Nigel Weiss facts for kids

Nigel Oscar Weiss (born December 16, 1936 – died June 24, 2020) was a famous astronomer and mathematician. He was a top expert in how liquids and gases move in space and on Earth. He was also a professor at the University of Cambridge.

About Nigel Weiss

Nigel Weiss was born in South Africa. He went to several schools, including Hilton College and Rugby School. He then studied at Clare College, Cambridge, where he became a fellow in 1965. He earned his PhD in 1961.

His Career in Science

In 1987, Nigel Weiss became a professor at the University of Cambridge. He taught about how math applies to space. From 2000 to 2002, he was the President of the Royal Astronomical Society. This is a very important group for astronomers. In 2007, he received the Gold Medal. This is the highest award given by the society.

What He Studied

Nigel Weiss wrote many papers about how math helps us understand space. He focused on solar and stellar magnetic fields. These are the invisible forces around the Sun and other stars. He also studied how fluids (like gases and liquids) move in space and on Earth. He looked at how complex systems change over time.

Understanding Magnetic Fields

In 1966, Nigel Weiss was the first to explain something called 'flux expulsion'. This is when a moving liquid or gas pushes out a magnetic field. We now know this happens in the photosphere of the Sun. The photosphere is the part of the Sun we can see. This process helps us understand how the Sun's magnetic field works.

Awards and Recognition

Nigel Weiss was elected a Fellow of The Royal Society in 1992. This is a very high honor for scientists. It showed how important his work was. His research helped us understand how complex systems behave. He also studied how magnetic fields are pushed out by moving fluids. This helped explain how magnetic fields form in stars.