Simon van der Meer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Simon van der Meer
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Simon van der Meer (left) and wife are received by Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus in 1985
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| Born | 24 November 1925 |
| Died | 4 March 2011 (aged 85) |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Alma mater | Delft University of Technology |
| Known for | Stochastic cooling |
| Awards | Nobel prize in Physics |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | CERN |
Simon van der Meer (born November 24, 1925 – died March 4, 2011) was a brilliant Dutch scientist. He was a physicist who studied tiny particles. He won the famous Nobel Prize in physics because of his amazing work at CERN. His discoveries helped us understand the basic building blocks of everything around us. Another physicist, Carlo Rubbia, shared the prize with him.
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Simon van der Meer: A Life in Science
Simon van der Meer grew up in The Hague, Netherlands. He was one of four children. His father was a school teacher, and his mother's family also had many teachers.
Early Life and Education
Simon went to a special school called a gymnasium in his city. He finished school in 1943. At that time, the German army was in control of the Netherlands.
In 1945, Simon started studying at the Delft University of Technology. He worked hard and earned his engineer's degree in 1952. This degree helped him prepare for his future in science.
Joining CERN
In 1956, Simon van der Meer joined CERN. CERN is a very important place where scientists study tiny particles. It was quite new when he started working there. He stayed at CERN for a long time, until he retired in 1990.
Family Life
In 1966, Simon met Catharina M. Koopman. They were skiing with friends in the Swiss mountains. They fell in love and got married. Simon and Catharina had two children: a daughter named Esther (born in 1968) and a son named Mathijs (born in 1970).
His Big Discoveries in Physics
After getting his engineering degree in 1952, Simon van der Meer first worked at the Philips Research Laboratory. This lab was in Eindhoven. There, he mostly worked with high-voltage machines and electronics for electron microscopes.
Working at CERN
When he moved to CERN in 1956, Simon's work changed. He focused on designing technical parts and power supplies for particle accelerators. These are huge machines that speed up tiny particles.
The Idea of Stochastic Cooling
While at CERN, Simon van der Meer came up with a clever idea called stochastic cooling. Imagine trying to keep a huge group of tiny, super-fast particles moving in a perfect line. It's like trying to keep a swarm of bees flying in a neat formation! Stochastic cooling was a way to "cool" or control these particles. It made them move in a more organized way. This was a very important invention.
Discovering W and Z Particles
Simon's invention of stochastic cooling was key to a huge discovery. It helped scientists find the W and Z particles. These particles are like the "glue" that holds matter together. They are super important for understanding how the universe works.
Winning the Nobel Prize
In 1984, Simon van der Meer and another physicist named Carlo Rubbia won the Nobel Prize in Physics. They received this top award for their amazing work that led to the discovery of the W and Z particles. Their discoveries changed how we understand the basic building blocks of everything.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Simon van der Meer para niños
