Carlo Rubbia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Senator for Life
Carlo Rubbia
OMRI OMCA
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Rubbia at the 2012 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
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| Born | 31 March 1934 Gorizia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy
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| Alma mater | Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa |
| Known for | Discovery of W and Z bosons |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Particle physics |
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| Member of the Senate of the Republic | |
| Life tenure 30 August 2013 |
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| Appointed by | Giorgio Napolitano |
Carlo Rubbia, born on March 31, 1934, is a famous Italian scientist. He is a particle physicist and an inventor. In 1984, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics with Simon van der Meer. They won for their important work that led to finding the W and Z particles at CERN. These particles are tiny building blocks of the universe.
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Carlo Rubbia's Early Life and Studies
Carlo Rubbia was born in 1934 in Gorizia, a town in Italy. His family moved several times because of World War II. His dad was an electrical engineer and wanted Carlo to follow in his footsteps. But Carlo really wanted to study physics.
When he was young, he loved to collect and experiment with old military radio equipment. He took an entrance exam for a top physics school in Pisa but just missed getting in. So, in 1953, he started studying engineering in Milan. Soon after, a spot opened up in Pisa, and he quickly switched to physics. He earned his degree and doctorate in a short time. At Pisa, he also met his future wife, Marisa, who was also a physics student.
Carlo Rubbia's Amazing Career
Studying Particles in the USA
After finishing his studies, Carlo Rubbia went to the United States. He spent about a year and a half at Columbia University. There, he did experiments on tiny particles called muons. This was the start of many experiments he would do on how particles interact. His work later helped him win the Nobel Prize.
Working at CERN
Carlo Rubbia returned to Europe and joined CERN in 1960. CERN is a huge science lab in Switzerland where scientists study the smallest parts of matter. He worked on experiments about "weak interactions," which are one of the fundamental forces of nature.
CERN built a new type of machine called the Intersecting Storage Rings. This machine made beams of protons (tiny particles) crash into each other. Rubbia and his team used this machine to learn more about the weak force. Their work helped them understand how to find even stranger particles later on.
In 1976, Rubbia had a brilliant idea. He suggested changing CERN's Super Proton Synchrotron (SPS) machine. He wanted it to collide protons and antiprotons (antimatter versions of protons) in the same ring. This new setup was called the Proton-Antiproton Collider.
To make this work, they used a special method called "stochastic cooling," developed by Simon van der Meer. This method helped gather and focus the antiprotons into a strong beam.
In 1981, the new collider started running. By early 1983, a large team of over 100 physicists, led by Rubbia, found something amazing. They discovered the W and Z bosons. These particles were predicted by theories long ago but had never been seen directly.
The W and Z bosons carry the weak force. This force causes radioactive decay and helps power the Sun. These particles are almost 100 times heavier than a proton. In 1984, Carlo Rubbia and Simon van der Meer won the Nobel Prize for their key roles in finding these important particles.
Teaching at Harvard
In 1970, Carlo Rubbia became a physics professor at Harvard University in the United States. He spent one semester there each year for 18 years. At the same time, he kept doing his research at CERN.
In 1989, he became the Director-General of CERN. During his time as director, in 1993, CERN made a big decision. They decided to let anyone use the World Wide Web technology for free. This helped the internet grow very quickly!
Research at Gran Sasso Laboratory
Carlo Rubbia also led a project deep underground at the Gran Sasso Laboratory in Italy. This experiment, called ICARUS, looks for signs that protons might decay. Scientists usually believe that matter is stable, but some theories suggest protons might slowly break down over billions of years.
The ICARUS experiment also aims to detect neutrinos (tiny, ghost-like particles) coming from the Sun. It's like a first step toward building a telescope for neutrinos from space.
Rubbia also came up with the idea of an "energy amplifier." This is a new and safe way to produce nuclear energy. It could help get rid of dangerous waste from nuclear reactors. It could also produce energy from natural materials like thorium and depleted uranium. In 2013, he suggested building many small power plants using thorium.
Other Important Roles
Carlo Rubbia has held many other important positions. He was a science advisor for CIEMAT in Spain. He also advised the European Union on global warming. From 2009 to 2010, he was a special advisor for energy to the United Nations in Latin America.
In 2010, he became the Scientific Director of the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies in Germany. He is also a member of the Italy-USA Foundation. When he was president of ENEA (from 1999 to 2005), he helped develop a new way to use solar power to create energy. This project, called Archimede, is now being used by companies.
Carlo Rubbia's Personal Life
Carlo Rubbia is married to Marisa, and they have two children. He is also a member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which is a science academy linked to the Vatican.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Carlo Rubbia has received many awards for his work:
- In December 1984, he was given the title of Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI.
- On August 30, 2013, the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, made him a Senator for Life in the Senate of Italy.
- On January 8, 2016, he received the International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Award from China.
- An Asteroid (number 8398) was named "Rubbia" in his honor.
- In 1984, he became a Foreign Member of the Royal Society.
- He also received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 1984.
See also
- In Spanish: Carlo Rubbia para niños
