Robin Marshall facts for kids

Robin Marshall (born 1940) is a very important scientist. He is a retired professor of Physics and Biology at the University of Manchester in the UK. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), which is a big honor for scientists.

Learning and Early Research

Robin Marshall went to Ermysted's Grammar School in Skipton. After that, he studied at the University of Manchester. He earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Science, in 1962.

Then, in 1965, he completed his PhD. For his PhD, he worked on special equipment called "sonic spark chambers." These chambers helped him study tiny particles called pions and how they interact with other particles like protons.

Amazing Discoveries in Physics

Professor Marshall is known for his work with very tiny particles. He studied what happens when electrons and positrons (which are like anti-electrons) crash into each other at high speeds. This is called "electron–positron annihilation."

He was one of the first scientists at a huge particle accelerator called PETRA. This machine was at a place called DESY in Germany. There, he figured out important things about how tiny particles like leptons and quarks behave. His work became a guide for many other scientists for years.

He also did a very important study of all the electron–positron data from around the world. This helped him find key numbers for how particles interact. These numbers are now used in physics textbooks.

In 1984, he found a new way to study "bottom quark" particles. Using his method, he showed that the bottom quark was part of a special pair. This discovery helped prove that another particle, the top quark, must exist. This was a very big deal in physics!

Professor Marshall also led a group at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) for many years. Later, in the 1990s, he led British scientists working on another big experiment. This experiment used a machine called HERA, which crashed electrons and protons together.

Awards and Special Honors

Because of his important work, Robin Marshall was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1995. This is one of the highest honors a scientist can receive in the UK. He was also a Fellow of the Institute of Physics (FInstP) for many years.

In 1997, he received the Max Born Medal and Prize. This award is given by the German Physical Society for excellent work in physics.

Books and Writings

Besides his research, Professor Marshall has written several books. He wrote a detailed history of physics in Manchester, called "Three Centuries of Manchester Physics." This five-volume series covers how physics developed in the city over a long time.

In 2018, he published a book with letters written by physicists during World War I. These letters give a special look into what scientists were doing and thinking during the war.

In 2019, he wrote about how Ernest Rutherford discovered "transmutation" in Manchester in 1919. Transmutation is when one element changes into another.

He has also written one fiction book called "The Nobel Conspiracy."