American physicist and mathematician
John Hasbrouck Van Vleck (/v æ n v l ɛ k [ 3] American physicist andmathematician . He was co-awarded theNobel Prize in Physics in 1977, for his contributions to the understanding of the behavior ofelectronic magnetism insolids .
Early life and education [ edit ] Van Vleck was born to mathematicianEdward Burr Van Vleck and Hester L. Raymond inMiddletown, Connecticut , while his father was an assistant professor atWesleyan University , and where his grandfather, astronomerJohn Monroe Van Vleck , was also a professor. He grew up inMadison, Wisconsin , and received anA.B. degree from theUniversity of Wisconsin in 1920, before earning his Ph.D. atHarvard University in 1922 under the supervision ofEdwin C. Kemble .[ 4] [ 5]
Career and research [ edit ] He joined theUniversity of Minnesota as an assistantprofessor in 1923, then moved to the University of Wisconsin before settling at Harvard. He also earnedHonorary D. Sc.D.Honoris Causa , degree fromWesleyan University in 1936.[ 6]
J. H. Van Vleck established the fundamentals of thequantum mechanical theory ofmagnetism ,crystal field theory andligand field theory (chemical bonding inmetal complexes ). He is regarded as theFather of ModernMagnetism .[ 7] [ 8] [ 9]
DuringWorld War II , J. H. Van Vleck worked onradar at theMIT Radiation Lab . He was half time at theRadiation Lab and half time on the staff atHarvard . He showed that at about 1.25-centimeterwavelength water molecules in theatmosphere would lead to troublesomeabsorption and that at 0.5-centimeterwavelength there would be a similarabsorption byoxygen molecules .[ 10] [ 11] [ 12] [ 13] radar systems but later for the new science ofradioastronomy .
Van Vleck (left) receives theLorentz Medal fromHendrik Brugt Gerhard Casimir at theRoyal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences , Amsterdam, 1974. J. H. Van Vleck participated in theManhattan Project . In June1942 ,J. Robert Oppenheimer held a summer study for confirming the concept and feasibility of anuclear weapon at theUniversity of California, Berkeley . Eight theoretical scientists, including J. H. Van Vleck, attended it. From July to September, the theoretical study group examined and developed the principles ofatomic bomb design.[ 14] [ 15] [ 16]
J. H. Van Vleck's theoretical work led to the establishment of theLos Alamos Nuclear Weapons Laboratory . He also served on theLos Alamos Review committee in 1943. The committee, established by GeneralLeslie Groves , also consisted ofW. K. Lewis ofMIT , Chairman; E. L. Rose, of Jones & Lamson;E. B. Wilson ofHarvard ; andRichard C. Tolman , Vice Chairman ofNDRC . The committee's important contribution (originating with Rose) was a reduction in the size of the firing gun for theLittle Boy atomic bomb, a concept that eliminated additional design weight and sped up production of the bomb for its eventual release overHiroshima . However, it was not employed for theFat Man bomb atNagasaki , which relied on implosion of a plutonium shell to reach critical mass.[ 17] [ 18]
The philosopher and historian of scienceThomas Kuhn completed a Ph.D. in physics under Van Vleck's supervision at Harvard.[ 19]
From 1951, Van Vleck was Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Harvard. He concurrently held the first deanship of Harvard's Division of Engineering and Applied Physics until 1957.[ 20]
Van Vleck's grave (back right) at Forest Hill Cemetery In 1961/62 he wasGeorge Eastman Visiting Professor atUniversity of Oxford [ 21] professorship atBalliol College .[ 22]
In 1950 he became foreign member of theRoyal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences .[ 23] National Medal of Science in 1966[ 24] Lorentz Medal in 1974.[ 25] electrons inmagnetic solids , Van Vleck was awarded theNobel Prize in Physics 1977, along withPhilip W. Anderson and SirNevill Mott .[ 26] Van Vleck paramagnetism andVan Vleck formula [ 27]
Van Vleck died inCambridge, Massachusetts , aged 81.[ 28] Forest Hill Cemetery .
Van Vleck was elected to theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1934,[ 29] National Academy of Sciences in 1935,[ 30] American Philosophical Society in 1939.[ 31] Irving Langmuir Award in 1965, theNational Medal of Science in 1966 and elected aForeign Member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS) in 1967 .[ 1] Elliott Cresson Medal in 1971, theLorentz Medal in 1974 and theNobel Prize in Physics in 1977.
J. H. Van Vleck met Abigail Pearson, a student at University of Minnesota, during his professorship there, and married her on June 10, 1927.[ 6] Ukiyo-e Van Vleck Collection . It was inherited from his fatherEdward Burr Van Vleck . They donated the collection to theChazen Museum of Art inMadison, Wisconsin in 1980s.[ 32]
The Absorption of Radiation by Multiply Periodic Orbits, and its Relation to the Correspondence Principle and the Rayleigh–Jeans Law. Part I. Some Extensions of the Correspondence Principle The Absorption of Radiation by Multiply Periodic Orbits, and its Relation to the Correspondence Principle and the Rayleigh–Jeans Law. Part II. Calculation of Absorption by Multiply Periodic Orbits The Statistical Interpretation of Various Formulations of Quantum Mechanics Quantum Principles and Line Spectra , (Bulletin of the National Research Council; v. 10, pt 4, no. 54, 1926)The Theory of Electric and Magnetic Susceptibilities (Oxford at Clarendon, 1932).Quantum Mechanics, The Key to Understanding Magnetism The Correspondence Principle in the Statistical Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, vol. 14, pp. 178–188 (1928)^a b Bleaney, B. (1982)."John Hasbrouck Van Vleck. 13 March 1899-27 October 1980" .Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 28 :627– 665.doi :10.1098/rsbm.1982.0024 JSTOR 769913 .^ Bardeen, J. (1980)."Reminiscences of Early Days in Solid State Physics" .Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences .371 (1744):77– 83.Bibcode :1980RSPSA.371...77B .doi :10.1098/rspa.1980.0059 .ISSN 0080-4630 .JSTOR 2990278 .S2CID 121788084 . ^ "Van Vleck" .Dictionary.com Unabridged ^ "John H. van Vleck Biographical" .^ "NAS Biography of E.B. Van Vleck" (PDF) .^a b John Hasbrouck Van Vleck on Nobelprize.orgQuantum Mechanics The Key to Understanding Magnetism ^ John H. van Vleck , International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science.^ On the verge of Umdeutung in Minnesota: Van Vleck and the correspondence principle. Part One Archived 2009-05-20 at theWayback Machine , Anthony Duncan, Michel Janssen; Elsevier Science, 8 May 2007.^ On the verge of Umdeutung in Minnesota: Van Vleck and the correspondence principle. Part Two Archived 2009-05-20 at theWayback Machine , Anthony Duncan, Michel Janssen; Elsevier Science, 8 May 2007.^ Norman F. Ramsey Oral History (1991) [permanent dead link NORMAN F. RAMSEY : An Interview Conducted by John Bryant, IEEE History Center, 20 June 1991.^ Oral History Transcript Archived 2015-01-12 at theWayback Machine , Interview with John H. Van Vleck byKatherine Sopka at Lyman Laboratory of Physics, 28 January 1977.^ Louis Brown,A radar history of World War II ISBN 0750306599 , pp. 442, 521. ^ Van Vleck, J.; Weisskopf, V. (1945)."On the Shape of Collision-Broadened Lines" (PDF) .Reviews of Modern Physics .17 (2– 3): 227.Bibcode :1945RvMP...17..227V .doi :10.1103/RevModPhys.17.227 . Archived fromthe original (PDF) on July 15, 2011. ^ New Weapons Laboratory Gives Birth to the "Gadget" ^ Berkeley Summer Study Group Archived 2012-02-21 at theWayback Machine , The Atomic Heritage Foundation.^ Atomic History Timeline 1900– 1942 Archived 2012-02-21 at theWayback Machine , The Atomic Heritage Foundation.^ "Oversight Committee Formed as Lab Begins Research – 50th Anniversary Article, Los Alamos National Laboratory" .^ Leslie R. Groves , Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, Retired;Now It Can Be Told , Harper, 1962, pp. 162–63.^ Kuhn, Thomas S. (2000). Conant, Jim; Haugeland, John (eds.).The Road Since Structure: Philosophical Essays, 1970-1993, with an Autobiographical Interview 242 –245.ISBN 9780226457987 ^ "Van Vleck Dies at 81" .Harvard Crimson . October 28, 1980. RetrievedJuly 23, 2023 .^ Nobel Laureates Archived 2013-10-20 at theWayback Machine , University of Oxford.^ Inspiring minds: the Eastman Professors , Floreat Domus, Balliol College News, Issue 12, June 2006.^ "John Hasbrouck van Vleck (1899–1980)" . Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. RetrievedJuly 17, 2015 .^ "The President's National Medal of Science: Recipient Details" . National Science Foundation.^ "The Lorentz medal" . Lorentz.leidenuniv.nl. RetrievedJuly 27, 2012 .^ "The Nobel Prize in Physics 1977" . Nobelprize.org. RetrievedJuly 27, 2012 .^ C.), Gutzwiller, M. C. (Martin (November 27, 2013).Chaos in classical and quantum mechanics . New York.ISBN 978-1461209836 OCLC 883391909 . {{cite book }}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link ) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link )^ "John Van Vleck, Nobel Laureate Known for Work on Magnetism; Earned Three Degree" .The New York Times . October 28, 1980. p. A32.^ "John Hasbrouck Van Vleck" .American Academy of Arts & Sciences . February 9, 2023. RetrievedMay 10, 2023 .^ "J. H. Van Vleck" .www.nasonline.org . RetrievedMay 10, 2023 .^ "APS Member History" .search.amphilsoc.org . RetrievedMay 10, 2023 .^ E. B. Van Vleck Collection Archived 2008-10-06 at theWayback Machine , Chazen Museum of ArtJohn Hasbrouck Van Vleck on Nobelprize.orgQuantum Mechanics The Key to Understanding Magnetism John Hasbrouck Van Vleck 13 March 1899-27 October 1980, Elected for Mem. R.S. 1967, by Brebis Bleaney, from Royal Society Publishing.The Theory of Electric and Magnetic Susceptibilities John Hasbrouck van Vleck Duncan, Anthony and Janssen, Michel. "On the verge ofUndeutung in Minnesota: Van Vleck and the correspondence principle. Part one,"Archive for History of Exact Sciences 2007, 61:6, pages 553–624.[1] Chazen Museum of Art Oral history interview with John H. Van Vleck on 2 October 1963, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics - Session IOral history interview with John H. Van Vleck on 4 October 1963, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics - Session IIOral history interview with John H. Van Vleck on 28 February 1966, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics - Session IOral history interview with John H. Van Vleck on 19 January 1973, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics - Session IIOral history interview with John H. Van Vleck on 28 January 1977, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics Archival collections [ edit ]
1901–1925 1926–1950 1951–1975 1976–2000 2001–
1899–1925 1926–1950 1951–1975 1976–2000 2001–
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