Peter Meyer (January 6, 1920 – March 7, 2002) was a German-born American astrophysicist notable for his research of

cosmic rays Cosmic rays are high-energy particles or clusters of particles (primarily represented by protons or atomic nuclei) that move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the Sun, from outside of the Solar System in our ow ...

. Peter Meyer, 82; Physicist Studied Cosmic Rays;Obituaries , PASSINGS; March 11, 2002
/ref> University of Chicago Chronicle;April 11, 2002;Vol. 21 No. 13;Physicist Meyer dies at age 82
/ref>
/ref> Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society:vol. 34, no. 4, p. 1368-1370
/ref> The

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

said that Meyer "conducted pioneering studies on cosmic rays". The American Astronomical Society said that Meyer was "a distinguished astrophysicist and pioneer in cosmic-ray observations". Meyer was director of the

Enrico Fermi Institute __NOTOC__ The Institute for Nuclear Studies was founded September 1945 as part of the University of Chicago with Samuel King Allison as director. On November 20, 1955, it was renamed The Enrico Fermi Institute for Nuclear Studies. The name was s ...

at the

, was a chairman of the

's physics department, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He was also chair of the Cosmic Ray Physics Division of the American Physical Society, a member of the Space Science Board of the National Academy of Sciences, and chair of the Committee on Astronomy and Astrophysics of the Space Science Board.

Life and career

Meyer was born in Berlin, Germany. He received a doctorate from the University of Göttingen in 1948. He immigrated to the United States in 1953 and joined the faculty of the

. Meyer advanced to assistant professor in 1956, associate professor in 1962 and professor in 1966. Meyer spent the rest of his career at the University of Chicago and became emeritus in 1990. Meyer died in Chicago from complications of a stroke. His doctoral students include Rochus E. Vogt.

References

External links

Eugene N. Parker, "Peter Meyer", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2003)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meyer, Peter (astrophysicist) 1920 births 2002 deaths American astrophysicists University of Chicago faculty University of Göttingen alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Scientists from Berlin German emigrants to the United States