Robert N. Clayton
Robert Norman Clayton (born March 20, 1930 in Hamilton (Ontario) , † December 30, 2017 in Michigan City , Indiana ) was a Canadian-American geochemist and cosmochemist.
He graduated from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario with a bachelor's degree in 1951 and a master's degree in 1952 and received his PhD in chemistry from Caltech in 1955 . He then conducted research at Caltech, was assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University in 1956 and assistant professor in 1958, and from 1966 professor at the University of Chicago in both chemistry and geosciences. He was the Enrico Fermi Distinguished Service Professor in Chicago.
He dealt with the determination of isotopes in meteorites to find clues about the formation of the solar system, and in the rocks of the earth and planets (Mars). He used secondary ion mass spectrometry early on , the development of which also took place at the University of Chicago. He later worked with the Argonne National Laboratory to use more advanced techniques (Resonance Ionization Mass Spectrometry) to analyze the isotope ratio in star dust from inside meteorites, which provide direct clues to nucleosynthesis in red giants and supernovae.
In 2004 he received the National Medal of Science , 1985 the Elliott Cresson Medal , 1980 the George P. Merrill Award, 1981 the VM Goldschmidt Award , 1982 the Leonard Medal of the Meteoritical Society, 1976 the Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal of NASA , the Award in Nuclear Chemistry from the American Chemical Society, the William Bowie Medal in 1987 , the Urey Award in 1995, and the J. Lawrence Smith Medal in 2009 . From 1963 to 1965 he was a Sloan Research Fellow and 1963/64 Guggenheim Fellow . He was a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences , the American Academy of Arts and Sciences , the American Geophysical Union , the American Association for the Advancement of Science , the Royal Society , the Royal Society of Canada, and the Meteoritical Society . In 1990 he received an honorary doctorate from McMaster University.
He had been married since 1971 and had one daughter.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Life data according to American Men and Women of Science , Thomson Gale 2004
- ^ Obituary , accessed January 7, 2018
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Clayton, Robert N. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Clayton, Robert Norman (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian-American chemist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 20, 1930 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hamilton (Ontario) |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 30, 2017 |
| Place of death | Michigan City , Indiana |