Robert Coleman Richardson
American physicist who discovered superfluidity in helium-3.
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Robert Coleman Richardson was an American experimental physicist known for his work in sub-millikelvin temperature studies of helium-3.
Background
Richardson was born in Washington D.C. and attended high school at Washington-Lee in Arlington, Virginia, where he described the biology and physics courses as 'very old-fashioned' for the time. He took his first calculus course as a sophomore in college.
He earned a B.S. They had two children, Jennifer and Pamela, and four grandchildren. He claimed he did not believe in an anthropomorphic God, though his specific beliefs were unclear. His past experimental work used Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to study quantum properties of liquids and solids at extremely low temperatures.
Did You Know?
- Richardson shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics with David Lee and then-graduate student Douglas Osheroff for the 1972 discovery of superfluidity in helium-3.
- He was an Eagle Scout and mentioned his Scouting activities in his Nobel biography.
Frequently Asked Questions
What discovery made Richardson famous?
In 1972 he identified superfluidity in helium-3, meaning the liquid could flow with zero viscosity at certain ultra-cold thresholds. This finding was made while he was working at Cornell University's Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics.
Who shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics with Richardson?
David Lee and Douglas Osheroff received the award alongside him, all three being credited for their collaborative work on helium-3 superfluidity.
Where did Richardson carry out his landmark experiments?
The critical helium-3 superfluidity work was performed at Cornell University's Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics. His team pushed measurements into the sub-millikelvin regime to reveal the transition into the superfluid state.
More in Physicists And Chemists Of The 20Th Century
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Robert Coleman Richardson (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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