fbpx
Wikipedia

Raymond Davis Jr.

December 27, 2022

Raymond Davis Jr. (October 14, 1914 – May 31, 2006) was an American chemist and physicist. He is best known as the leader of the Homestake experiment in the 1960s-1980s, which was the first experiment to detect neutrinos emitted from the Sun; for this he shared the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physics.[3]

Raymond Davis Jr.
Davis in 2001
Born(1914-10-14)October 14, 1914
Washington, D.C., United States
DiedMay 31, 2006(2006-05-31) (aged 91)[1][2]
Blue Point, New York,
United States
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Maryland
Yale University
Known forNeutrinos
AwardsComstock Prize in Physics (1978)
Tom W. Bonner Prize (1988)
Beatrice M. Tinsley Prize (1994)
Wolf Prize in Physics (2000)
National Medal of Science (2001)
Nobel Prize in Physics (2002)
Enrico Fermi Award (2003)
Scientific career
FieldsChemistry, physics
InstitutionsMonsanto
University of Pennsylvania

Early life and education

Davis was born in Washington, D.C., where his father was a photographer for the National Bureau of Standards. He spent several years as a choirboy to please his mother, although he could not carry a tune. He enjoyed attending the concerts at the Watergate before air traffic was loud enough to drown out the music. His brother Warren, 14 months younger than he, was his constant companion in boyhood. He received his B.S. from the University of Maryland in 1938 in chemistry, which is part of the University of Maryland College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences. He also received a master's degree from that school and a Ph.D. from Yale University in physical chemistry in 1942.

Career

Davis spent most of the war years at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah observing the results of chemical weapons tests and exploring the Great Salt Lake basin for evidence of its predecessor, Lake Bonneville.

Upon his discharge from the army in 1946, Davis went to work at Monsanto's Mound Laboratory, in Miamisburg, Ohio, doing applied radiochemistry of interest to the United States Atomic Energy Commission. In 1948, he joined Brookhaven National Laboratory, which was dedicated to finding peaceful uses for nuclear power.

Davis reports that he was asked "to find something interesting to work on," and dedicated his career to the study of neutrinos, particles which had been predicted to explain the process of beta decay, but whose separate existence had not been confirmed. Davis investigated the detection of neutrinos by beta decay, the process by which a neutrino brings enough energy to a nucleus to make certain stable isotopes into radioactive ones. Since the rate for this process is very low, the number of radioactive atoms created in neutrino experiments is very small, and Davis began investigating the rates of processes other than beta decay that would mimic the signal of neutrinos. Using barrels and tanks of carbon tetrachloride as detectors, Davis characterized the rate of the production of argon-37 as a function of altitude and as a function of depth underground. He deployed a detector containing chlorine atoms at the Brookhaven Reactor in 1954 and later one of the reactors at Savannah River. These experiments failed to detect a surplus of radioactive argon when the reactors were operating over when the reactors were shut down, and this was taken as the first experimental evidence that neutrinos causing the chlorine reaction, and antineutrinos produced in reactors, were distinct. Detecting neutrinos proved considerably more difficult than not detecting antineutrinos. Davis was the lead scientist behind the Homestake Experiment, the large-scale radiochemical neutrino detector which first detected evidence of neutrinos from the sun.

He shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002 with Japanese physicist Masatoshi Koshiba and Italian Riccardo Giacconi for pioneering contributions to astrophysics, in particular for the detection of cosmic neutrinos, looking at the solar neutrino problem in the Homestake Experiment. He was 88 years old when awarded the prize.

Personal life

Davis met his wife Anna Torrey at Brookhaven and together they built a 21-foot wooden sailboat, the Halcyon. They had five children and lived in the same house in Blue Point, New York for over 50 years. He died in Blue Point, New York, from Alzheimer's disease.[1][2]

Honors and awards

 
Davis receiving the Medal of Science from President Bush, with OSTP Director Marburger on the left

Notable works

  • Davis, Raymond Jr. (1953). "Attempt to detect the Antineutrinos from a Nuclear Reactor by the 37Cl (ν, e−) 37Ar Reaction". Physical Review. 97 (3): 766. Bibcode:1955PhRv...97..766D. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.97.766. – Non-detection of antineutrinos with chlorine
  • Davis, Raymond Jr. (1964). "Solar Neutrinos II, Experimental". Physical Review Letters. 12 (11): 303. Bibcode:1964PhRvL..12..303D. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.12.303. – Proposal for Homestake Experiment
  • Cleveland, B. T.; et al. (1998). "Measurement of the solar electron neutrino flux with the Homestake chlorine detector". Astrophysical Journal. 496 (1): 505–526. Bibcode:1998ApJ...496..505C. doi:10.1086/305343. – final results of Homestake Experiment

Other publications

References

  1. ^ a b Kenneth Chang (2 June 2006). "Raymond Davis Jr., Nobelist Who Caught Neutrinos, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  2. ^ a b David B. Caruso (2 June 2006). "Raymond Davis, who detected elusive solar particles, dies at 91". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2007-10-10.
  3. ^ Lande, Kenneth (October 2006). "Obituary: Raymond Davis Jr". Physics Today. 59 (10): 78–80. Bibcode:2006PhT....59j..78L. doi:10.1063/1.2387099.
  4. ^ . National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on 16 February 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2011.
  5. ^ National Science Foundation – The President's National Medal of Science

External links

  • Raymond Davis Jr. on Nobelprize.org   including the Nobel Lecture on December 8, 2002 A Half-Century with Solar Neutrinos
  • Raymond Davis Jr., Brookhaven National Lab Web site
  • Neutrino web at PBS NOVA
  • The Raymond Davis Scholarship Society for Imaging Science and Technology
  • Kenneth Lande, "Raymond Davis", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2018)

December 27, 2022
raymond, davis, october, 1914, 2006, american, chemist, physicist, best, known, leader, homestake, experiment, 1960s, 1980s, which, first, experiment, detect, neutrinos, emitted, from, this, shared, 2002, nobel, prize, physics, davis, 2001born, 1914, october, . Raymond Davis Jr October 14 1914 May 31 2006 was an American chemist and physicist He is best known as the leader of the Homestake experiment in the 1960s 1980s which was the first experiment to detect neutrinos emitted from the Sun for this he shared the 2002 Nobel Prize in Physics 3 Raymond Davis Jr Davis in 2001Born 1914 10 14 October 14 1914Washington D C United StatesDiedMay 31 2006 2006 05 31 aged 91 1 2 Blue Point New York United StatesNationalityAmericanAlma materUniversity of MarylandYale UniversityKnown forNeutrinosAwardsComstock Prize in Physics 1978 Tom W Bonner Prize 1988 Beatrice M Tinsley Prize 1994 Wolf Prize in Physics 2000 National Medal of Science 2001 Nobel Prize in Physics 2002 Enrico Fermi Award 2003 Scientific careerFieldsChemistry physicsInstitutionsMonsantoUniversity of Pennsylvania Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 3 Personal life 4 Honors and awards 5 Notable works 6 Other publications 7 References 8 External linksEarly life and education EditDavis was born in Washington D C where his father was a photographer for the National Bureau of Standards He spent several years as a choirboy to please his mother although he could not carry a tune He enjoyed attending the concerts at the Watergate before air traffic was loud enough to drown out the music His brother Warren 14 months younger than he was his constant companion in boyhood He received his B S from the University of Maryland in 1938 in chemistry which is part of the University of Maryland College of Computer Mathematical and Natural Sciences He also received a master s degree from that school and a Ph D from Yale University in physical chemistry in 1942 Career EditDavis spent most of the war years at Dugway Proving Ground Utah observing the results of chemical weapons tests and exploring the Great Salt Lake basin for evidence of its predecessor Lake Bonneville Upon his discharge from the army in 1946 Davis went to work at Monsanto s Mound Laboratory in Miamisburg Ohio doing applied radiochemistry of interest to the United States Atomic Energy Commission In 1948 he joined Brookhaven National Laboratory which was dedicated to finding peaceful uses for nuclear power Davis reports that he was asked to find something interesting to work on and dedicated his career to the study of neutrinos particles which had been predicted to explain the process of beta decay but whose separate existence had not been confirmed Davis investigated the detection of neutrinos by beta decay the process by which a neutrino brings enough energy to a nucleus to make certain stable isotopes into radioactive ones Since the rate for this process is very low the number of radioactive atoms created in neutrino experiments is very small and Davis began investigating the rates of processes other than beta decay that would mimic the signal of neutrinos Using barrels and tanks of carbon tetrachloride as detectors Davis characterized the rate of the production of argon 37 as a function of altitude and as a function of depth underground He deployed a detector containing chlorine atoms at the Brookhaven Reactor in 1954 and later one of the reactors at Savannah River These experiments failed to detect a surplus of radioactive argon when the reactors were operating over when the reactors were shut down and this was taken as the first experimental evidence that neutrinos causing the chlorine reaction and antineutrinos produced in reactors were distinct Detecting neutrinos proved considerably more difficult than not detecting antineutrinos Davis was the lead scientist behind the Homestake Experiment the large scale radiochemical neutrino detector which first detected evidence of neutrinos from the sun He shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2002 with Japanese physicist Masatoshi Koshiba and Italian Riccardo Giacconi for pioneering contributions to astrophysics in particular for the detection of cosmic neutrinos looking at the solar neutrino problem in the Homestake Experiment He was 88 years old when awarded the prize Personal life EditDavis met his wife Anna Torrey at Brookhaven and together they built a 21 foot wooden sailboat the Halcyon They had five children and lived in the same house in Blue Point New York for over 50 years He died in Blue Point New York from Alzheimer s disease 1 2 Honors and awards Edit Davis receiving the Medal of Science from President Bush with OSTP Director Marburger on the left Comstock Prize in Physics of the National Academy of Sciences 1978 4 Tom W Bonner Prize of the American Physical Society 1988 W K H Panofsky Prize of the American Physical Society 1992 Beatrice M Tinsley Prize of the American Astronomical Society 1994 George Ellery Hale Prize of the American Astronomical Society 1996 Wolf Prize in Physics 2000 National Medal of Science 2001 5 Nobel Prize in Physics 2002 Benjamin Franklin Medal 2003 Notable works EditDavis Raymond Jr 1953 Attempt to detect the Antineutrinos from a Nuclear Reactor by the 37Cl n e 37Ar Reaction Physical Review 97 3 766 Bibcode 1955PhRv 97 766D doi 10 1103 PhysRev 97 766 Non detection of antineutrinos with chlorine Davis Raymond Jr 1964 Solar Neutrinos II Experimental Physical Review Letters 12 11 303 Bibcode 1964PhRvL 12 303D doi 10 1103 PhysRevLett 12 303 Proposal for Homestake Experiment Cleveland B T et al 1998 Measurement of the solar electron neutrino flux with the Homestake chlorine detector Astrophysical Journal 496 1 505 526 Bibcode 1998ApJ 496 505C doi 10 1086 305343 final results of Homestake ExperimentOther publications EditDavis R Jr amp D S Harmer Solar Neutrinos Brookhaven National Laboratory BNL December 1964 Davis R Jr Search for Neutrinos from the Sun Brookhaven National Laboratory BNL United States Department of Energy through predecessor agency the Atomic Energy Commission 1968 Davis R Jr amp J C Evans Jr Report on the Brookhaven Solar Neutrino Experiment Brookhaven National Laboratory BNL September 22 1976 Davis R Jr Evans J C amp B T Cleveland Solar Neutrino Problem Brookhaven National Laboratory BNL April 28 1978 Davis R Jr Cleveland B T amp J K Rowley Variations in the Solar Neutrino Flux Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at University of Pennsylvania Los Alamos National Laboratory LANL Brookhaven National Laboratory BNL August 2 1987 References Edit a b Kenneth Chang 2 June 2006 Raymond Davis Jr Nobelist Who Caught Neutrinos Dies at 91 The New York Times Retrieved 2007 10 10 a b David B Caruso 2 June 2006 Raymond Davis who detected elusive solar particles dies at 91 The Boston Globe Retrieved 2007 10 10 Lande Kenneth October 2006 Obituary Raymond Davis Jr Physics Today 59 10 78 80 Bibcode 2006PhT 59j 78L doi 10 1063 1 2387099 Comstock Prize in Physics National Academy of Sciences Archived from the original on 16 February 2014 Retrieved 13 February 2011 National Science Foundation The President s National Medal of ScienceExternal links EditRaymond Davis Jr on Nobelprize org including the Nobel Lecture on December 8 2002 A Half Century with Solar Neutrinos Raymond Davis Jr Brookhaven National Lab Web site Neutrino web at PBS NOVA The Raymond Davis Scholarship Society for Imaging Science and Technology Kenneth Lande Raymond Davis Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences 2018 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Raymond Davis Jr amp oldid 1109923973, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.