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 1948 in Amsterdam) is a well-known Dutch scientist. He is a computational physicist. This means he uses computers to understand how tiny particles behave. He works in the Chemistry Department at the University of Cambridge.
Contents
Becoming a Scientist
Daan Frenkel studied at the University of Amsterdam. He earned his PhD degree there in 1977. His studies focused on how chemicals behave.
His Work and Discoveries
After getting his PhD, Frenkel worked at several important places. He was a researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He also worked at Shell and the University of Utrecht.
From 1987 to 2007, Frenkel did much of his research. This was at the FOM Institute for Atomic and Molecular Physics in Amsterdam. During this time, he also taught part-time. He was a professor at the Universities of Utrecht and Amsterdam.
In 2007, he became a Professor of Chemistry. This was at the famous University of Cambridge. From 2011 to 2015, he was even the head of the Chemistry Department there.
Understanding Molecular Simulation
Daan Frenkel is also an author. He wrote a book called Understanding Molecular Simulation with Berend Smit. This book has become a guide for many young scientists. It helps them learn how to use computers to study molecules.
Awards and Special Honours
Daan Frenkel has received many awards for his important work.
In 2000, he won the Dutch Spinoza Prize. This is one of the highest science awards in the Netherlands. In 2008, he became a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
He is also a member of several important science groups:
- The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (since 1998)
- The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (since 2008)
- The World Academy of Sciences (since 2012)
In 2006, he was chosen as a Foreign Member of the Royal Society. This is a very special honour in the UK. In 2016, he became a foreign associate of the National Academy of Sciences in the USA.
More Awards
Frenkel received the Aneesur Rahman Prize in 2007. This award is from the American Physical Society. He also got the Berni J Alder CECAM prize. In 2010, he received an award from the Royal Society of Chemistry in the UK.
He was given the Boltzmann Medal in 2016. This medal is for important work in physics. In 2022, he received the Lorentz Medal.
An asteroid was even named after him! Asteroid 12651 Frenkel was discovered in 1977. It was named in his honour in 2018.
