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Heinz London
Born (1907-11-07)7 November 1907
Died 3 August 1970(1970-08-03) (aged 62)
Known for London equations
Dilution refrigerator
Awards Fellow of the Royal Society (1961)
Scientific career
Institutions University of Bristol
University of Oxford
Clarendon Laboratory

Heinz London (born in Bonn, Germany, on November 7, 1907 – died August 3, 1970) was a German-British physicist. He was a very important scientist who helped discover new things about superconductivity. He worked closely with his brother, Fritz London.

Life and Work

Heinz London grew up in Bonn, Germany. His father was a math professor. His older brother, Fritz, was a big influence on him. The brothers stayed close throughout their lives.

Heinz decided to study physics, just like Fritz. He became an experimental physicist. This means he did experiments to test ideas. He earned his PhD (a high university degree) under a famous scientist named Francis Simon. Simon studied very cold temperatures and superconductivity.

Moving to the UK

In 1933, the political situation in Germany became difficult. Many scientists, including Heinz, needed to leave. Francis Simon was invited to work at the Clarendon Laboratory at the University of Oxford in England. He brought Heinz London with him as his assistant.

While in Oxford, Heinz lived with his brother Fritz. They worked together on important ideas about superconductivity. This led to the discovery of the London equations.

After a few years, the money supporting the refugee scientists ran out. Heinz moved to the University of Bristol for a new job. His brother Fritz later moved to Paris and then to the United States.

Wartime Contributions

During World War II, Heinz London was briefly held in a camp on the Isle of Man. This was because he was from Germany. However, he was soon released to help with the British nuclear program. In 1942, he became a British citizen.

Heinz London passed away in 1970.

Education

Heinz London studied at several universities in Germany. This was common for students at the time.

  • He studied at the University of Bonn in 1926 and 1927.
  • He worked for six months at a chemical factory in Hanau, Germany.
  • In 1929, he spent a year at the Technical University Berlin-Charlottenburg.
  • He then studied at the University of Munich until 1931.
  • In 1933, he earned his PhD from the University of Breslau. His research was about how superconductors behave at high frequencies.

Scientific Discoveries

Heinz London made big contributions to physics. He is best known for his work on superconductivity.

London Equations

Working with his brother Fritz at the Clarendon Laboratory in Oxford, Heinz helped discover the London equations. These equations were very important. They helped explain why superconductors behave the way they do.

Superconductors are special materials that can carry electricity with no resistance. They also push out magnetic fields. This is called the Meissner effect. The London equations helped scientists understand this effect.

Dilution Refrigerator

Heinz London also invented the dilution refrigerator. This is a special device that creates extremely cold temperatures. It uses liquid helium to reach temperatures very close to absolute zero. This invention is crucial for many experiments in physics today.

Awards and Recognition

In 1961, Heinz London was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very high honor for scientists in the United Kingdom.

His nomination recognized his important work:

  • He showed how a magnetic field can only go a certain depth into a superconductor.
  • He helped develop the understanding of how electricity and magnetism work in superconductors.
  • He studied how the size of a superconductor affects its properties.
  • He investigated if an electric field exists inside a superconductor.
  • He applied physics to understand how liquid helium behaves at very cold temperatures.
  • He developed a new way to separate different types of oxygen atoms.
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