Allan Mackintosh facts for kids

Allan Roy Mackintosh (born January 22, 1936 – died December 20, 1995) was a very important Danish physicist. He was a top expert in magnetism and how neutrons scatter. This was especially true when he studied special materials called rare-earth metals.

Mackintosh was known for helping solid-state physics research grow in Denmark. He also strongly believed that scientists from different countries should work together. Many of his students later became leaders in science and industry around the world. He also helped shape science rules in Denmark as a director.

Allan Mackintosh: A Brilliant Physicist

Allan Mackintosh was a key figure in the world of physics. He made big discoveries about how materials behave. He also helped guide science in Denmark and encouraged global teamwork.

Early Life and Studies

Allan Mackintosh was born in 1936 in Nottingham, England. He went to the University of Cambridge for his university education. He earned his first degree in 1957 and his PhD in 1960. His PhD research was done at the famous Cavendish Laboratory. There, he studied the "Fermi surface" of metals. This is a way to understand how electrons move in metals.

Discoveries in America

After finishing his studies in 1960, Mackintosh moved to the United States. He became a professor of Physics at Iowa State University. He worked at its Ames Laboratory for seven years. During this time, he became a leading expert. He studied the basic electrical and magnetic features of rare-earth metals. These elements had just been made very pure.

Big Discoveries in Denmark

In 1966, Mackintosh spent time at the Riso National Laboratory in Denmark. There, he found a new way to measure magnetic moments at a tiny, atomic level. He used a new machine called a neutron spectrometer.

His measurements of "spin waves" in rare-earth metals were a huge step forward. Spin waves are like tiny waves of magnetic energy. This work greatly improved the study of magnetism. For this important discovery, he won the special Spedding Prize in 1986. He shared this award with Hans Bjerrum Møller.

Leading Science in Denmark

In 1970, Mackintosh became a professor at the University of Copenhagen. He held this important position until he passed away. From 1971 to 1976, he was also the Director of the Riso National Laboratory. This was a major role in Danish science.

Later, from 1986 to 1989, he directed NORDITA. This is a Nordic institute for theoretical physics. It works closely with the famous Niels Bohr Institute. Mackintosh also led the Danish Physical Society from 1976 to 1979. He was also President of the European Physical Society from 1980 to 1982.

His Important Book and Awards

Allan Mackintosh was known for his clear and careful writing. In 1991, he published a book called Rare Earth Magnetism with Jens Jensen. This book became a classic text in solid state physics. It was a very important book for scientists.

In the same year, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK. In Denmark, he was made a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog. He was also a member of several other important science academies. Uppsala University in Sweden gave him an honorary doctorate in 1980.

His Work on Computers

Mackintosh was also famous for an article he wrote in 1988 for Scientific American. In this article, he argued that John Vincent Atanasoff should get more credit. He believed Atanasoff was the main inventor of the first electronic digital computer. This computer was called the Atanasoff–Berry Computer.

Family Life

Allan Mackintosh married Jette Stannow in 1958. She was from Denmark and they met in Cambridge. They had three children: Anne Karen (born 1959), Paul Erik (born 1962), and Ida Alys (born 1964).

His Passing

Allan Mackintosh died in 1995 in Roskilde, Denmark. He passed away after being in a car accident.