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Georges Charpak

French physicist (1924-2010) · France · Scientists · Died at 86

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He won the Nobel for inventing a machine that made invisible particle collisions visible - and fast. The multiwire proportional chamber let physicists see a thousand times more events than older detectors, turning experimental physics into something close to real-time.

ScientistsScientistPhysicsFranceEurope20th Century

A life in dates

2013Nessim-Habif AwardAward2010Died29 September 20102007Officer of the Legion of HonourAward2001“History of science played a very important role for me.”In their wordsNobel interview with Professor Georges Charpak by Joanna Rose, science writer, 6 December 2001.

1997Officer of the National Order of MeritAward1995Honorary doctor of the University of OttawaAward1994Honorary Doctor of the Université Libre de BruxellesAwardHonorary Doctorate of the University of CoimbraAward1993Honorary Doctor of the Aristotle University of ThessalonikiAward1992Nobel Prize in PhysicsAward1989High Energy and Particle Physics PrizeAward1977Honorary doctorate from the University of GenevaAward1973Jean-Ricard PrizeAward1971CNRS silver medalAward1924Born1 August 1924

Also in Deutsch

Photos 7

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In their own words 1

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Georges Charpak
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One statement

  1. History of science played a very important role for me.

    2001, Nobel interview with Professor Georges Charpak by Joanna Rose, science writer, 6 December 2001., Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

Awards

Nessim-Habif Award2013
Officer of the Legion of Honour2007
Officer of the National Order of Merit1997
Honorary doctor of the University of Ottawa1995
Honorary Doctor of the Université Libre de Bruxelles1994
Honorary Doctorate of the University of Coimbra1994
Honorary Doctor of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki1993
Nobel Prize in Physics1992
High Energy and Particle Physics Prize1989
Honorary doctorate from the University of Geneva1977
Jean-Ricard Prize1973
CNRS silver medal1971

Family

Georges Charpak

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About this person

Born Hersz Georges Charpak on 1 August 1924 in Poland, he became a French physicist whose career turned on a single invention. The multiwire proportional chamber - a detector that tracked subatomic particles with unprecedented speed and precision - earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1992. It was a tool that didn't just refine the field; it opened floodgates, letting experiments that once took months happen in hours. He died on 29 September 2010, decades after the device had become standard in labs worldwide.

Country
France
Category
Scientists
Type
Scientist
Status
deceased
Dates
Lived 1924 to 2010 · aged 86

In common with Georges

Peter HiggsBoth received High Energy and Particle Physics PrizeDavid GrossBoth received High Energy and Particle Physics PrizeAlbert FertBoth received Jean-Ricard PrizeFrank WilczekBoth received High Energy and Particle Physics PrizeClaude Cohen-TannoudjiBoth received Jean-Ricard PrizeMakoto KobayashiBoth received High Energy and Particle Physics Prize

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