts in a simple way.

The Manhattan Project

Richard Feynman participated in the Manhattan project while at Princeton. This was the U.S. wartime project involving the development of the atomic bomb. Though he was a junior physicist, and was therefore not central to the project, his input was immense as he was made a group leader. His main task was in the theoretical division where he led the computation group in the human computers division. He also calculated neutron equations for a small reactor in the project in order to measure how close to criticality an assembly of fissile material was.

Quantum Electrodynamics

This is the theory for which he won the Nobel Prize due to its accurate predictions. He started working on the theory as an undergraduate and advanced it in his later years at Cornell. His work under this theory consisted of two distinct formulations. The first one was his Path Integral Formulation and the second was his formulation of the Feynman Diagrams.

Weak Decay Model

Richard developed a weak decay model which showed that the current coupling in the decay process is a combination of axial and vector currents. Though his theory was developed around the same time as that of Robert Marshak and E. C. George Sudarshan, his theory was seminal as it neatly explained the weak interaction by the axial and vector currents. Together with the 1933 beta decay theory, the combination of the two theories explained parity violation.

Super-fluidity of Super-Cooled Liquid Helium

Richard came up with a quantum-mechanical explanation for this observation of helium as it displays a total lack of viscosity when flowing. He applied the Schrodinger equation which showed that helium was displaying a quantum mechanical behavior which is observable to the naked eye.

Richard Feynman passed away February 15th, 1988 at the age of 69 leaving behind an incredible legacy in physics.

[MysteRy]

Robert Hooke (1635-1703)



Born: Jul 28 (O.S Jul 18), 1635 in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England

Died: Mar 3, 1703 (at age 67) in London, England

Nationality: English

Famous For: Hooke’s law and Microscopy applied the word ‘cell’

He was a genius on the level of Isaac Newton, and some have called him “the Leonardo da Vinci of England,” but few people today remember the name of Robert Hooke. Yet, he was among the most brilliant physicists of all time.

Robert Hooke was a contemporary of the great Isaac Newton, and other luminaries of the mid 1600’s, such as Edmund Haley and the brilliant Robert Boyle. In fact, Hooke claimed that Newton stole some of his ideas about gravity, specifically the Inverse Square Law, which is among the greatest of all scientific achievements. He also made similar claims against other scientists of the day. Most agree in the case of Newton; however, that even if he was influenced by Hooke, it was Newton who deserved credit for the final formulation on gravity. Hooke did come close to explaining gravity on his own, however.

A Key Figure in Science

It is well known that Hooke and Newton exchanged a series of letters and communicated frequently. Hooke held the pivotal position of curator of experiments of the Royal Society, which was the most important and prestigious organization for science in England. At this post, Hooke was responsible for coordinating the great minds of England and setting the overall agenda for the ongoing advancement of knowledge.

Difficult Personality

Most historians agree that Robert Hooke was an extremely difficult person. He was disliked by many people. He was well known for his bitter attitude, jealousy of others and for being extremely unpleasant to be around. Other historians have recently disputed this, but evidence of Hooke’s dark personality is too pervasive to be set aside.

A Remarkable Mind

The most important thing about Robert Hooke, however, was his uncanny genius and his spectacular series of achievements across and astonishing array of fields. Hooke is described as a polymath because he excelled in a wide variety of disciplines, from astronomy and biology, to architecture, paleontology and even medicine.

Early Brilliance

Hooke was born into humble means in 1635 on the Isle of Wight in England. His father, John Hooke, was a priest in the Church of England. The young Robert Hooke was expected to follow his father into a career in the ministry, but it was clear from an early age that this was an unusually intelligent child. For example, Hooke was obsessed with how mechanisms worked. He was known to take apart items like clocks and pumps. As a child he built a sophisticated version of a brass clock using only wood. Upon his father’s death, Hooke inherited 40 pounds which enabled him to buy an apprenticeship to a watchmaker. Yet, his obvious brilliance eventually landed him admission at Westminster School in London. There Robert Hooke’s restless, brilliant mind impressed everyone. He learned languages, such as Latin, Greek and Hebrew with ease. He excelled in mathematics and displayed brilliance in connection with any subject matter he confronted. He also was in a constant state of drawing designs and building inventions.

Major Achievements

Robert Hooke published an enormous amount of work, including a book about microscopes and telescopes called Micrographia. It detailed his 30 years of study with microscopes and was the first ever book published by the Royal Society. Micrographia is a work of monumental importance which advanced the study of biology in a way that could never be overestimated. It is unfortunate that Robert Hooke’s abrasive personality and his penchant for making enemies caused his reputation to suffer, thus causing his place in history to rapidly decline. It is believed the only known portrait of Hooke was destroyed by one of his detractors.

However, the importance of what Robert Hooke contributed to science and to the advancement of the knowledge of the human race is beyond measure.

[MysteRy]

Stephen Hawking (1942)



Born: Jan 8, 1942 in Oxford, England

Nationality: British

Famous For: black hole singularity theorems, Hawking radiation, and A Brief History of Time

Awards: Albert Einstein Award (1978), Wolf Prize (1988), Prince of Asturias Award (1989), Copley, Medal (2006), Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009) and Special Fundamental Physics Prize (2012)

Stephen Hawking was born on January 8th, 1942 in Oxford, England. From an early age he showed extensive interest in science and space. At age 21, while doing research on cosmology at the University of Cambridge, Hawking was diagnosed with incurable Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) disease; he was told that he only have 2 years left to live. The pioneering works and discoveries he has contributed in physics have transformed the definition of physics and offered breakthroughs to other scientists.

Early Life

Hawking has grown to be one of the most notable physicists the world has seen. His father, Frank Hawking, was a medical researcher. His mother, Isobel Hawking, was a scholar of philosophy, politics and economics. Both of his parents were graduates of Oxford University. Stephen Hawking’s time in school was not as exceptional as one might have thought. He spent much of his time on quests outside the classroom. At the university, his love for mathematics overwhelmed him. Since Oxford did not offer a degree in mathematics he moved towards physics which was the perfect alternative. In 1962 he graduated from Oxford and went on to the University of Cambridge for his Ph.D.

His Work

Stephen Hawking’s studies mainly focused on laws that explain the universe. Together with Roger Penrose they showed the existence of Big Bang Singularity by applying Einstein’s theory of relativity. From 1970 to 1974, he focused on black holes combining general relativity and quantum mechanics to come up with Hawking radiation theory that showed black holes emitted some form of radiation. In 1983, he joined hands with Jim Hurtle to further explain that the laws of science would reveal how the universe was formed since their research suggested that space and time had no edge. He has also published several books including A brief History of Time, Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays, The Universe in a Nutshell and others.

Professor Stephen Hawking is considered to be very resilient. He has been able to overcome his health challenges and, at the same time, contribute to physics at large. As such, he has received numerous awards, prizes and accolades. Among them include 12 honorary degrees, the Companion of Honor title, the Commander of the British Empire title and the most recent one; the Special Fundamental Physics Prize.

[MysteRy]

Werner Heisenberg (1901-1976)



Born: Dec 5, 1901 in Wurzburg, Bavaria, Germany

Died: Feb 1, 1976 (at age 74) in Munich, Bavaria, West Germany

Nationality: German

Famous For: Uncertainty Principle Heisenberg cut, Heisenberg’s entryway to matrix mechanics, Heisenberg ferromagnet, Heisenberg group, Heisenberg limit, Heisenberg’s microscope, Heisenberg model (classical), Heisenberg model (quantum), Heisenberg picture, Matrix mechanics, Euler-Heisenberg Lagrangian, Kramers-Heisenberg formula, Bootstrap model, C*-algebra, Exchange interaction, Isospin, Mott problem, Quantum fluctuation, Resonance (chemistry), S-matrix and S-matrix theory

Awards: Nobel Prize in Physics (1932) and Max Planck Medal (1933)

Werner Heisenberg was born on December 5th, 1901 in Wurzburg, Germany. His father, Dr. August Heisenberg, was a professor of Greek Philology. Heisenberg started schooling in a primary school in Wurzburg before moving with his father to Munich in 1910. He joined the Maximillian School for his secondary school studies until 1920 when he joined the University of Munich to study physics under the supervision of scientists like Sommerfeld, Wien and Rosenthal. During the winter of 1922 to 1923, Heisenberg attended the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen where he studied physics under Max Born and David Hilbert.

Discoveries and Achievements

Werner Heisenberg was a German theoretical physicist whose work in science led to his overwhelming popularity. His influence on contemporary physics ranks alongside other famous scientist like Richard Feynman, Paul Dirac and Niels Bohr.

Heisenberg’s work with matrix mechanics was one of the first and most useful formulations that led to his discovery of quantum mechanics in 1925. During this time he wrote more than 600 research papers, explanations and philosophical essays based on his discoveries in matrix mechanics. However, his discovery was abstract in nature and difficult for many people to visualize. His writings on matrix mechanics are still available for reading as collected works.

It was through the discovery of matrix mechanics that Heisenberg formulated quantum mechanics. This is a type of mathematics in physics that measures the interaction of atomic and subatomic systems with radiation. Heisenberg measured their interaction based on observable quantities such as momentum, energy, angular momentum and position.

In 1932, this German theoretical physicist was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics, a prize attributed to his creation of quantum mechanics. In spite of difficult political and economical problems, Germany became the leading country in quantum mechanics in the 1920’s courtesy of Heisenberg. The creation of quantum mechanics led to, among other things, the discovery of the allotropic forms of hydrogen.

Heisenberg unveiled his uncertainty principle in 1927. The uncertainty principle, also known as an indeterminacy principle, was one of Heisenberg’s earliest breakthroughs. His uncertainty principle states that the more accurately one can determine the location of a particle, the less precisely its momentum can be determined. The converse is also found to be true.

Later Life and Death

Heisenberg played a vital role in reviving German science after years of war. In his later years, he assumed influential positions in Germany and abroad. He gave lectures on theoretical physics and other subjects. He succumbed to cancer of the gall bladder and kidneys on February 1st, 1976 at the age of 74.

[MysteRy]

(Lord) Kelvin (1824-1907)



Born: Jun 26, 1824 in Belfast, Ireland

Died: Dec 17, 1907 (at age 83) in Largs, Scotland

Nationality: British

Famous For: Absolute Zero, Joule–Thomson effect, Thomson effect (thermoelectric), Mirror galvanometer, Siphon recorder, Kelvin material, Kelvin water dropper, Kelvin wave, Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, and many others

Awards: Smith’s Prize, Royal Medal and Copley Medal

William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin (or Lord Kelvin) was a British physicist who was knighted by Queen Victoria for his work as the electrical engineer who oversaw the laying of the first transatlantic cable in 1866. In 1892, he received the title of Baron Kelvin of Largs. He was the first scientist in the United Kingdom to join the House of Lords. He did much to unify the science of physics, which was just beginning to come into its own during the Victorian era.

Inventions

Lord Kelvin invented the mirror galvanometer used in cable signaling and the siphon recorder, which was used to received the signals. An avid seaman, he also invented the first ship’s compass that was free of the magnetic influence of any iron on the ship. He also invented a mechanism that predicted the tide. This was useful to predict the variations in sea level in any port. He also suggested that gas thermometers be used for accurate temperature readings, and a thermometer scale is named after him. On the Kelvin thermometer scale, absolute zero is equal to – 273 degrees Celsius. Absolute zero is where molecular movement ceases.

Early Life

Lord Kelvin was born William Thomson on June 26th, 1824 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His father’s job as a mathematics professor in Glasgow made it possible for William and his siblings to travel and study in London, Paris, Germany and Holland. He began to attend the University of Glasgow when he was only 10, but that was because the university held elementary school level classes. As a teenager Thomson wrote essays and even published scientific papers.

Cambridge University

Thomson entered Cambridge University in 1841 where he enjoyed an active life as a student. He participated in many activities, but science was his great love. He graduated four years later. He was a Second Wrangler, which was the second highest ranked undergraduate degree in math. He was also named a fellow of his house and worked in the laboratory of the famous scientists Henri Regnault in Paris. At around this same time the University of Glasgow elevated Thomson to the chair of natural philosophy. He was only 22 years old.

Later Life

Thomson held the chair of natural philosophy at the University of Glasgow until his retirement in 1899, over a half century later. In 1893 Thomson was the head of a commission created to design the power station at Niagara Falls. Though he was at first determined to use direct current to power it, he was impressed by fellow physicist Nikola Tesla‘s embrace of alternating current.

Lord Kelvin published at least 661 papers on a variety of scientific subjects and held over 70 patents. He died on December 17, 1907 and was interred in Westminster Abbey.