Ernest Lawrence
American physicist and Nobel laureate who invented the cyclotron
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Ernest Orlando Lawrence (August 8, 1901 – August 27, 1958) was an American physicist who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1939 for his invention of the cyclotron. He is known for his work on uranium-isotope separation for the Manhattan Project, as well as for founding the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Lore & Background
Lawrence was born in Canton, South Dakota, to Carl Gustavus and Gunda Regina Jacobson, both the offspring of Norwegian immigrants. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of South Dakota, his M.A. from the University of Minnesota, and his Ph.D. in physics from Yale in 1925. He was hired as an associate professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley in 1928, becoming the youngest full professor there two years later. While in the library one evening, he saw a diagram of an accelerator and conceived the idea for a circular accelerating chamber between the poles of an electromagnet, leading to the first cyclotron.
During World War II, he developed electromagnetic isotope separation using calutrons at the Radiation Laboratory. After the war, he advocated for 'Big Science' and supported Edward Teller's campaign for a second nuclear weapons laboratory in Livermore, California. Chemical element number 103 was named lawrencium in his honor after its discovery at Berkeley in 1961.
Reader's Guide
Ernest Lawrence was an American physicist and Nobel laureate. He invented the cyclotron, a particle accelerator, and used it for physics research and medical radioisotope production.
During World War II, he led electromagnetic isotope separation for the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge. He founded the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and later the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He was a proponent of large-scale scientific projects, or 'Big Science.'
Did You Know?
- Lawrence's first cyclotron was only 4 inches in diameter and made of brass, wire, and sealing wax.
- He accidentally discovered the carbon-14 isotope while bombarding graphite with high-energy protons.
- Lawrence named his son Robert after theoretical physicist Robert Oppenheimer, his closest friend in Berkeley.
- He was a member of the Bohemian Club, which helped him secure funding for his research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ernest Lawrence?
Ernest Orlando Lawrence (1901–1958) was an American physicist who created the cyclotron and is often credited with launching the era of large-scale, federally funded research known as Big Science. His career spanned fundamental particle physics, national defense, and the founding of major research institutions.
What did Ernest Lawrence invent?
He designed and built the cyclotron, a circular particle accelerator that uses a steady magnetic field paired with an oscillating electric field to spiral ions to high energies. The device unlocked new capabilities in nuclear physics, chemistry, and later medical isotope production.
What role did Ernest Lawrence play in the Manhattan Project?
Lawrence directed the electromagnetic uranium-isotope separation effort at Berkeley, which became one of three enrichment methods used to produce weapons-grade uranium. His team's work at the Radiation Laboratory was a critical piece of the overall wartime program.
When did Ernest Lawrence receive the Nobel Prize?
He was awarded the 1939 Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention and development of the cyclotron. The citation recognized both the device itself and the new experimental possibilities it opened for studying atomic nuclei.
What laboratories did Ernest Lawrence found?
He established the Radiation Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, which evolved into Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and was a driving force behind the creation of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Both facilities continue to operate as leading centers for physics and energy research.
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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: Ernest Lawrence (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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