Alexander Dalgarno FRS (5 January 1928 – 9 April 2015) was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

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 was a Phillips Professor of Astronomy at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

Biography

Alexander Dalgarno was born in London in 1928, and spent his childhood there. He was educated in mathematics and atomic physics at

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

, earning a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

theoretical physics Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experim ...

in 1951 under the joint supervision of

Harrie Massey Sir Harrie Stewart Wilson Massey (16 May 1908 – 27 November 1983) was an Australian mathematical physicist who worked primarily in the fields of atomic and atmospheric physics. A graduate of the University of Melbourne and Cambridge Unive ...

and Richard Buckingham. He was an academic at the

Queen's University, Belfast , mottoeng = For so much, what shall we give back? , top_free_label = , top_free = , top_free_label1 = , top_free1 = , top_free_label2 = , top_free2 = , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , parent = ...

from 1951 to 1967 where he worked with Sir David Bates and rose from assistant lecturer to professor. In the 1950s, he laid the foundations for long-range atomic interaction studies which are of critical importance for today's interest in

Bose–Einstein condensate In condensed matter physics, a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) is a state of matter that is typically formed when a gas of bosons at very low densities is cooled to temperatures very close to absolute zero (−273.15 °C or −459.6 ...

s. In 1967 he moved to Harvard to join their department of astronomy and held the positions of acting director of

Harvard College Observatory The Harvard College Observatory (HCO) is an institution managing a complex of buildings and multiple instruments used for astronomical research by the Harvard University Department of Astronomy. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United St ...

, chairman of the department of astronomy, associate director of the Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian and director of the

Institute for Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics The Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (ITAMP) is an international scientific learned society based at the Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was established in 1988 to alle ...

. Dalgarno's research covered three main areas: theoretical atomic and molecular physics, astrophysics and aeronomy (the study of the upper atmosphere). He made contributions in

theoretical chemistry Theoretical chemistry is the branch of chemistry which develops theoretical generalizations that are part of the theoretical arsenal of modern chemistry: for example, the concepts of chemical bonding, chemical reaction, valence, the surface o ...

, scattering theory,

atmospheric physics Within the atmospheric sciences, atmospheric physics is the application of physics to the study of the atmosphere. Atmospheric physicists attempt to model Earth's atmosphere and the atmospheres of the other planets using fluid flow equations, chem ...

& chemistry and astrophysics and was the author of more than 600 publications. Sir David Bates wrote in 1988 that "There is no greater figure than Alex in the history of atomic physics and its applications." Known as the "father of

molecular astrophysics Atomic astrophysics is concerned with performing atomic physics calculations that will be useful to astronomers and using atomic data to interpret astronomical observations. Atomic physics plays a key role in astrophysics as astronomers' only inf ...

", Dalgarno was also a physicist at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and was formerly the editor of the

Astrophysical Journal Letters ''The Astrophysical Journal'', often abbreviated ''ApJ'' (pronounced "ap jay") in references and speech, is a peer-reviewed scientific journal of astrophysics and astronomy, established in 1895 by American astronomers George Ellery Hale and ...

. Dalgarno was also cited in the Nebula Award winning novel ''

The Quantum Rose ''The Quantum Rose'' is a science fiction novel by Catherine Asaro which tells the story of Kamoj Argali and Skolian Prince Havyrl Valdoria. The book is set in her Saga of the Skolian Empire. It won the 2001 Nebula Award for Best Novel and the 2 ...

'' by Catherine Asaro, a science-fiction novel based on Asaro's doctoral work while she was a Ph.D student with Dalgarno. He married Barbara Kane, from whom he was later divorced, and had four children. Later married to Emily Izsak - divorced.

Awards

His work was recognized by many awards, including the prize of the

International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science The International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science (IAQMS) is an international scientific learned society covering all applications of quantum theory to chemistry and chemical physics. It was created in Menton in 1967. The founding members we ...

, the Davisson-Germer Prize of the American Physical Society (1980), the

William F. Meggers Award The William F. Meggers Award has been awarded annually since 1970 by the Optical Society (originally called the Optical Society of America) for outstanding contributions to spectroscopy. Recipients Source: See also * List of physics awards Refe ...

of the

Optical Society of America Optica (formerly known as The Optical Society (OSA) and before that as the Optical Society of America) is a professional society of individuals and companies with an interest in optics and photonics. It publishes journals and organizes conference ...

(1986), the

Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society The Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society is the highest award given by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). The RAS Council have "complete freedom as to the grounds on which it is awarded" and it can be awarded for any reason. Past awar ...

(1986) and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics from the

Franklin Institute The Franklin Institute is a science museum and the center of science education and research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is named after the American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memori ...

(2013). He was a Fellow of the

American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, atmospheric, ocean, hydrologic, space, and planetary scientists and enthusiasts that according to their website includes 130,000 people (not members). AGU's a ...

and the American Physical Society and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemat ...

in 1972 and awarded their prestigious

Hughes Medal The Hughes Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of London "in recognition of an original discovery in the physical sciences, particularly electricity and magnetism or their applications". Named after David E. Hughes, the medal is awarded with ...

in 2002. He was also a member of the

. In 1998, Asteroid 6941 was named Asteroid Dalgarno.

References

External links

Oral history interview transcript with Alexander Dalgarno on 6 December 2007, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & ArchivesA volume honouring Alexander DalgarnoHis International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science pageAutobiographical article in Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalgarno, Alexander 1928 births 2015 deaths People educated at Southgate School Alumni of University College London Academics of Queen's University Belfast Members of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science Harvard University faculty Recipients of the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society Fellows of the American Geophysical Union Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the American Physical Society