Nicolás Cabrera (1913–1989), was a Spanish

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

who did important work on the theories of

crystal A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macro ...

growth (specifically the Burton–Cabrera–Frank theory) and the oxidisation of

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

s. He was the son of another famous Spanish physicist Blas Cabrera and the father of American Physicist

Blas Cabrera Navarro Blas Cabrera Navarro (born September 21, 1946 in Paris, France) is a Stanley G. Wojcicki Professor of Physics at Stanford University best known for his experiment in search of magnetic monopoles. He is the son of Spanish physicist Nicolás Ca ...

. He spent many years in exile during the

Francoist State Francoist Spain ( es, España franquista), or the Francoist dictatorship (), was the period of Spanish history between 1939 and 1975, when Francisco Franco ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War with the title . After his death in 1975, Spai ...

. He was

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...

of the Department of

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

in the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

, where he worked from 1952. He became known for his interests in engineering and material science. He founded the physics department and was a professor at the

Autonomous University of Madrid The Autonomous University of Madrid ( es, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; UAM), commonly known as simply la Autónoma, is a Spanish public university located in Madrid, Spain. The university was founded in 1968 alongside the Autonomous Univers ...

(UAM), from 1971. He is considered to have given an impulse to the study of physics in Spain from the time of his return. For a time

Javier Solana Francisco Javier Solana de Madariaga (; born 14 July 1942) is a Spanish physicist and PSOE politician. After serving in the Spanish government as Foreign Affairs Minister under Felipe González (1992–1995) and as the Secretary General of NA ...

, whom he met at the University of Virginia, was his assistant in Madrid. Solana has described him as being a brilliant man but badly organized. The Nicolás Cabrera Institute, founded in 1989 in the UAM, is named after him.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cabrera, Nicolas 1913 births 1989 deaths Spanish physicists Fellows of the American Physical Society