Albert Overhauser
Albert Warner Overhauser (born August 17, 1925 in San Diego , California , † December 10, 2011 in West Lafayette , Indiana ) was an American physicist . He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and is known for his theory of the Kern-Overhauser-Effect, named after him .
Overhauser went to Lick-Wilmerding High School in San Francisco and began his undergraduate studies at the University of California at Berkeley in 1942. He interrupted his studies for two years during World War II for his service with the US Navy Reserve and then returned to Berkeley to finish his education. In 1948 he received the undergraduate degree in physics and mathematics and in 1951 the Ph.D. in physics.
From 1951 to 1953 he was a post-doctoral student at the University of Illinois . There he developed an important theory of the transfer of spin polarization. When the theory was confirmed and demonstrated by other scientists, the theory came to be known as the Kern Overhauser Effect . In the 1970s he and Sam Werner developed a neutron interferometer .
He was on the faculty of Cornell University from 1953 to 1958 and then joined a research team at Ford Motor Company . Overhauser stayed with Ford until 1973, when he went to Purdue University . In 1971 he became a Fellow of the American Physical Society .
Awards and honors
- National Medal of Science , 1994
- Elected to the National Academy of Sciences , 1976
- Oliver E. Buckley Solid State Physics Prize, 1975
- Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences , 1977
- Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Simon Fraser University , 1998
- Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the University of Chicago , 1979
- Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from Purdue University , 2005
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Overhauser, Albert |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Overhauser, Albert Warner (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American physicist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 17, 1925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | San Diego , California |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 10, 2011 |
| Place of death | West Lafayette , Indiana |