César Lattes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
César Lattes
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| Born |
Cesare Mansueto Giulio Lattes
11 July 1924 |
| Died | 8 March 2005 (aged 80) |
| Alma mater | University of São Paulo |
| Known for | Discovery of the pion |
| Spouse(s) | Martha Lattes |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
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César Lattes (born July 11, 1924 – died March 8, 2005) was a famous Brazilian physicist. He was one of the scientists who discovered the pion. A pion is a tiny particle, even smaller than an atom, made of a quark and an antiquark. His work helped us understand more about the universe and its smallest building blocks.
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Life of a Brilliant Physicist
César Lattes was born in Curitiba, Brazil. His family had moved there from Italy. He studied in Curitiba and São Paulo. In 1943, he finished his studies at the University of São Paulo. He earned degrees in both mathematics and physics.
César was part of a group of young Brazilian physicists. They learned from European teachers like Gleb Wataghin. Everyone thought César was the most talented. He was known as a brave and smart researcher, even when he was very young. When he was just 25, he helped start the Brazilian Center for Physical Research in Rio de Janeiro. This was a big step for science in Brazil.
Discovering the Pion
From 1946 to 1948, César Lattes focused on studying cosmic rays. These are high-energy particles that travel through space. In 1946, he went to England to work with his teacher, Giuseppe Occhialini. They joined a research group at the University of Bristol. This group was led by Cecil Powell.
César made a special improvement to the tools they used. He made a better nuclear emulsion, which is like a special photographic film. This film could record the paths of tiny particles. In 1947, he worked with Powell, Occhialini, and Hugh Muirhead. Together, they used these improved films to find the pion particle. This was a huge discovery in particle physics.
In the same year, César, Powell, and Occhialini also figured out how much the new pion particle weighed. To find more pions, César visited a weather station. It was on top of a 5,200-meter high mountain called Chacaltaya in Bolivia. He used his special photographic plates there to find more pion events.
Making Pions in the Lab
A year later, César Lattes made another amazing discovery. He worked with Eugene H. Gardner at UC Berkeley. They were able to create pions in a laboratory. They used a machine called a cyclotron. This machine shot tiny particles at carbon atoms. This created pions artificially. César was only 24 years old when he did this!
Returning to Brazil
In 1949, César Lattes came back to Brazil. He became a professor and researcher. He worked at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He also worked at the Brazilian Center for Physical Research. After a short time in the United States (1955-1957), he returned to Brazil again. He took a job at his old university, the University of São Paulo.
In 1967, César became a full professor at the new "Gleb Wataghin" Institute of Physics. This institute was part of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). He even helped to start this new institute. He also led the department that studied cosmic rays and high-energy particles.
In 1969, César and his team found something new. They discovered the mass of "fireballs". These are phenomena caused by very high-energy collisions in nature. They found them using special lead-chamber nuclear emulsion plates. César invented these plates himself! They were placed at the Chacaltaya peak in Bolivia.
César Lattes retired in 1986. Unicamp gave him special titles, like "doctor honoris causa" and "professor emeritus". Even after retiring, he lived near the university. He passed away from a heart attack on March 8, 2005, in Campinas, Brazil.
César Lattes' Amazing Legacy
César Lattes is one of Brazil's most important physicists. His work was very important for understanding atomic physics. He was also a great leader in Brazilian science. He helped create the Brazilian National Research Council. This council helps support science in Brazil. Because of his help, Brazil's national science database, the Lattes Platform, is named after him.
César Lattes is one of the few Brazilian scientists listed in the Encyclopædia Britannica. Even though he was the main researcher who found the pion, Cecil Powell received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1950. Powell won for his method of studying nuclear processes. At that time, the Nobel Committee usually gave the award only to the head of the research group. César Lattes received the TWAS Prize in 1987. After he passed away, the UNICAMP university named its main library after him.
A Thought from César Lattes
- "Science should be universal, without a doubt. However, one should not believe unconditionally in this."
Culture
The famous Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil wrote a song about César Lattes. The song is called "Ciência e Arte" (Science and Art). It was part of Gilberto Gil's 1998 album Quanta, which won a Grammy Award.
See also
In Spanish: César Lattes para niños
