Paul Scherrer was born in St. Gallen. In 1908, he enrolled at Swiss Federal Polytechnic (later known as ETH Zurich), changing course from Botany to Mathematics and Physics after two semesters.[2] In 1912, Scherrer spent one semester at Königsberg University, then undertook further studies at the University of Göttingen, graduating from there with a doctorate on the Faraday Effect in the hydrogen molecule.[6] In 1916, while still working on his dissertation, he and his tutor, Peter Debye, developed the “Debye–Scherrer powder method”, a procedure using X-rays for the structural analysis of crystals. This made an important contribution to the development of the scattering techniques that are still used in the large facilities at the Paul Scherrer Institute to this day. Debye received the Nobel Prize for chemistry for this work in 1936.[7]
He is perhaps best known for determining the inverse relationship between the width of an x-ray diffraction peak and the crystallite size. This work was published in 1918.[8]
ETH Zurich appointed Scherrer to the post of Professor of Experimental Physics in 1920, at the early age of 30. In 1925, he organised the first international conference of physicists to take place after the First World War.[9] He became Principal of the Physical Institute at ETH in 1927 and focused its direction on nuclear physics, a research branch that was still coming into being at that stage. The first cyclotron at ETH Zurich was built under his direction in 1940.
Beginning in late 1944, Scherrer became close to Moe Berg and, through Berg, gave the United States information about German science and German scientists, especially related to efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.[10] Scherrer later became the foremost proponent of Switzerland developing its own nuclear weapons[11] with enriched uranium supplied by Belgian Congo,[12] a program which was actively pursued by the government for 43 years and abandoned only in 1988 by Arnold Koller, then member of the Swiss Federal Council and head of the Swiss military department.
In parallel with his main professional occupation as a researcher and leader of an institution, Paul Scherrer also served in various institutions and committees involved in the dissemination of nuclear energy in Switzerland: the Swiss Federal Council appointed him to the post of President of the Swiss Study Commission on Atomic Energy (Schweizerischen Studienkommission für Atomenergie) in 1946, and President of the Swiss Commission for Atomic Sciences in 1958.
In addition, Scherrer took part in establishing CERN near Geneva in 1952–54.[13] When established he became one of the original members of the Scientific Policy Committee, at which he served until the end of 1963,[14] and the CERN Council. Furthermore he participated to set up Reaktor AG, to study the construction and operation of nuclear fission facilities one year later, in Würenlingen.[15]
His abilities and foresight led to the early development of new branches of solid-state physics, particle physics and electronics, which made a vital contribution to the high standard of research at Swiss universities. When Paul Scherrer was made emeritus professor in 1960, after 40 years at ETH Zurich, he took up a teaching appointment at the University of Basel and his former students and friends put together a Festschrift.[16]
Private lifeEdit
The Scherrer family tomb: Paul Scherrer, his wife Ina Sonderegger, and their daughters Ines Jucker and Renate Theiler at Friedhof Fluntern in Zürich.
In 1922 Scherrer married Ina Sonderegger, with whom he had two daughters.[17]
He died on 25 September 1969 after a horse-riding accident.
The eponymous Paul Scherrer Institute, based near Villigen in canton of Aargau, was established January 1, 1988 by merging the 1960 established EIR (Eidgenössisches Institut für Reaktorforschung, Federal Institute for Reactor Research) and the 1968 established SIN (Schweizerisches Institut für Nuklearphysik, Swiss Institute for Nuclear Physics) with Professor Jean-Pierre Blaser (SIN founder) named its first director.
^Clogston, Albert M.; Geballe, Theodore H.; Hulm, John K. (1 January 1981). "Bernd T. Matthias". Physics Today. 34 (1): 84. Bibcode:1981PhT....34a..84C. doi:10.1063/1.2889985. ISSN 0031-9228. OCLC 4636531057. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
^ abHuber, P. (1969). "Paul Scherrer: 1890-1969". Verhandlungen der Schweizerischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft. Wissenschaftlicher und Administrativer Teil (in German). 149: 284–289.
^Mercier, R. (1970). "Paul Scherrer-Sonderegger (1890-1969)". Bulletin de la Société Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles (in French). 70 (7): 345.
^Kant, Horst (2005). "Neue Deutsche Biographie 22 (2005), pp. 704-705: Scherrer, Paul". www.deutsche-biographie.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-04-04.
^Gisler, Monika (2023). Erzählte Physik: Paul Scherrer und die Anfänge der Kernforschung (in German). Chronos Verlag. Zürich. ISBN978-3-0340-1714-5. OCLC 1372362197.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^Scherrer, Paul (1916). Die Rotationsdispersion des Wasserstoffs : Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Konstitution des Wasserstoffmoleküls) (in German). Göttingen: Göttingen Univ.
^"Peter Debye Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1936". www.uzh.ch. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
^Scherrer, Paul (1918). "Bestimmung der Größe und der inneren Struktur von Kolloidteilchen mittels Röntgenstrahlen". Nachrichten von der Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Mathematisch-Physikalische Klasse. 1918: 98–100.
^"Who is Paul Scherrer? | About PSI | Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)". www.psi.ch. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
^Nicholas Dawidoff, The Catcher Was a Spy, Vintage, 1994. ISBN0-679-76289-2. passim., but especially p. 202 et. seq.
^Rob Edwards (1996-05-25). "Swiss planned a nuclear bomb". New Scientist. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
^Funke, Gösta (1969). "Tribute to Professor Scherrer". CERN Courier. 9 (12): 375.
^CERN Annual report 1963. Geneva: CERN. 1964. p. 16.
^Zuerich, ETH-Bibliothek (2005). "Die Reaktor AG : Atomtechnologie zwischen Industrie, Hochschule und Staat". E-Periodica (in German). doi:10.5169/seals-81386. Retrieved 2023-04-04.
^[s.n.] (1960). Frauenfelder, Hans; Huber, Oskar; Stähelin, Peter (eds.). "Beiträge zur Entwicklung der Physik: Festgabe zum 70.Geburtstag von Professor Paul Scherrer". Helvetica Physica Acta. 33 (Suppl. no. 5): 1–255. doi:10.5169/seals-513253.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Enz, Charles P. (2010-05-06). No Time to be Brief: A Scientific Biography of Wolfgang Pauli. OUP Oxford. ISBN978-0-19-958815-2.
External linksEdit
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paul, scherrer, other, uses, disambiguation, paul, hermann, scherrer, february, 1890, september, 1969, swiss, physicist, born, gallen, switzerland, studied, göttingen, germany, before, becoming, lecturer, there, later, scherrer, became, head, department, physi. For other uses see Paul Scherrer disambiguation Paul Hermann Scherrer 3 February 1890 25 September 1969 was a Swiss physicist Born in St Gallen Switzerland he studied at Gottingen Germany before becoming a lecturer there Later Scherrer became head of the Department of Physics at ETH Zurich 2 3 4 5 Paul ScherrerBornPaul Hermann Scherrer3 February 1890St Gallen SwitzerlandDied25 September 1969 1969 09 26 aged 79 Zurich SwitzerlandNationalitySwissAlma materSwiss Federal PolytechnicUniversity of GottingenKnown forDebye Scherrer methodScherrer equationAwardsMarcel Benoist Prize 1943 Scientific careerFieldsPhysicistInstitutionsETH ZurichUniversity of GottingenDoctoral advisorPeter DebyeDoctoral studentsFelix BoehmEgon BretscherHans FrauenfelderBernd T Matthias 1 Julius Adams StrattonFritz Zwicky Contents 1 Early life and studies 2 Nuclear and atomic physics 3 Private life 4 Legacy 5 References 6 External linksEarly life and studies EditPaul Scherrer was born in St Gallen In 1908 he enrolled at Swiss Federal Polytechnic later known as ETH Zurich changing course from Botany to Mathematics and Physics after two semesters 2 In 1912 Scherrer spent one semester at Konigsberg University then undertook further studies at the University of Gottingen graduating from there with a doctorate on the Faraday Effect in the hydrogen molecule 6 In 1916 while still working on his dissertation he and his tutor Peter Debye developed the Debye Scherrer powder method a procedure using X rays for the structural analysis of crystals This made an important contribution to the development of the scattering techniques that are still used in the large facilities at the Paul Scherrer Institute to this day Debye received the Nobel Prize for chemistry for this work in 1936 7 He is perhaps best known for determining the inverse relationship between the width of an x ray diffraction peak and the crystallite size This work was published in 1918 8 ETH Zurich appointed Scherrer to the post of Professor of Experimental Physics in 1920 at the early age of 30 In 1925 he organised the first international conference of physicists to take place after the First World War 9 He became Principal of the Physical Institute at ETH in 1927 and focused its direction on nuclear physics a research branch that was still coming into being at that stage The first cyclotron at ETH Zurich was built under his direction in 1940 Nuclear and atomic physics EditMain article Switzerland and weapons of mass destruction Beginning in late 1944 Scherrer became close to Moe Berg and through Berg gave the United States information about German science and German scientists especially related to efforts to develop a nuclear weapon 10 Scherrer later became the foremost proponent of Switzerland developing its own nuclear weapons 11 with enriched uranium supplied by Belgian Congo 12 a program which was actively pursued by the government for 43 years and abandoned only in 1988 by Arnold Koller then member of the Swiss Federal Council and head of the Swiss military department In parallel with his main professional occupation as a researcher and leader of an institution Paul Scherrer also served in various institutions and committees involved in the dissemination of nuclear energy in Switzerland the Swiss Federal Council appointed him to the post of President of the Swiss Study Commission on Atomic Energy Schweizerischen Studienkommission fur Atomenergie in 1946 and President of the Swiss Commission for Atomic Sciences in 1958 In addition Scherrer took part in establishing CERN near Geneva in 1952 54 13 When established he became one of the original members of the Scientific Policy Committee at which he served until the end of 1963 14 and the CERN Council Furthermore he participated to set up Reaktor AG to study the construction and operation of nuclear fission facilities one year later in Wurenlingen 15 His abilities and foresight led to the early development of new branches of solid state physics particle physics and electronics which made a vital contribution to the high standard of research at Swiss universities When Paul Scherrer was made emeritus professor in 1960 after 40 years at ETH Zurich he took up a teaching appointment at the University of Basel and his former students and friends put together a Festschrift 16 Private life Edit The Scherrer family tomb Paul Scherrer his wife Ina Sonderegger and their daughters Ines Jucker and Renate Theiler at Friedhof Fluntern in Zurich In 1922 Scherrer married Ina Sonderegger with whom he had two daughters 17 He died on 25 September 1969 after a horse riding accident Legacy EditMain article Paul Scherrer Institute The eponymous Paul Scherrer Institute based near Villigen in canton of Aargau was established January 1 1988 by merging the 1960 established EIR Eidgenossisches Institut fur Reaktorforschung Federal Institute for Reactor Research and the 1968 established SIN Schweizerisches Institut fur Nuklearphysik Swiss Institute for Nuclear Physics with Professor Jean Pierre Blaser SIN founder named its first director There is a street Route Scherrer named after Scherrer at CERN Geneva Switzerland References Edit Clogston Albert M Geballe Theodore H Hulm John K 1 January 1981 Bernd T Matthias Physics Today 34 1 84 Bibcode 1981PhT 34a 84C doi 10 1063 1 2889985 ISSN 0031 9228 OCLC 4636531057 Retrieved 29 March 2022 a b Huber P 1969 Paul Scherrer 1890 1969 Verhandlungen der Schweizerischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Wissenschaftlicher und Administrativer Teil in German 149 284 289 Mercier R 1970 Paul Scherrer Sonderegger 1890 1969 Bulletin de la Societe Vaudoise des Sciences Naturelles in French 70 7 345 Kant Horst 2005 Neue Deutsche Biographie 22 2005 pp 704 705 Scherrer Paul www deutsche biographie de in German Retrieved 2023 04 04 Gisler Monika 2023 Erzahlte Physik Paul Scherrer und die Anfange der Kernforschung in German Chronos Verlag Zurich ISBN 978 3 0340 1714 5 OCLC 1372362197 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Scherrer Paul 1916 Die Rotationsdispersion des Wasserstoffs Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Konstitution des Wasserstoffmolekuls in German Gottingen Gottingen Univ Peter Debye Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1936 www uzh ch Retrieved 2023 04 04 Scherrer Paul 1918 Bestimmung der Grosse und der inneren Struktur von Kolloidteilchen mittels Rontgenstrahlen Nachrichten von der Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Gottingen Mathematisch Physikalische Klasse 1918 98 100 Who is Paul Scherrer About PSI Paul Scherrer Institut PSI www psi ch Retrieved 2023 04 04 Nicholas Dawidoff The Catcher Was a Spy Vintage 1994 ISBN 0 679 76289 2 passim but especially p 202 et seq Rob Edwards 1996 05 25 Swiss planned a nuclear bomb New Scientist Retrieved 2016 02 04 Was aus 50 jahrigem Schweizer Plan geworden ist Atommacht Schweiz NZZ Archived from the original on 2016 01 21 Funke Gosta 1969 Tribute to Professor Scherrer CERN Courier 9 12 375 CERN Annual report 1963 Geneva CERN 1964 p 16 Zuerich ETH Bibliothek 2005 Die Reaktor AG Atomtechnologie zwischen Industrie Hochschule und Staat E Periodica in German doi 10 5169 seals 81386 Retrieved 2023 04 04 s n 1960 Frauenfelder Hans Huber Oskar Stahelin Peter eds Beitrage zur Entwicklung der Physik Festgabe zum 70 Geburtstag von Professor Paul Scherrer Helvetica Physica Acta 33 Suppl no 5 1 255 doi 10 5169 seals 513253 a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Enz Charles P 2010 05 06 No Time to be Brief A Scientific Biography of Wolfgang Pauli OUP Oxford ISBN 978 0 19 958815 2 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paul Scherrer Paul Scherrer at the Mathematics Genealogy Project Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Paul Scherrer amp oldid 1150551946, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
