George Stanley Rushbrooke facts for kids

Prof George Stanley Rushbrooke (born January 19, 1915 – died December 14, 1995) was an important British scientist. He was a theoretical physicist. This means he used math and ideas to understand how the world works. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and the Royal Society of Edinburgh. These are very respected science groups.

His Life and Work

George Rushbrooke was born in Willenhall, England. He was one of twin sons. His father was a baker. When he was 10, George went to Wolverhampton Grammar School. He was a very bright student.

He won a special scholarship to attend St John's College, Cambridge. He started there in October 1933. He studied mathematics and earned top grades in all his exams. In 1936, he and another famous scientist, Fred Hoyle, won the Mayhew Prize. This award was for students who showed great skill in applied mathematics.

After college, George started research. He worked at the University of Bristol and then at University College, Dundee. He also worked with a group led by Wynne-Jones. He later teamed up with Charles Coulson, a scientist he knew well.

Moving to Leeds

In 1944, Rushbrooke moved to the University of Leeds. He became a research assistant in the physics department. Soon, he was teaching a course on statistical mechanics. This is a branch of physics that uses statistics to understand how large groups of particles behave. His classes were very popular.

His teaching led him to write a book. It was called Introduction to Statistical Mechanics. The book was published in 1949.

Time in Oxford and Newcastle

In 1948, George Rushbrooke moved to Oxford. He became a senior lecturer in theoretical physics. He also taught mathematics at University College. He worked with many talented researchers there. They studied different areas, like how crystals are formed.

In 1949, he married Thelma Barbara Cox. A couple of years later, in 1951, he started a new job. He became a professor of theoretical physics at King’s College, Newcastle. He stayed there until he retired in 1980.

His main research areas were the theory of liquids and critical phenomena. These studies helped explain how liquids behave and change under different conditions.

Important Contributions

One of George Rushbrooke's most important contributions was the "Coulson-Rushbrooke theorem". This was a key idea in theoretical chemistry. It helped scientists understand certain chemical structures.

He was recognized for his work by important scientific groups. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1954. Later, in 1982, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. These are high honors for scientists.

George and Thelma Rushbrooke did not have children. Thelma passed away in 1977. George Stanley Rushbrooke died on December 14, 1995. His twin brother, John Yeomans, who was also a mathematician, lived until 2004.

His Career Journey

Here are some of the places George Rushbrooke worked and the roles he held:

• 1938–39 Research Assistant, University of Bristol
• 1939–44 Senior DSIR award; Carnegie Teaching Fellowship, University College, Dundee
• 1945–47 Research Lecturer, department of physics, University of Leeds
• 1947-48 Lecturer in Mathematical Chemistry, Leeds
• 1948–51 Senior Lecturer in Theoretical Physics, Oxford and lecturer in Mathematics, University College, Oxford
• 1951–80 Professor of Theoretical Physics, Newcastle University
• 1962–63 Visiting Professor Department of Chemistry, University of Oregon
• 1962–67 Editor of Molecular Physics (a science journal)
• 1965–80 Head of Department of Theoretical Physics
• 1967 Visiting Professor of Physics and Chemistry, Rice University
• 1972–80 Deputy Head, School of Physics, Newcastle
• 1981 Leverhulme Emeritus Fellow