Robert Coleman Richardson (June 26, 1937 – February 19, 2013) was an American

experimental physicist Experimental physics is the category of disciplines and sub-disciplines in the field of physics that are concerned with the observation of physical phenomena and experiments. Methods vary from discipline to discipline, from simple experiments an ...

whose area of research included sub-millikelvin

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...

studies of

helium-3 Helium-3 (3He see also helion) is a light, stable isotope of helium with two protons and one neutron (the most common isotope, helium-4, having two protons and two neutrons in contrast). Other than protium (ordinary hydrogen), helium-3 is the ...

. Richardson, along with David Lee, as senior researchers, and then graduate student

Douglas Osheroff Douglas Dean Osheroff (born August 1, 1945) is an American physicist known for his work in experimental condensed matter physics, in particular for his co-discovery of superfluidity in Helium-3. For his contributions he shared the 1996 Nobel Priz ...

, shared the 1996

Nobel Prize in Physics ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...

for their 1972 discovery of the property of

superfluid Superfluidity is the characteristic property of a fluid with zero viscosity which therefore flows without any loss of kinetic energy. When stirred, a superfluid forms vortices that continue to rotate indefinitely. Superfluidity occurs in two ...

ity in helium-3 atoms in the

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...

Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics. Richardson was born in

Washington D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...

He went to high school at Washington-Lee in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county ...

. He later described Washington-Lee's biology and physics courses as "very old-fashioned" for the time. "The idea of 'advanced placement' had not yet been invented," he wrote in his Nobel Prize autobiography. He took his first calculus course when he was a sophomore in college. Richardson attended

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...

and received a B.S. in 1958 and a M.S. in 1960. He received his PhD from

Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist Jam ...

in 1965.

Background

At the time of his death, he was the Floyd Newman Professor of Physics at

, although he no longer operated a laboratory. From 1998 to 2007 he served as Cornell's vice provost for research, and from 2007 to 2009 was senior science adviser to the president and provost. His past experimental work focused on using

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a physical phenomenon in which nuclei in a strong constant magnetic field are perturbed by a weak oscillating magnetic field (in the near field) and respond by producing an electromagnetic signal with a ...

to study the quantum properties of liquids and solids at extremely low temperatures. Richardson was an

Eagle Scout Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...

, and mentioned the Scouting activities of his youth in the biography he submitted to the Nobel Foundation at the time of his award. Richardson claimed that he did not believe in an anthropomorphic God, but it is unclear what specific beliefs he held.

Awards and honors

* Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize (1981) *

(1996) *Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet ...

(1997) *Elected member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

(2001)

References

External links

Cornell webpage

Freeview video Interview with Robert Richardson by the Vega Science Trust
* Obituaries *

** ** ** * including the Nobel Lecture, December 7, 1996 ''The Pomeranchuk Effect''
J. D. Reppy and D. M. Lee, "Robert C. Richardson", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences (2015)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Richardson, Robert Coleman 1937 births 2013 deaths American Nobel laureates American physicists Cornell University faculty Cornell Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics Duke University alumni Duke University faculty Experimental physicists Nobel laureates in Physics Virginia Tech alumni Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Oliver E. Buckley Condensed Matter Prize winners Members of the American Philosophical Society Washington-Liberty High School alumni

Background

Awards and honors

See also

References

External links