John Conrad Jaeger facts for kids
John Conrad Jaeger (born July 30, 1907 – died May 15, 1979) was a brilliant Australian scientist who studied mathematics and physics. He made important contributions to understanding how heat moves through solid materials and later became a leader in the field of geophysics, which is the study of Earth's physical processes.
Contents
Life and Work of John Jaeger
Early Life and Education
John Jaeger was born in Sydney, Australia, on July 30, 1907. His father, Carl Jaeger, made cigars. When John was 16, in 1924, he started studying at Sydney University. He focused on engineering, mathematics, and physics, earning his first degree in 1928.
After that, he spent two more years at Cambridge University in England. There, he continued to study advanced mathematics. He then stayed on to do research in theoretical physics, which explores the basic laws of nature using math.
Teaching and Research
In 1936, John Jaeger began teaching mathematics at the University of Tasmania. Later, he moved back to Sydney when he was offered a special teaching position in mathematics at the University of Sydney.
While in Sydney, he worked closely with Professor Horatio Scott Carslaw. They studied how heat travels through solid objects. Together, they wrote a very important textbook called Conduction of Heat in Solids. This book is still considered a classic in the field today.
Writing and New Fields
After World War II, John Jaeger returned to Tasmania. He became a senior lecturer and wrote several books. Some were new versions of his earlier works, like Operational Methods in Applied Mathematics (with Horatio Carslaw in 1948) and another edition of Conduction of Heat in Solids (again with Carslaw in 1959). He also wrote new books, including An Introduction to Applied Mathematics in 1951 and An Introduction to the Laplace Transformation in 1959.
In 1951, John Jaeger was invited to take on a new and important role. He was asked to lead the new geophysics department at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra. Geophysics is the study of Earth's physical processes, like earthquakes, volcanoes, and the planet's magnetic field.
He moved to Canberra in 1952 and gave his first lecture in 1953. Over the next three years, he started many research projects. The department he built was later named the Department of Geophysics and Geochemistry. John Jaeger retired from the ANU in 1972. He passed away in Canberra in 1979.
Lasting Recognition
John Jaeger's important work in Earth science is remembered today. The Australian Academy of Science gives out the Jaeger Medal every year to recognize contributions to this field.
Awards and Honours
John Jaeger received many awards for his outstanding work:
- 1930 Mayhew Prize for Mathematics from the Faculty of Mathematics, University of Cambridge
- 1947 Thomas Ranken Lyle Medal for Physics and Mathematics from the Australian National Research Council
- 1947 Walter Burfitt Prize from the Royal Society of New South Wales
- 1954 Elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
- 1970 Elected Fellow of the Royal Society
- 1971 Rankine Lecture to the British Geotechnical Association
