Italian Physicists of All Times: a Biographical Dictionary in Preparation
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Fermi-Glast Rome U. Amaldi 9.5.11.Ppt
INFLUENCE OF FERMI AND HIS ROMAN GROUP ON NUCLEAR AND MEDICAL PHYSICS Ugo Amaldi Universitày Milano Bicocca and TERA Foundation Rome - 9.5.11 - U. Amaldi 1 Photo of a photo Enrico Fermi at 36 Edoardo Amaldi at 80 1936 1988 Rome - 9.5.11 - U. Amaldi 2 The discovery of neutron induced radioactivity Rome - 9.5.11 - U. Amaldi 3 January-March 1934 1933 Christmas holidays: Enrico Fermi and the other “ragazzi di Via Panisperna” at Santa Cristina March 1934: The Joliot-Curies discover artificial radioactivity induced by alfa particles The Institute of Via Panisperna Rome - 9.5.11 - U. Amaldi 4 1934 : Fermi discovery was made with a Be-Rn source. Radon extracted at Laboratorio Fisico della Sanità Pubblica The “Divine Providence” Rome - 9.5.11 - U. Amaldi 5 The third paper iodine isotopes used in nuclear medicine Rome - 9.5.11 - U. Amaldi 6 The efficacy of slow neutrons Rome - 9.5.11 - U. Amaldi 7 October 20, 1934 Rome - 9.5.11 - U. Amaldi 8 October 1934: discovery of artificial radioactivity induced by slow neutrons Discovery: Saturday 20.10.34 (*) First paper: Monday 22.10.34 Patent: Friday 26.10.34 (*) A. De Gregorio : not on October 22! O. D’Agostino E. Segrè E. Amaldi F. Rasetti E. Fermi Rome - 9.5.11 - U. Amaldi + B. Pontecorvo = The boys of Via Panisperna9 Writing the paper Emilio Segrè: “Enrico Fermi physicist” – 1970 Fermi dictated while I wrote. He stood by me; Rasetti, Amaldi and Pontecorvo paced the room excitedly, all making comments at the same time. The din was such that when we left, Amaldi’s maid discreetly asked whether the evening guests were tipsy. -
The Accademia Nazionale Dei Lincei Founded in 1603, the Accademia
THE XXI EDOARDO AMALDI CONFERENCE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR ENHANCING NUCLEAR SAFETY, SECURITY, SAFEGUARDS AND NON-PROLIFERATION ACCADEMIA NAZIONALE DEI LINCEI ROME, 7 – 8 OCTOBER 2019 ITALY The Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei Founded in 1603, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei is the oldest academy in the world which included, among many other prestigious names, Galileo Galilei. The Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei is within the sphere of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and is considered the highest Italian cultural institution. The Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei is a scientific consultant to the President of the Italian Republic and has recently been granted his High Permanent Patronage. The Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei mission is to promote, coordinate, integrate and spread scientific knowledge in its highest expressions, in the frame of cultural unity and universality. To this end, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei organises national and international conferences, meetings and seminars. The United States National Academy of Sciences Established by an Act of Congress signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, the National Academy of Sciences is charged with providing independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. The National Academy of Sciences is committed to furthering science in America, and its members are active contributors to the international scientific community. Nearly 500 members of the National Academy of Sciences have won Nobel Prizes, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, founded in 1914, is today one of the premier international journals publishing the results of original research. The National Academy of Sciences also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science. -
Our Faustian Bargain
Our Faustian Bargain J. Edward Anderson, PhD, Retired P.E.1 1 Seventy years Engineering Experience, M.I.T. PhD, Aeronautical Research Scientist NACA, Principal Research Engineer Honeywell, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, 23 yrs. University of Minnesota, 8 yrs. Boston University, Fellow AAAS, Life Member ASME. You can make as many copies of this document as you wish. 1 Intentionally blank. 2 Have We Unwittingly made a Faustian Bargain? This is an account of events that have led to our ever-growing climate crisis. Young people wonder if they have a future. How is it that climate scientists discuss such an outcome of advancements in technology and the comforts associated with them? This is about the consequences of the use of coal, oil, and gas for fuel as well as about the science that has enlightened us. These fuels drive heat engines that provide motive power and electricity to run our civilization, which has thus far been to the benefit of all of us. Is there a cost looming ahead? If so, how might we avoid that cost? I start with Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727).2 In the 1660’s he discov- ered three laws of motion plus the law of gravitation, which required the concept of action at a distance, a concept that scientists of his day reacted to with horror. Yet without that strange action at a distance we would have no way to explain the motion of planets. The main law is Force = Mass × Acceleration. This is a differential equation that must be integrated twice to obtain position. -
IRPS Home Page
IRPS Home Page ARCHIVE EDITION OF IRPS BULLETIN Volume 19 No 1 June, 2005 Office Bearers : 2003 - 2006 Editorial President's Report Member's Paper Member's Report Junior Radiation Physics Medal Awards : Abstracts from Papers Return to Archive Home Page file:////warsaw/www/irps/archives/vol19no1/welcome.html [19/09/2013 3:01:07 PM] Untitled OFFICE BEARERS : 2003 - 2006 President: Regional Vice Executive Presidents: Councillors: R.H. Pratt Dept. of Physics North America: P. Bergstrom (U.S.A.) Univ Pittsburgh, PA J. Hubbell (USA) 15260 USA L. South and Central Gerward (Denmark) Secretariat: America: J.E. Fernandez (Italy) D.A. Bradley A. Paschoa (Brazil) R.T. School of Physics, Mainardi (Argentina) University of Exeter Africa and Middle East: Stocker Road J. O'Meara (Canada) Exeter EX4 4QL UK D.T.L. Jones (South K. Singh Thind (India) Africa) Treasurer: D. McLean (Australia) East Europe A. Ljubicic L. Musilek (Czech Rudjer Boskovic Institute T. Nakamura (Japan) Republic) Bijenicka 54 Zagreb 41000 Croatia F.S.U A.V. Korol (Russia) Chair, Advisory Board Western Europe: M.J. Cooper Department of Physics M.J. Farquharson (U. University of Warwick K.) Coventry CV4 7AL U.K. S.E. Asia : S.C. Roy (India) Australasia : D.C. Creagh (Australia) North East Asia: Luo Zhengming (PR China) EDITORIAL BOARD Editor : P.M. Bergstrom (U.S.A.) Editorial Committee : D.C. Creagh (Australia) S.A. McKeown (Australia) file:////warsaw/www/irps/archives/vol19no1/officers.html (1 of 2) [19/09/2013 3:01:07 PM] Untitled Home Page file:////warsaw/www/irps/archives/vol19no1/officers.html (2 of 2) [19/09/2013 3:01:07 PM] Untitled EDITORIAL Welcome to Vol. -
Readingsample
The Synthesis of the Elements The Astrophysical Quest for Nucleosynthesis and What It Can Tell Us About the Universe Bearbeitet von Giora Shaviv 1. Auflage 2012. Buch. xxii, 684 S. Hardcover ISBN 978 3 642 28384 0 Format (B x L): 15,5 x 23,5 cm Gewicht: 1220 g Weitere Fachgebiete > Physik, Astronomie > Astronomie: Allgemeines > Astrophysik Zu Inhaltsverzeichnis schnell und portofrei erhältlich bei Die Online-Fachbuchhandlung beck-shop.de ist spezialisiert auf Fachbücher, insbesondere Recht, Steuern und Wirtschaft. Im Sortiment finden Sie alle Medien (Bücher, Zeitschriften, CDs, eBooks, etc.) aller Verlage. Ergänzt wird das Programm durch Services wie Neuerscheinungsdienst oder Zusammenstellungen von Büchern zu Sonderpreisen. Der Shop führt mehr als 8 Millionen Produkte. Chapter 2 Preparing the Ground for Delving into the Stars 2.1 The Long Road to Deciphering the Composition of the Stars All our knowledge about the composition of cosmic objects is obtained via spec- troscopy. Two key disciplines are required to extract this information from obser- vations: the theory of radiative transfer through stellar material and the theory of atomic structure. Spectroscopy is as old as modern science. It began with Johannes Kepler (1571–1630m)1 and later Isaac Newton (1643–1727m), who knew about the effect of the prism on sunlight.2 When they cast the outgoing light of the prism on a screen, they discovered all the colors of the rainbow. Naturally, Newton used a circular aperture, and consequently his spectrum was not pure. Despite this early start, progress was slow at the beginning, and even after major breakthroughs, about 400 years were needed before reliable information about stellar composition could be obtained. -
ILC Newsline
Director's Corner 20 November 2008 The legacy of Edoardo Amaldi Edoardo Amaldi was one of the giants who shaped our field. He was celebrated last month at the University of Rome on the 100th anniversary of his birth in the inspiring meeting “The Legacy of Edoardo Amaldi in Science and Society.” I was honoured to be invited to speak about international collaboration in physics, an area where Amaldi led the way, especially for his role in the creation and development of CERN. In fact, his impact on physics and society was far broader than his contributions to particle physics alone: they also include his scientific contributions and leadership in nuclear physics, gravitational wave research and astrophysics. Moreover, he worked to protect human rights, and more generally was committed to promoting Barry Barish peace and to controlling the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Edoardo Amaldi was born in Italy in 1908 to a famous mathematician father. He became interested in studying physics while he was a high school student and eventually became a student under Orso Mario Corbino, working under the guidance of the young Enrico Fermi. Fermi had already obtained a chair in theoretical physics and went on to win the Nobel Prize in 1938. Amaldi became part of Fermi's exceptional group at the University of Rome that included Emilio Segrè, Franco Rasetti, Ettore Majorana and Bruno Pontecorvo. Amaldi's most important work before World War II involved neutron scattering off matter. Throughout his career, he made significant and most impressive contributions to a wide range of fields of physics. -
Italy in Space 1946–1988
HSR-30 March 2003 Italy in Space 1946–1988 Michelangelo De Maria Dipartimento di Fisica Università di Roma – La Sapienza Lucia Orlando Gruppo di storia della fisica Università di Roma – La Sapienza Filippo Pigliacelli Università di Pavia a ii Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Lorenza Sebesta and Maria Pia Bumbaca for revising drafts and for their helpful suggestions. Abbreviations The following abbreviations were used in the footnotes: AA for “Archivio Amaldi, Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma 'La Sapienza'”; ACS for 'Archivio Centrale dello Stato'. The archival references for the holdings of the Archivio Centrale dello Stato are referred to the deposit inventory (e.g., the list of documents of the CNR archives, lodged in the ACS). Title HSR-30, Italy in Space, 1946–1988 Published by ESA Publications Division ESTEC, Postbus 299 2200 AG Noordwijk The Netherlands Editor R.A. Harris Price €10 ISSN 1683-4704 ISBN 92-9092-539-6 Copyright ©2003 The European Space Agency Printed in The Netherlands iii Contents 1 The Origins: From Cosmic-ray Physics to Space Research (1946–1958)....................1 1.1 Scientific research and the political situation.............................................................1 1.2 First initiatives: Edoardo Amaldi and cosmic-ray research (1946–1952)..................1 1.3 Luigi Broglio and the initial developments in the rocketry field (1952–1957)..........2 1.4 The International Geophysical Year (1957–1958) .....................................................3 2 Italy and International -
Orso Mario Corbino
Orso Mario Corbino di GIOVANNI VACCARO Siamo grati all’Ing. Giovanni Vaccaro per averci consentito di ristampare il suo insuperato studio sulla figura e l’opera di Orso Mario Corbino, originariamente apparso sul Notiziario Storico di Augusta n. 9, 1976, in occasione del centenario della nascita dell’illustre scienziato 1 Tav. I Orso Mario Corbino 2 Nel primo centenario della nascita PREFAZIONE Sono certamente rari, nel campo della cultura, gli uomini che, nel ventesimo secolo, hanno vissuto vicende tanto esaltanti come quelle di O. M. Corbino che, entrato giovanissimo nelle alte sfere della fisica pura, assaporava le soddisfazioni delle pratiche applicazioni della scienza, e, nella ininterrotta continuità dell'insegnamento universitario, esercitava il potere di governo nei settori della pubblica istruzione e dell'economia nazionale, dedi- candosi, poi, alla costituzione della gloriosa scuola di fisica moderna di Roma, mentre, negli ultimi anni della sua vita, presiedeva alle direttive artistiche sulle radiodiffusioni e preparava le prime applicazioni sperimentali per le trasmissioni televisive. Caratteristica della sua meravigliosa vita la coerenza esistenziale che, nel volubile mondo delle ideologie politiche, gli consentiva di non fare la comparsa, né il semplice spettatore, ma di svolgere, invece, sempre il ruolo di protagonista, perché nel suo mondo, che era il mondo della cultura e della scienza e delle sue applicazioni pratiche, la continuità della sua azione, al servizio del progresso della civiltà del sapere, era inarrestabile ed emergeva nitida la sua figura di uomo di scienza, al di sopra de M e parti e delle fazioni, fiero e orgoglioso della propria indipendenza, convinto e consapevole di avere riportato ai più alti livelli la gloriosa tradizione scientifica italiana della fisica, II primo annuncio della sua morte venne dato dal “Giornale Radio” trasmesso dalla Stazione di Roma la sera del 23 gennaio 1937 alle ore 20,10: “Il Senatore Orso Mario Corbino si è spento oggi alle 15,20 nella sua abitazione, in seguito a polmonite. -
Chapter 2. Principles of Physical Statistics
Essential Graduate Physics SM: Statistical Mechanics Chapter 2. Principles of Physical Statistics This chapter is the keystone of this course. It starts with a brief discussion of such basic notions of statistical physics as statistical ensembles, probability, and ergodicity. Then the so-called microcanonical distribution postulate is formulated, simultaneously with the statistical definition of the entropy. This allows a derivation of the famous Gibbs (“canonical”) distribution – the most frequently used tool of statistical physics. Then we will discuss one more, “grand canonical” distribution, which is more convenient for some tasks. In particular, it is immediately used for the derivation of the most important Boltzmann, Fermi-Dirac, and Bose-Einstein statistics of independent particles, which will be repeatedly utilized in the following chapters. 2.1. Statistical ensembles and probability As has been already discussed in Sec. 1.1, statistical physics deals with situations when either unknown initial conditions, or system’s complexity, or the laws of its motion (as in the case of quantum mechanics) do not allow a definite prediction of measurement results. The main formalism for the analysis of such systems is the probability theory, so let me start with a very brief review of its basic concepts, using an informal “physical” language – less rigorous but (hopefully) more transparent than standard mathematical treatments,1 and quite sufficient for our purposes. Consider N >> 1 independent similar experiments carried out with apparently similar systems (i.e. systems with identical macroscopic parameters such as volume, pressure, etc.), but still giving, by any of the reasons listed above, different results of measurements. Such a collection of experiments, together with a fixed method of result processing, is a good example of a statistical ensemble. -
Walther Gerlach (1889–1979): Precision Physicist, Educator and Research Organizer, Historian of Science
Chapter 8 Walther Gerlach (1889–1979): Precision Physicist, Educator and Research Organizer, Historian of Science Josef Georg Huber, Horst Schmidt-Böcking, and Bretislav Friedrich Abstract Walther Gerlach’s numerous contributions to physics include precision measurements related to the black-body radiation (1912–1916) as well as the first- ever quantitative measurement of the radiation pressure (1923), apart from his key role in the epochal Stern-Gerlach experiment (1921–1922). His wide-ranging research programs at the Universities of Tübingen, Frankfurt, and Munich entailed spectroscopy and spectral analysis, the study of the magnetic properties of matter, and radioactivity. An important player in the physics community already in his 20s and in the German academia in his later years, Gerlach was appointed, on Werner Heisenberg’s recommendation, Plenipotentiary for nuclear research for the last six- teen months of the existence of the Third Reich. He supported the effort of the German physicists to achieve a controlled chain reaction in a uranium reactor until the last moments before the effort was halted by the Allied Alsos Mission. The reader can find additional discussion of Gerlach’s role in the supplementary material provided with the online version of the chapter on SpringerLink. After returning from his detention at Farm Hall, he redirected his boundless elan and determination to the reconstruction of German academia. Among his high-ranking appointments in the Federal Republic were the presidency of the University of Munich (1948–1951) and of the Fraunhofer Society (1948–1951) as well as the vice-presidency of the German Science Foun- dation (1949–1961) and the German Physical Society (1956–1957). -
Breve Biografia Di Edoardo Amaldi
BREVE BIOGRAFIA DI EDOARDO AMALDI Edoardo Amaldi nacque a Carpaneto in provincia di Piacenza il 5 settembre 1908. Suo padre, Ugo, era un insigne matematico, sua madre si chiamava Laura Basini. Fece i suoi studi superiori a Roma dove si laureò in fisica all’età di 21 anni dopo aver lasciato, a seguito dell’esortazione del suo professore di Fisica, Orso Mario Corbino, gli studi di ingegneria. L’appello di Corbino a cambiare corso di studi era dovuto all’arrivo di Enrico Fermi che Amaldi aveva già avuto modo di conoscere durante una vacanza sulle Dolomiti e col quale aveva stretto una profonda amicizia. Dopo il servizio militare trascorse dieci mesi di studio a Lipsia per lavorare sotto la guida di Peter Debye sulla diffrazione dei raggi X nei liquidi. I dieci mesi trascorsi a Lipsia ebbero sul giovane scienziato un grande effetto. All'età di 23 anni sperimentò infatti i vantaggi della collaborazione internazionale e questa esperienza spiega molte delle sue azioni successive volte a evitare il "provincialismo" della ricerca nazionale. Al ritorno da Lipsia divenne assistente di Corbino, lavorando sulla spettroscopia e, nel 1934 entrò a far parte del famoso gruppo di ricercatori italiani guidato da Enrico Fermi. Insieme a Fermi, Bruno Pontecorvo, Franco Rasetti, Emilio Segrè, passò alla storia come uno dei "ragazzi di via Panisperna", il più giovane del gruppo. Con le loro ricerche diedero vita alla fisica dei neutroni lenti ed agli innumerevoli sviluppi che ne seguirono. Dopo il 1938, trasferitosi Fermi in America per le note vicende, il gruppo si disperse sia a causa delle leggi razziali, sia per la difficoltà finanziarie in cui si trovava la ricerca. -
Nuclear Arms Control and Disarmament Summary
Francesco Calogero: “Nuclear arms control and disarmament”, page 1 / 48 International Conference on “The legacy of Edoardo Amaldi”; Roma, 23.10.2008 Nuclear arms control and disarmament Francesco Calogero Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma “La Sapienza” Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma Summary The involvement of Edoardo Amaldi, and of the physics community in Italy, in arms control and disarmament issues is reviewed; and recent developments on the prospects of a transition to a nuclear-weapon-free world are tersely reported. Francesco Calogero: “Nuclear arms control and disarmament”, page 2 / 48 International Conference on “The legacy of Edoardo Amaldi”; Roma, 23.10.2008 - September 5, 1908: birth of Edoardo Amaldi. - 1926: Enrico Fermi becomes the first Professor of Theoretical Physics in Rome. - 1927: the students Edoardo Amaldi, Ettore Maiorana and Emilio Segré shift from Engineering to Physics (at this University in Rome). - 1934: the Rome group (Fermi, Amaldi, D’Agostino, Pontecorvo, Rasetti, Segré) discover the effectiveness of slow neutrons to initiate nuclear reactions. - 1938: anti-Jewish laws are promulgated by the Fascist regime in Italy. - 1938: Fermi receives the Nobel Prize for Physics and moves with his family to the USA; the Rome group disbands, only Amaldi remains in Rome. - June 4, 1944: liberation of Rome. Francesco Calogero: “Nuclear arms control and disarmament”, page 3 / 48 International Conference on “The legacy of Edoardo Amaldi”; Roma, 23.10.2008 - April 25, 1945: liberation of Italy. - 6 August 1945: Hiroshima. - 9 August 1945: Nagasaki. - from 1945: the period of reconstruction, with Amaldi playing the main role in physics (and other fields as well), in Italy and also in Europe.