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Joseph O. Hirschfelder

March 16, 2024

Joseph Oakland Hirschfelder (May 27, 1911 – March 30, 1990) was an American physicist who participated in the Manhattan Project and in the creation of the nuclear bomb.[1][2]

Biography edit

Hirschfelder was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of a Jewish couple, Arthur Douglas and May Rosalie (Straus). He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota from 1927 to 1929 and at Yale University from 1929 to 1931. Hirschfelder received doctorates in physics and chemistry from Princeton University[1] under the direction of Eugene Wigner, Henry Eyring and Hugh Stott Taylor. He worked as a postdoctoral fellow with John von Neumann for a year after his PhD at the Institute for Advanced Study. In 1937, he moved to University of Wisconsin and stayed there until retirement in 1981, except during World War II. Robert Oppenheimer assembled a team at the Los Alamos Laboratory to work on plutonium gun design Thin Man, that included senior engineer Edwin McMillan and senior physicists Charles Critchfield and Joseph Hirschfelder. Hirschfelder had been working on internal ballistics. Oppenheimer led the design effort himself until June 1943, when Navy Captain William Sterling Parsons arrived took over the Ordnance and Engineering Division and direct management of the "Thin Man" project.[3] Hirschfelder was a member of the National Academy of Sciences,[1][2] a group leader in theoretical physics and ordnance at the Los Alamos Atomic Bomb Laboratory,[1] chief phenomenologist at the nuclear bomb tests at Bikini,[1] the founder of the Theoretical Chemistry Institute and the Homer Adkins professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin.[1]

Hirschfelder was also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[2] He was awarded the National Medal of Science from President Gerald Ford “for his fundamental contributions to atomic and molecular quantum mechanics, the theory of the rates of chemical reactions, and the structure and properties of gases and liquids”.[2]

The National Academies Press called him "one of the leading figures in theoretical chemistry during the period 1935–90".[2] In 1991 an award was established in his name by the University of Wisconsin's Theoretical Chemistry Institute – the annual Joseph O. Hirschfelder Prize in Theoretical Chemistry.[4] He was an elected member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science.[5] His book Molecular theory of gases and liquids is an authoritative text on the kinetic theories of gases and liquids.

 
Thin Man plutonium gun test casings at Wendover Army Air Field, as part of Project Alberta in the Manhattan Project. A Fat Man casing can be seen behind them.

Awards and distinctions edit

Joseph O. Hirschfelder Prize is awarded annually by the department of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin in honor of Hirschfelder.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f New York Times: Obituaries: J. O. Hirschfelder, 78, Atom Bomb Developer, March 31, 1990.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l National Academies Press:Biographical Memoirs V. 66 (1995), JOSEPH OAKLAND HIRSCHFELDER, BY R. BYRON BIRD, CHARLES F. CURTISS, AND PHILLIP R. CERTAIN.
  3. ^ Hoddeson et al. 1993, pp. 83–84.
  4. ^ University of Wisconsin, Joseph O. Hirschfelder Prize 2017-10-28 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ Members of IAQMS.
  6. ^ "Joseph Hirschfelder".
  7. ^ "Alfred C. Egerton Gold Medal | the Combustion Institute". 24 June 2016.
  8. ^ "NSTMF".
  9. ^ . Archived from the original on 2018-07-04. Retrieved 2018-07-03.

Source edit

External links edit

March 16, 2024
joseph, hirschfelder, joseph, oakland, hirschfelder, 1911, march, 1990, american, physicist, participated, manhattan, project, creation, nuclear, bomb, alamos, badgeborn, 1911, 1911baltimore, maryland, diedmarch, 1990, 1990, aged, alma, materuniversity, minnes. Joseph Oakland Hirschfelder May 27 1911 March 30 1990 was an American physicist who participated in the Manhattan Project and in the creation of the nuclear bomb 1 2 Joseph O HirschfelderLos Alamos badgeBorn 1911 05 27 May 27 1911Baltimore Maryland U S DiedMarch 30 1990 1990 03 30 aged 78 Alma materUniversity of MinnesotaYale UniversityPrinceton UniversityKnown forHirschfelder Curtiss variable Backward differentiation formulaScientific careerFieldsPhysicsInstitutionsInstitute for Advanced StudyUniversity of WisconsinNational Defense Research CommitteeLos Alamos National LaboratoryThesis 1936 Doctoral advisorHenry EyringEugene WignerHugh Stott TaylorDoctoral studentsCharles Francis Curtiss de Robert Byron Bird Contents 1 Biography 2 Awards and distinctions 3 References 4 Source 5 External linksBiography editHirschfelder was born in Baltimore Maryland the son of a Jewish couple Arthur Douglas and May Rosalie Straus He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota from 1927 to 1929 and at Yale University from 1929 to 1931 Hirschfelder received doctorates in physics and chemistry from Princeton University 1 under the direction of Eugene Wigner Henry Eyring and Hugh Stott Taylor He worked as a postdoctoral fellow with John von Neumann for a year after his PhD at the Institute for Advanced Study In 1937 he moved to University of Wisconsin and stayed there until retirement in 1981 except during World War II Robert Oppenheimer assembled a team at the Los Alamos Laboratory to work on plutonium gun design Thin Man that included senior engineer Edwin McMillan and senior physicists Charles Critchfield and Joseph Hirschfelder Hirschfelder had been working on internal ballistics Oppenheimer led the design effort himself until June 1943 when Navy Captain William Sterling Parsons arrived took over the Ordnance and Engineering Division and direct management of the Thin Man project 3 Hirschfelder was a member of the National Academy of Sciences 1 2 a group leader in theoretical physics and ordnance at the Los Alamos Atomic Bomb Laboratory 1 chief phenomenologist at the nuclear bomb tests at Bikini 1 the founder of the Theoretical Chemistry Institute and the Homer Adkins professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin 1 Hirschfelder was also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2 He was awarded the National Medal of Science from President Gerald Ford for his fundamental contributions to atomic and molecular quantum mechanics the theory of the rates of chemical reactions and the structure and properties of gases and liquids 2 The National Academies Press called him one of the leading figures in theoretical chemistry during the period 1935 90 2 In 1991 an award was established in his name by the University of Wisconsin s Theoretical Chemistry Institute the annual Joseph O Hirschfelder Prize in Theoretical Chemistry 4 He was an elected member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science 5 His book Molecular theory of gases and liquids is an authoritative text on the kinetic theories of gases and liquids nbsp Thin Man plutonium gun test casings at Wendover Army Air Field as part of Project Alberta in the Manhattan Project A Fat Man casing can be seen behind them Awards and distinctions edit1953 elected to the National Academy of Sciences 6 1959 elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2 1965 elected to the Norwegian Royal Society 2 1966 the Peter Debye Award from the American Chemical Society 2 1966 the Alfred C Egerton Gold Medal of the Combustion Institute 7 1976 the National Medal of Science 8 1978 honorary degree from Marquette University 2 1980 honorary degree the University of Southern California 2 1981 elected to the Royal Society of Chemistry of Great Britain 2 1981 the Silver Medal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers 2 Joseph O Hirschfelder Prize is awarded annually by the department of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin in honor of Hirschfelder 9 References edit a b c d e f New York Times Obituaries J O Hirschfelder 78 Atom Bomb Developer March 31 1990 a b c d e f g h i j k l National Academies Press Biographical Memoirs V 66 1995 JOSEPH OAKLAND HIRSCHFELDER BY R BYRON BIRD CHARLES F CURTISS AND PHILLIP R CERTAIN Hoddeson et al 1993 pp 83 84 University of Wisconsin Joseph O Hirschfelder Prize Archived 2017 10 28 at the Wayback Machine Members of IAQMS Joseph Hirschfelder Alfred C Egerton Gold Medal the Combustion Institute 24 June 2016 NSTMF Joseph O Hirschfelder Prize UW Madison Department of Chemistry Archived from the original on 2018 07 04 Retrieved 2018 07 03 Source editHoddeson Lillian Henriksen Paul W Meade Roger A Westfall Catherine L 1993 Critical Assembly A Technical History of Los Alamos During the Oppenheimer Years 1943 1945 New York New York Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 44132 3 OCLC 26764320 External links editJoseph O Hirschfelder at the Mathematics Genealogy Project Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Joseph O Hirschfelder amp oldid 1195532586, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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