Lorella Jones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lorella M. Jones
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | February 22, 1943 |
| Died | February 9, 1995 (aged 51) |
| Alma mater | Harvard University, California Institute of Technology |
| Known for | Research in theoretical particle physics and applications of computers to physics education |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Particle physics |
| Institutions | Computer-based Education Research Laboratory |
Lorella Margaret Jones (born February 22, 1943 – died February 9, 1995) was a brilliant physics professor. She worked at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Lorella was also the director of the Computer-based Education Research Laboratory (CERL).
She was very interested in using computers to help teach physics. Lorella also strongly supported women in physics. She even wrote an essay about the "Intellectual Contributions of Women in Physics." This essay was part of a book called Women of Science: Righting the Record.
Early Life and Hobbies
Lorella Margaret Jones was born in Toronto, Canada, on February 22, 1943. Her parents were also scientists. Her father was an industrial physicist, and her mother was an astronomer. Lorella grew up with her parents, Donald A. Jones and Florence Shirley Patterson Jones. She also had a sister named Irene.
Besides her passion for physics, Lorella loved nature. She enjoyed gardening at her home in Urbana, Illinois. She grew many vegetables and often shared them with her students and friends. Lorella also loved kayaking. Every summer, she would spend a month on an island in Lake Vermillion. She truly was a nature enthusiast as well as a physicist.
Education and Career Journey
Lorella Jones was very dedicated to her studies. She went to Harvard University and focused on mathematics. In 1964, she graduated with high honors, called magna cum laude. After Harvard, she continued her education at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). She earned her master's degree (M.Sc.) in 1966. Then, she completed her Ph.D. in 1968.
In 1974, Lorella became an associate professor of physics at the University of Illinois. Later, she became a full professor. Her main research area was high-energy physics. This field studies the tiny particles that make up everything. She was especially interested in the strong force that holds nuclear particles and quarks together.
Her research career focused on four main areas. These included theories about particles and how they interact. She also studied how computers could help understand these interactions. In 1981–1982, she took a break to work at CERN. CERN is a famous research center in Europe. In 1982, she became a fellow of the American Physical Society. This is a special honor for physicists.
Lorella stayed at the University of Illinois for her entire career. In 1992, she became the director of the university's Education Research Laboratory. She published 64 research papers during her time there.
Important Physics Research
Lorella Jones did important work in particle physics. She studied how light particles, called photons, could create other particles called mesons. She helped confirm the existence of a key meson particle. This led her to develop models for how other particles, like "gluons," are created. She also predicted how bound quark-antiquark pairs would be produced.
Later, she researched "partons" and QCD. These are complex topics about the smallest parts of matter. She helped create equations to understand how these tiny particles behave. She also used computer simulations, called Monte Carlo methods, to show how different particle "jets" could be identified. This helped scientists tell the difference between jets from quarks and gluons.
Lorella also explored new ways to understand particle symmetries. She used special mathematical tools called "Grassmann variables." She worked with other scientists to explain how these variables could describe particle behavior. This research helped create new equations that included these variables. Her work showed how useful these new ideas could be in understanding the universe.
Death
Lorella Jones passed away on February 9, 1995. She was 51 years old. She died in a nursing home in Champaign, Illinois. The cause of her death was cancer.
