Werner Nahm facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Werner Nahm
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Nahm in 2004
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| Born | 21 March 1949 |
| Alma mater | Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 1970 |
| Known for | Nahm equations D=11 is the largest number of dimensions consistent with a single graviton in supergravity theories |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Theoretical physics |
| Institutions | University of Bonn, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies |
| Doctoral students | Katrin Wendland Melanie Becker Ralph Kaufmann |
Werner Nahm was born on March 21, 1949. He is a German theoretical physicist. This means he studies the ideas and rules behind how the universe works. He has made big contributions to mathematical physics. This field uses math to understand physics.
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Werner Nahm's Early Life and Education
Werner Nahm went to high school in Germany. After that, he studied physics at two universities. These were the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. He earned his first physics degree in 1970.
Becoming a Doctor of Physics
He continued his studies and earned his doctorate degree in 1972. This was at the University of Bonn. His special research project was about a topic called the statistical bootstrap model. After getting his doctorate, he worked as a researcher at the University of Bonn until 1975.
Working at CERN
From 1976 to 1982, Werner Nahm worked at CERN. CERN is a very famous science lab in Europe. Scientists there study the smallest parts of matter.
Werner Nahm's Career in Physics
After his time at CERN, Werner Nahm returned to the University of Bonn. He became a professor there in 1989. He taught and researched at the University of Bonn until 2002.
Leading Research in Dublin
Since 2002, he has been a senior professor in Dublin, Ireland. He works at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. This is a place where scientists do advanced research. Since 2007, he has been the director of the School of Theoretical Physics there. He is also a member of the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn.
Werner Nahm's Discoveries in Physics
In the 1970s, Werner Nahm studied elementary particles. These are the tiny building blocks of everything. He also worked on ideas like supersymmetry. This is a theory that suggests every particle has a "superpartner."
Understanding Magnetic Monopoles
Later, he focused on magnetic monopoles. These are like magnets with only one pole, either north or south. Regular magnets always have both. He also studied conformal field theory. This is a way to describe how things behave at very small scales.
The Nahm Equations
The Nahm equations are named after him. He developed these equations in 1981. They help describe how magnetic monopoles work in certain physics theories. He also developed something called the Nahm transform.
The 11-Dimensional Universe
In 1978, Werner Nahm made a big discovery. He showed that the maximum number of dimensions for certain theories was 11. These theories are called supersymmetric theories. Shortly after his discovery, other scientists built on his idea. They created the eleven-dimensional supergravity theory.
This idea is important for unified field theory. This theory tries to combine all the forces of nature into one big idea. It suggests that our universe might have more than the three dimensions we usually see.
Werner Nahm's Research on Ancient Civilizations
Besides physics, Werner Nahm also studied the Mayan civilisation. The Maya were an ancient people in Central America. He researched their astronomy.
Mayan Astronomy and Calendars
He looked at how the Maya observed the planet Venus. Venus was very important for their calendar. The Maya used their calendar to plan important events, like wars.
Deciphering Maya Hieroglyphs
Werner Nahm also helped to understand Maya hieroglyphs. These are the symbols the Maya used for writing. He worked with other experts like Linda Schele and Nikolai Grube. He even found evidence that the Maya observed supernova events. These are huge star explosions. He also found signs that they watched the planet Mercury.
Awards and Honors
Werner Nahm has received several important awards for his work.
- In 2012, he received the Gothenburg Lise Meitner Prize.
- In 2013, he was awarded the Max Planck Medal. This is a very high honor in physics.
- In 2014, he received the Gold Medal in Physical and Mathematical Sciences. This was from the Royal Irish Academy.
