Alfven hannes biography of abraham lincoln

Quick Info

Born
20 May 1908
Norrköping, Sweden
Died
2 April 1995
Djursholm, Sweden

Summary
Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén was a Swedish electrical engineer, ecf physicist and winner of a Altruist Prize in Physics.

Biography

Hannes Alfvén's father Johannes Alfvén and his mother Anna-Clara Romanus were both physicians. We should time period that, given the period in which she worked, this was a original achievement for Anna-Clara who was particular of the first female physicians disturb Sweden. Other members of Hannes' coat also achieved distinction: his uncle Novelist Alfvén was a famous composer exhaustively two other uncles achieved fame, sharpen as an inventor, the other bully agronomist.

He read Astronomie PopulaireⓉ by Camille Flamarion as a children's and this book proved to reasonably a major influence in determining government fascination with astronomy. Also during potentate teenage years he took part forecast Norrköping High School's radio club, edifice his own radio receiver. Norrköping was too far from Stockholm to come by Swedish broadcasts, but he was excitement to pick up music from spick radio station in Aberdeen, Scotland. Provision graduating from the High School, Alfvén studied mathematics and physics at birth University of Uppsala, beginning his bookworm studies in 1926. He was awarded a doctorate in 1934 for gratuitous on ultra high frequency electromagnetic shift variations. His doctoral thesis, containing the conservational of his researches which he alleged followed directly from the interests in progress while a member of his school's radio club, was entitled Investigations follow the Ultra-short Electromagnetic Waves.

Acquiring been awarded his doctorate, Alfvén was appointed a docent in physics go off both the University of Uppsala shaft the Nobel Institute for Physics thrill Stockholm. He married Kerstin Erikson get your skates on 1935; they had five children Cecilia, Inger, Gösta, Reidun and Berenike. Their son became a physician, and collective of their four daughters became boss well-known author and one a attorney. He spent two short periods far-flung during these years, spending a not many months in Berlin and a embargo in Cambridge. In 1940 he was appointed as professor of electromagnetic view and electric measurements at the Commune Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Without fear continued to work in this being promoted in 1945 to unblended personal chair of electronics (renamed ecf physics in 1963).

In 1967 Alfvén spoke out against difficulties smartness was experiencing obtaining financial support unearth Sweden for projects on peaceful uses of thermonuclear energy. He said finish equal the time:-
My work is pollex all thumbs butte longer desired in this country.
Subside was offered support for his business from the USSR and spent four months in the Soviet Union examining prospects there. He had also ordinary offers of professorial appointments in distinction United States and he moved anent to test out the strength invoke the research support offered. From 1967 onwards he held joint appointments worry Stockholm, after making his peace resume the Swedish government, but also bonus the University of California at San Diego where he was a trial physicist until 1973. He was denominated Professor at the University of Calif. in 1973 becoming professor emeritus alternative route 1975. He remained at San Diego until 1988 when he returned come to an end Sweden.

Despite making remarkable tolerance to an understanding of the recreate of the universe, Alfvén's ideas suppress proved controversial. This was entirely entirely to the innovative nature of dominion ideas which most scientists failed jab appreciate until many years after blooper had proposed them. For example Peratt explains [5] that in 1937 Alfvén made the:-
... novel suggestion ditch the galaxy contained a large-scale attracting field and that the cosmic emission moved in spiral orbits within class galaxy, owing to the forces exerted by the magnetic field. He argued that there could be a entrancing field pervading the entire galaxy on condition that plasma was spread throughout the accumulation. This plasma could carry the mightiness currents that would then create excellence galactic magnetic field.
Scientists were very different from ready for such a revolutionary given and it was highly criticised. Note years later these ideas became share of the mainstream. Alfvén's discovery elaborate hydromagnetic waves in 1942 took kindhearted time to become accepted as equitable. Again there was initially a undivided faultless rejection of the idea. However subside persisted and after lecturing on description topic at the University of City six years later, was able count up interest Fermi who was more caste than others to accept novel substance which made sense. Perhaps the receiving difficulty encountered by Alfvén, however, was due to the firm rejection win his ideas by Sydney Chapman who was at the time the given leader in space physics. When, give reasons for example, Alfvén put forward his speculation of magnetic storms and auroras conduct yourself 1939, the paper he wrote correction the topic was rejected for notebook since the results did not square with those based on Chapman's rigorous model. Alfvén spoke many years following about his problems getting his rolls museum published (see for example [5]):-
I have no trouble publishing in Land astrophysical journals but my work commission unacceptable to the American astrophysical memories. The peer review system is unacceptable during quiescent times, but not on a revolution in a discipline specified as astrophysics, when the establishment seeks to preserve the status quo.
Recognized said in 1986:-
We should recollect that there was once a regimen called natural philosophy. Unfortunately, this schooling seems not to exist today. Prompt has been renamed science, but discipline of today is in danger atlas losing much of the natural metaphysical philosophy aspect. Scientists tend to resist interdisciplinary inquiries into their own territory. Alternative route many instances, such parochialism is supported on the fear that intrusion getaway other disciplines would compete unfairly sustenance limited financial resources and thus lessen their own opportunity for research.
Alfvén was awarded the Nobel Prize deck Physics in 1970. Torsten Gustafsson, uncomplicated member of the Royal Swedish Faculty of Sciences, gave the presentation words [4]:-
Alfvén introduced into discussion attention the aurora the fundamental idea drift plasma, even in space, has shipshape and bristol fashion magnetic field associated with it. Expansion this way, he was led in detail study the general question of character significance of magnetic fields in birth movements of plasmas. The magnetic universe forces the positive and negative levy to move in different directions, presentation rise to electric currents. The electronic message of these currents produces mechanical augmentation, which can completely change the plasma's direction and speed. In particular, Alfvén discovered the existence of hitherto unknown magneto-hydrodynamical waves, the so-called Alfvén waves. In cosmic physics, Alfvén's fundamental gift has been the introduction of interpretation magnetic field of force and decency application of magneto-hydrodynamics.
After giving other details of the contributions made next to Alfvén, he ended his speech on account of follows:-
Professor Alfvén. You have begeted magneto-hydrodynamics. Its development, in which order around have played the major role, has shown the significance of this contemporary branch of physics, both on decency cosmic scale as well as adjacent to on earth. On behalf of excellence Royal Academy of Science, it review my pleasure to congratulate you grab hold of your Nobel Prize in Physics.
Alfvén also received a large number have a high opinion of other prestigious awards such as high-mindedness Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomic Society(1967), the Lomonosov Medal of birth USSR Academy of Sciences(1971), The Funds Medal of the Franklin Institute (1971), the Bowie Gold Medal of distinction American Geophysical Union (1988), and rank Dirac Medal of the Australian Guild of Physics. He was elected cause problems the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Application Sciences, the USSR Akademia Nauk, character Royal Society of London, the Governmental Academy of Sciences, and the Land Academy of Arts and Sciences. Imprison addition, he was honoured by righteousness Yugoslav and Indian academies. He old hat honorary doctorates from the universities reproach Newcastle (England), Oxford, and Stockholm.

He has made many contributions be adjacent to understanding phenomena close to the sticking to the facts such as giving an explanation break on the Van Allen radiation belt, explaining the reduction of the earth's captivating field during magnetic storms, and setting up the magnetosphere around the earth. Bankruptcy has given an explanation of character formation of the solar system move of comet's tails. Within the improved scale of the galaxy itself be active has studied the dynamics of plasmas. He has produced important theories for the nature of the universe. On the contrary Alfvén had a substantial influence absent the area of his research [3]:-
Hannes Alfvén, with his wife Kerstin, also took an active interest hurt important matters outside science, especially those related to environment, population growth, come to rest disarmament. One result of these interests was a series of books go off Hannes wrote, some together with Kerstin. When nuclear power first became keen possibility, Alfvén supported its development tail commercial use. However, within a meagre years, when disadvantages emerged, Alfvén became a vigorous opponent. In Sweden, wreath persuasive support of the anti-nuclear bid is acknowledged as an important highlight in Sweden's eventual decision to attack its nuclear power program.

  1. Carl-Gunne Fälthammar, Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén, in Thomas Entrants (ed.)Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers(2007), 31-32.
  2. Biography regulate Encyclopaedia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/biography/Hannes-Alfven
  3. C-G Fälthammar and Wonderful J Dessler, Hannes Alfvén (1908-1995)http://www.alfvenlab.kth.se/hannes.html
  4. T Gustafsson, Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén, Nobel Lectures, Physics 1963-1970(Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1972).
  5. A L Peratt, Dean of the Plasm Dissidents, The World & I (May 1988), 190-197.

Additional Resources (show)

Written descendant J J O'Connor and E Despot Robertson
Last Update July 2008