Giulio Racah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Giulio Racah
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| Born | February 9, 1909 Florence, Italy
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| Died | August 28, 1965 (aged 56) Florence, Italy
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| Awards | Weizmann Prize (1953) |
Giulio (also known as Yoel) Racah (Hebrew: ג'וליו (יואל) רקח) was an important Italian-Israeli scientist. He was a talented physicist and mathematician. He also served as the acting president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem from 1961 to 1962. A crater on the Moon is named after him!
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Giulio Racah's Early Life and Education
Giulio (Yoel) Racah was born in Florence, Italy, on February 9, 1909. He came from a family with deep roots in Italy.
He studied at the University of Florence and earned his doctorate degree in 1930. After that, he continued his studies in Rome. He even worked with the famous physicist Enrico Fermi.
Moving to a New Home
In 1939, Giulio Racah had to leave Italy. This was because of special laws against Jewish people at that time. He moved to what was then called the British Mandate of Palestine. This area later became Israel.
During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, Racah helped defend Mount Scopus. He was a deputy commander for the Israeli forces there. He passed away in 1965 while visiting Florence.
Racah's Amazing Scientific Work
In 1937, Racah became a Professor of Physics at the University of Pisa in Italy. After moving to Palestine in 1939, he became a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
He later became the Dean of the Faculty of Sciences. From 1961 to 1962, he was the Rector and acting president of the university. Today, the physics institute at the Hebrew University is named "The Racah Institute of Physics" in his honor.
Understanding Atoms and Energy
Giulio Racah's main research was in quantum physics and atomic spectroscopy. These fields help us understand how tiny atoms work. He found a special way to organize the energy levels of atoms. This method is still used today to figure out the atomic structure of different elements.
He wrote a book about his ideas with his cousin, Ugo Fano. The book was called Irreducible Tensorial Sets and came out in 1959.
Awards and Special Recognition
Giulio Racah received important awards for his contributions to science. In 1958, he was given the prestigious Israel Prize in exact sciences. This award is one of the highest honors in Israel.
See also
- Racah W-coefficient
- Racah parameter
- Racah polynomials
- Racah seniority number
- Racah Lectures in Physics
- List of Israel Prize recipients
- Science and technology in Israel
