Denys Wilkinson facts for kids

The Denys Wilkinson Building, part of the Department of Physics at Oxford University.

Sir Denys Haigh Wilkinson (5 September 1922 – 22 April 2016) was a famous British nuclear physicist. He studied tiny parts of atoms called nuclei. His work helped us understand how these tiny particles behave.

Early Life and Education

Denys Wilkinson was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, England, on 5 September 1922. He went to Loughborough Grammar School and then studied at Jesus College, which is part of Cambridge. He finished his studies there in 1943.

A Career in Science

Wartime Contributions

During World War II, Denys Wilkinson worked on important projects related to atomic energy. He helped with these projects in both Britain and Canada.

Research at Cambridge

After the war, in 1946, he returned to Cambridge. He earned his PhD in 1947. He held several important positions there, eventually becoming a Reader in Nuclear Physics. A Reader is a senior academic position, like a professor. He was also a fellow at Jesus College, Cambridge, from 1944 to 1959. In 1956, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.

Moving to Oxford

In 1957, Denys Wilkinson moved to Oxford University. He became a Professor of Nuclear Physics there. The same year, he won the Fernand Holweck Medal and Prize for his excellent work. Later, in 1959, he became a Professor of Experimental Physics. From 1962 to 1976, he led the Department of Nuclear Physics at Oxford.

While at Oxford, he was also a Fellow (called a Student) at Christ Church, Oxford. In 1974, he received a special honor and was knighted. This means he could use the title "Sir" before his name.

The Denys Wilkinson Building

In 2001, the Nuclear Physics Laboratory at Oxford University was renamed the Denys Wilkinson Building. This was done to honor him for his important contributions to the lab. He had played a big part in creating it.

International Work and Leadership

Sir Denys Wilkinson also worked with CERN, which is a huge science lab in Europe. He was the chairman for two important committees there: the Physics III Committee and the Electronic Experiments Committee.

After leaving Oxford, he became the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sussex. He held this leadership role from 1976 to 1987. After he retired, he was named an Emeritus Professor of Physics at Sussex in 1987.

Scientific Discoveries

Sir Denys Wilkinson's main work was in nuclear physics. He studied the properties of atomic nuclei, especially those with only a few particles inside them. He was one of the first scientists to test rules about something called isospin, which helps describe how atomic particles behave.

He also used ideas from physics to study how birds find their way when they migrate. This shows how physics can be used in many different areas!

The Wilkinson ADC

He is also famous for inventing a device called the Wilkinson ADC. ADC stands for "analog-to-digital converter." This device helps turn real-world signals (like sound or light) into digital information that computers can understand. He invented it to help with his experiments.

Later Life and Legacy

Sir Denys Wilkinson passed away on 22 April 2016, at the age of 93.

His important scientific papers and notes are kept at the Churchill Archives Centre in Cambridge. He received many honors throughout his life. He was an Honorary Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge, and an Honorary Student of Christ Church, Oxford. He also won the Hughes Medal in 1965 and the Royal Medal in 1980, both from the Royal Society. In 1980, he received an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University in Sweden.