Daan Frenkel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daan Frenkel
ForMemRS MAE
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Frenkel in 2000
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| Born | 1948 (age 76–77) |
| Alma mater | University of Amsterdam (PhD) |
| Known for | Noro–Frenkel law of corresponding states |
| Awards | Spinoza Prize (2000) ForMemRS (2006) Aneesur Rahman Prize (2007) Fritz London Memorial Lecture (2011) Boltzmann Medal (2016) Lorentz Medal (2022) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Cambridge Royal Dutch Shell University of Utrecht University of California, Los Angeles |
| Thesis | Rotational relaxation of linear molecules in dense noble gases (1977) |
| Doctoral students | Marjolein Dijkstra |
Daan Frenkel, born in Amsterdam in 1948, is a brilliant Dutch scientist. He is a computational physicist, which means he uses powerful computers to understand how tiny particles and molecules behave. He works in the Chemistry Department at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Education and Early Career
Daan Frenkel studied at the University of Amsterdam. He earned his PhD degree in 1977. His studies focused on experimental physical chemistry. After finishing his PhD, he worked as a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He also worked at Royal Dutch Shell and the University of Utrecht.
Research and Teaching
From 1987 to 2007, Professor Frenkel did important research at the FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics in Amsterdam. During this time, he also taught as a part-time professor at the Universities of Utrecht and Amsterdam.
Since 2007, he has been a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. He even led the Department of Chemistry at Cambridge from 2011 to 2015.
Professor Frenkel co-wrote a very important book called Understanding Molecular Simulation with Berend Smit. This book is now used all over the world by students learning about computational physics. It helps them understand how to use computers to study molecules.
Awards and Special Recognition
Professor Frenkel has received many awards for his amazing work.
- In 2000, he was one of the winners of the Dutch Spinoza Prize. This is a very high honor in the Netherlands.
- In 2006, he became a Foreign Member of the Royal Society in the UK.
- In 2007, he received the Aneesur Rahman Prize from the American Physical Society.
- In 2016, he was awarded the Boltzmann Medal. This medal is given to scientists who have made great contributions to statistical physics.
- In 2022, he received the Lorentz Medal.
He is also a member of several important science groups. These include the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (since 1998) and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (since 2008).
An asteroid, 12651 Frenkel, was named after him in 2018. This asteroid was found by astronomers in 1977. It's a special way to honor his contributions to science!
