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Willis Lamb

American physicist (1913-2008) · United States · Scientists · Died at 94

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A hydrogen atom looked simple until Willis Lamb measured it closely enough to find electrons sitting where quantum theory said they shouldn't be - a tiny shift that cracked open a hole in the physics of the 1940s and handed him a Nobel Prize.

ScientistsScientistPhysicsUnited StatesAmericas20th Century

A life in dates

2008Died15 May 20082000National Medal of ScienceAward1997Honorary Doctor of Ulm UniversityAward1992Einstein Prize for Laser ScienceAward1990Honorary Doctorate from Columbia UniversityAward1989“Neither Dirac nor von Neumann discussed his measurements in physical terms.”In their wordsW. E. Lamb, Classical measurements on a quantum mechanical system, Nuclear Phys. B 6, 197-201 (1989).

1965Honorary Doctor of Yeshiva UniversityAward1960Guggenheim FellowshipAward1958Guthrie LectureAward1955Nobel Prize in PhysicsAward1953Honorary Doctor of the University of PennsylvaniaAwardRumford PrizeAward1930“In his 1930 book, Dirac took for granted that measurements could be made, but was very vague about what was actually involved.”In their wordsW. E. Lamb, Sequential measurements in quantum mechanics, in Quantum Measurements and Chaos, E. R. Pike and S. Sarkar, eds. (Plenum, New

1913Born12 July 1913

Also in Deutsch

Photos 6

Willis Lamb 1955Willis Lamb 19559. Tagung 1959 Physiker- Sir George P. Thomson, Willis E. Lamb - LABW - Staatsarchiv Freiburg W 134 Nr. 058153b9. Tagung 1959 Physiker- Sir George P. Thomson, Willis E. Lamb - LABW - Staatsarchiv Freiburg W 134 Nr. 058153b9. Tagung 1959 Physiker; Studentenabend Stadthalle Lindau- E. Cremer, Willis E. Lamb - LABW - Staatsarchiv Freiburg W 134 Nr. 0581629. Tagung 1959 Physiker; Studentenabend Stadthalle Lindau- E. Cremer, Willis E. Lamb - LABW - Staatsarchiv Freiburg W 134 Nr. 058162Lamb Pais Wheeler Feynman Feshback and Schwinger at Shelter Island ConferenceLamb Pais Wheeler Feynman Feshback and Schwinger at Shelter Island ConferenceUitreiking Nobelprijzen door koning Gustaaf Adolf van Zweden , De prijswinnaars , Bestanddeelnr 907-4970Uitreiking Nobelprijzen door koning Gustaaf Adolf van Zweden , De prijswinnaars , Bestanddeelnr 907-4970Willis E. LambWillis E. Lamb

In their own words 4

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Willis Lamb
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4 statements, newest first

  1. Neither Dirac nor von Neumann discussed his measurements in physical terms.

    1989, W. E. Lamb, Classical measurements on a quantum mechanical system, Nuclear Phys. B 6, 197-201 (1989)., Own words

  2. In his 1930 book, Dirac took for granted that measurements could be made, but was very vague about what was actually involved.

    1930, W. E. Lamb, Sequential measurements in quantum mechanics, in Quantum Measurements and Chaos, E. R. Pike and S. Sarkar, eds. (Plenum, New, Own words

  3. I liked quantum mechanics very much. The subject was hard to understand but easy to apply to a large number of interesting problems.

    W. E. Lamb, Super classical quantum mechanics: the best interpretation of non relativistic quantum mechanics, Am. J. Phys. 69, 413-422, Own words

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Awards

National Medal of Science2000
Honorary Doctor of Ulm University1997
Einstein Prize for Laser Science1992
Honorary Doctorate from Columbia University1990
Honorary Doctor of Yeshiva University1965
Guggenheim Fellowship1960
Guthrie Lecture1958
Nobel Prize in Physics1955
Rumford Prize1953
Honorary Doctor of the University of Pennsylvania1953
Fellow of the American Physical Society
Fellow of the Optical Society
Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

About this person

Willis Eugene Lamb Jr. was born July 12, 1913, and spent his career as an American physicist chasing precision in places others assumed were settled. His measurements of electron energies in hydrogen atoms turned up an unexpected discrepancy - electrons occupied energy levels that deviated slightly from what Dirac's equations predicted. The finding, which became known as the Lamb shift, forced a reckoning with quantum electrodynamics and earned him a share of the 1955 Nobel Prize in Physics alongside Polykarp Kusch. He later taught at the University of Arizona College of Optical Sciences, where he remained until his death on May 15, 2008.

Country
United States
Category
Scientists
Type
Scientist
Status
deceased
Dates
Lived 1913 to 2008 · aged 94

In common with Willis

Serge HarocheBoth received Einstein Prize for Laser ScienceCarl WiemanBoth received Einstein Prize for Laser ScienceTheodor W. HänschBoth received Einstein Prize for Laser ScienceDavid J. WinelandBoth received Einstein Prize for Laser ScienceNorman Foster Ramsey Jr.Both received Einstein Prize for Laser Science

Scientists from the United States 1

Melvin Schwartz57.7

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