Alastair Cameron
Alastair Graham Walter Cameron (born June 21, 1925 Winnipeg , Manitoba , Canada ; † October 3, 2005 in Tucson , Arizona , USA ), was an astrophysicist .
His best-known works include theories about nucleosynthesis , in particular the formation of the unstable element technetium in the core of red giants , and about the disappearance of the earth's original atmosphere.
Cameron's public engagement has influenced the course of the US planetary research program over the past few decades.
Alastair Cameron was born in the Canadian city of Winnipeg in 1925 . After studying in Manitoba and Saskatchewan , he emigrated to the USA in 1959, where he received posts at the California Institute of Technology , the Goddard Institute for Space Studies and at Yeshiva University in New York. In 1973 he became professor of astronomy at Harvard University and stayed there for 26 years. Cameron also served as Chairman of the Space Science Board of the National Academy of Sciences from 1976 to 1982 . In 1972 he became a Fellow of the American Physical Society , in 1974 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences , and in 1976 to the National Academy of Sciences.
Cameron died of heart failure in 2005.
Awards
- 1970 RM Petrie Prize Lecture Award from the Canadian Astronomical Society
- 1983 NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal
- 1988 J. Lawrence Smith Medal from the National Academy of Sciences
- 1989 Harry H. Hess Medal from the American Geophysical Union
- 1991 namesake for the asteroid (2980) Cameron
- 1994 Leonard Medal from the Meteoritical Society
- 1997 Henry Norris Russell Lectureship from the American Astronomical Society
- 2006 Hans A. Bethe Prize
Five days before his death, it was announced that he would receive the Hans Bethe Prize in 2006. This research into nuclear astrophysics was 50 years ago, but it was still part of the foundations.
Web links
- Publications by AGW Cameron in the Astrophysics Data System
- Obituaries for AGW Cameron in the Astrophysics Data System
- Full University of Arizona obituary
- Obituary: Alastair GW Cameron, Noted Astrophysicist and Space Scientist
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Cameron, Alastair |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Cameron, Alastair Graham Walter |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian astrophysicist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 21, 1925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Winnipeg , Manitoba , Canada |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 3, 2005 |
| Place of death | Tucson , Arizona , USA |