William Cochran (physicist) facts for kids
William (Bill) Cochran was a smart Scottish scientist called a physicist. He was born on July 30, 1922, and passed away on August 28, 2003.
Bill Cochran's Life and Work
Bill Cochran grew up in Scotland. He went to Boroughmuir High School in Edinburgh. Later, he studied physics at the University of Edinburgh.
He earned his advanced degree, a PhD, by studying how sugar crystals are built. He used a special method called X-ray crystallography. This method uses X-rays to see the tiny patterns inside crystals. He also used something called "isomorphous replacement" to help figure out these patterns.
After his PhD, Bill moved to the University of Cambridge. There, he worked with another famous scientist, Lawrence Bragg. Bill realized that his "isomorphous replacement" method could help understand the shapes of proteins.
One of his most important works was with Francis Crick. Together, they found ways to understand spiral shapes from crystal data. This work was very important. It helped scientists figure out the famous structure of DNA, which is like a twisted ladder.
Bill then studied how tiny particles called neutrons move through materials. This is called neutron diffraction. He also looked at how atoms move and vibrate in crystals. This is known as lattice dynamics. He used these ideas to explain something called ferroelectricity. This is when certain materials can hold an electric charge. He showed that this happens because of tiny changes in how atoms are arranged when they cool down. His students, Stuart Pawley, Roger Cowley, and Richard Nelmes, helped test these ideas.
In 1964, Bill Cochran went back to Edinburgh. He became a professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh. This field is an old name for physics. In 1973, he wrote a book called The Dynamics of Atoms in Crystals. He later became the head of his department in 1975. He helped combine the Natural Philosophy and Mathematical Physics departments. From 1984 to 1987, he was a vice-principal at the university.
Awards and Honors
Bill Cochran received many awards for his scientific work. In 1962, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very respected group of scientists. He won their Hughes Medal in 1978. In 1984, he also received the Howard N. Potts Medal. This award came from the Franklin Institute in the United States. In 1992, he received an honorary degree from Heriot-Watt University.
Later Life
Bill Cochran passed away in 2003. He had a serious illness called motor neurone disease.
