George Kalmus facts for kids

George Ernest Kalmus, born on April 21, 1935, is a famous British scientist. He is known for his work in particle physics, which studies the tiny building blocks of the universe.

Kalmus was born in Beočin, Yugoslavia. He moved to Britain with his parents and older brother, Peter Kalmus, in 1939. His family became British citizens in 1946.

He held important roles at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). He was an associate director from 1986 to 1994. Later, he became the Director of Particle Physics from 1994 to 1997.

Kalmus was also a visiting professor at University College London from 1984 to 2000. He became a Fellow there in 1998. In 1988, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. He received the CBE award in 2000 for his contributions. Today, he is an Honorary Scientist at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

George Kalmus's Early Life and Education

George Kalmus went to school in Hampstead and Harpenden, England. From 1945 to 1953, he attended St Albans County Grammar School. This school is now known as Verulam School.

He earned his Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in 1956. He then completed his PhD in 1959, both at University College London. After his PhD, he stayed there for three more years as a research associate. He is now an Honorary Fellow of University College London.

Kalmus's Career in Particle Physics

Kalmus began his PhD research at University College London. He worked with a special device called a bubble chamber. This device helps scientists see the paths of tiny particles.

His group focused on using "heavy liquids" in bubble chambers. They wanted to find new liquids that could work at room temperature. This research helped them study different types of particles.

After his PhD, Kalmus helped design a large bubble chamber. This chamber was built for the National Institute for Research in Nuclear Science (NIRNS). This institute later became the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL).

Kalmus also worked with scientists at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in California. There, he studied how a rare particle called a lambda hyperon decays. This work was a key interest for him throughout his career.

In 1962, Kalmus joined the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory. He studied how K+ mesons decay. He also investigated how K- mesons interact with protons. He worked there until 1971.

In 1970, Kalmus spent a year at CERN, a large science lab in Europe. He joined a team studying how pi+ mesons interact with protons.

Leading Research at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

In 1971, Kalmus became the head of the bubble chamber group at the Rutherford Laboratory. This lab later became the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). He was in charge of guiding the group's research.

At that time, the Rutherford Laboratory had a particle accelerator. But it was clear that many experiments were better done at CERN. Kalmus organized his group into three teams. These teams worked closely with universities and international partners. They did many experiments using CERN's powerful accelerators.

Kalmus strongly believed that RAL should support UK university groups. He encouraged teamwork on all his experiments. RAL staff could spend more time at CERN or other labs. This was because they did not have teaching duties.

In 1978, Kalmus proposed a new experiment. It used a special setup to study particle interactions. The results helped confirm that single electrons were coming from particle collisions.

From 1979 to 1982, he led another experiment at SLAC in the US. This project measured the lifetimes of charmed mesons. This was Kalmus's last experiment using a bubble chamber. By the mid-1980s, bubble chambers were no longer used. However, Kalmus was a major scientist in this field for many years.

Transition to the Large Electron–Positron Collider

Kalmus's group then started working on the Large Electron–Positron Collider (LEP) at CERN. His teams joined with groups from Oxford and Liverpool. Together, they formed a large international team called DELPHI.

DELPHI was one of four big detectors at LEP. It was designed to identify different types of particles.

In 1986, Kalmus became the Director of Particle Physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. He held this important position until 1997. This role meant he did less direct research. However, he became a very influential figure in science around the world.

He also became the chairman of the DELPHI collaboration board. The UK groups helped with different parts of the DELPHI project. RAL designed and built a large superconducting magnet for the DELPHI detector.

In 1998, Kalmus took a break from RAL and joined the NA48 Experiment at CERN. This experiment studied how Kzero particles decay.

Kalmus officially retired from RAL in 2000. But he continues to be an Honorary Scientist there. After retiring, he joined the ZEPLIN 3 project. This project searches for 'Dark Matter' particles. They use a special detector located deep underground in Yorkshire.

Kalmus's Professional Roles

George Kalmus has held many important roles throughout his career. These include:

• 1959-1962 – Research Associate at University College London.
• 1962-1963 – Research Associate at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley.
• 1963-1964 – Lecturer in Physics Department at University College London.
• 1964-1967 – Research Associate at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley.
• 1967-1971 – Senior Physicist at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, University of California.
• 1970-1971 – Visiting scientist at CERN during sabbatical leave.
• 1972-1986 – Group Leader, Bubble Chamber Group and DELPHI Group, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), England.
• 1984 – Visiting professor, Physics Department at University College London.
• 1986-1997 – Director, Particle Physics and Head of Particle Physics Department, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
• 1998-2000 – Senior Scientist, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, on sabbatical leave at CERN.
• 2000 – Honorary Scientist, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

Awards and Recognition

George Kalmus has received many honors and awards for his work:

• 1960 – Fellow of the Physical Society (now the Institute of Physics).
• 1988 – Fellow of the American Physical Society.
• 1988 – Fellow of the Royal Society.
• 1998 – Fellow of University College London.
• 2000 – CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for his services to international particle physics research.
• 2002 – Institute of Physics Glazebrook Medal and Prize. He received this for his leadership in promoting particle physics in the UK and worldwide.

Kalmus's Family Life

George Kalmus's father, Hans Kalmus, was a well-known biologist. He worked at University College, London, from 1939 until his death in 1988.

His brother, Peter Kalmus, is also a famous British particle physicist. In 2002, a science council noted how unusual it was for two brothers to be leaders in the same field.

George Kalmus has three daughters. He lives in Abingdon with his wife, Ann Christine Kalmus.