David Lee (physicist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Morris Lee
|
|
|---|---|
David Morris Lee in 2007
|
|
| Born | January 20, 1931 |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) University of Connecticut (MA) Yale University (PhD) |
| Spouse(s) | Dana (2 children) |
| Awards | Nobel Prize in Physics (1996) Oliver Buckley Prize (1981) Simon Memorial Prize (1976) Buckley Prize (1970) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | Cornell University Texas A&M University (2009-present) |
| Doctoral advisor | Henry A. Fairbank |
David Morris Lee is a famous American physicist, born on January 20, 1931. He won the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physics. He shared this big award with two other scientists, Robert C. Richardson and Douglas Osheroff. They won for finding something amazing: superfluidity in a special type of helium called helium-3.
Superfluidity is like a super-powered liquid. It can flow forever without any friction. Imagine water that never slows down, even when moving through tiny spaces! David Lee is currently a professor at Texas A&M University. He is also a professor emeritus (meaning retired but still honored) at Cornell University.
Contents
David Lee's Early Life and Education
David Lee grew up in Rye, New York. His parents were a teacher and an electrical engineer. After finishing high school, he went to Harvard University and earned his first degree in 1952.
He then served in the U.S. Army for almost two years. After his time in the army, he continued his studies. He earned a master's degree from the University of Connecticut. In 1955, David Lee started his PhD program at Yale University. There, he worked with Professor Henry A. Fairbank. He studied liquid helium-3 at very cold temperatures.
After getting his PhD in 1959, Lee joined Cornell University. He helped set up a new science lab there. At Cornell, he met his future wife, Dana. They got married and had two sons. In 2009, David Lee moved his lab to Texas A&M University.
Discovering Superfluid Helium-3
David Lee's most famous work happened in the early 1970s. He worked with Robert C. Richardson and a student named Doug Osheroff. They were studying helium-3 at extremely cold temperatures. These temperatures were just a tiny bit above absolute zero. Absolute zero is the coldest possible temperature in the universe.
They used a special device called a Pomeranchuk cooler. During their experiments, they noticed some very strange things happening. The helium-3 was behaving in unexpected ways. They soon realized they had found something new. The helium-3 was changing into a superfluid state. This was a huge discovery in physics!
In 1996, David Lee, Robert Richardson, and Doug Osheroff were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. This was to honor their amazing discovery of superfluidity in helium-3.
Other Research and Awards
David Lee also studied other cool things in physics. He looked at how different types of helium behave. This included liquid, solid, and superfluid helium. He also studied mixtures of helium-3 and helium-4.
Some of his other discoveries include:
- How solid helium-3 can become antiferromagnetic. This means its tiny magnets (spins) line up in opposite directions.
- Nuclear spin waves in hydrogen gas. He worked on this with Jack H. Freed.
- The tri-critical point in liquid helium mixtures. He worked on this with his colleague John Reppy.
Besides the Nobel Prize, David Lee has won other important awards. These include the 1976 Simon Memorial Prize and the 1981 Oliver Buckley Prize. He also became a member of the National Academy of Sciences. This is a group of top scientists in the United States.
Today, David Lee continues to teach physics at Texas A&M University. He also keeps working on his research there.
See also
In Spanish: David Morris Lee para niños
- List of Jewish Nobel laureates
- Timeline of low-temperature technology
