Donald Hill Perkins
Encyclopedia
Donald Hill Perkins is a British physicist
and an Emeritus Professor at the University of Oxford
. He achieved great success in the field of particle physics
and is also known for his books.
Perkins was born in 1925 and educated at Imperial College London
. In 1945 he received his B.Sc. and 1948, a Ph.D. From 1949 he worked at Bristol University and in 1955/56 at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley
. In 1956 he received the post of reader in Bristol University. In 1963/64 he conducted research at CERN
. In 1965 he became Oxford professor of elementary particle physics. There he built, along with Ken W. Allen, the new Department of Nuclear Physics. In 1976/77 and 1983/84 he returned to CERN.
In 1998 he retired and became Emeritus Fellow of St Catherine's College
, Oxford.
in cosmic radiation. At Berkeley, he worked with accelerators on K-mesons and the annihilation
of proton
s and antiproton
s, at CERN in neutrino
scattering experiments.
He made important pioneering discoveries in regard to the weak neutral current (Gargamelle experiment
) and the experimental verification of quantum chromodynamics
. In 1982 he explored the possible proton decay
, and found a first indication of neutrino oscillations.
In the applied field, he worked on the design of the HERA
storage ring at DESY
in 1961 and worked on cancer therapy with pions.
Perkins in 1959 published his first textbook, together with C. F Powell, on the theme of the emulsion technique for high beam experiments. His Introduction to High Energy Physics is a global standard work on particle physics. Most recently he published in 2003 Particle Astrophysics.
. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1966. In 1979 he received the Guthrie Medal and Prize
of the Institute of Physics
, in 1992 the Holweck Prize
of the Institut Français de Physique, in
1997, the Royal Medal
of the Royal Society
and in 2001 the High Energy and Particle Physics Prize of the European Physical Society
. He gave numerous guest lectures at universities in Toronto, Seattle, Chicago, Hawaii and Victoria and the 2004 Wolfgang Paul Lecture in Bonn.
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and an Emeritus Professor at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. He achieved great success in the field of particle physics
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
and is also known for his books.
Perkins was born in 1925 and educated at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
. In 1945 he received his B.Sc. and 1948, a Ph.D. From 1949 he worked at Bristol University and in 1955/56 at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory in Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. In 1956 he received the post of reader in Bristol University. In 1963/64 he conducted research at CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
. In 1965 he became Oxford professor of elementary particle physics. There he built, along with Ken W. Allen, the new Department of Nuclear Physics. In 1976/77 and 1983/84 he returned to CERN.
In 1998 he retired and became Emeritus Fellow of St Catherine's College
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, often called Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera...
, Oxford.
Achievements
Perkins earliest achievements include the discovery of the negative pionPion
In particle physics, a pion is any of three subatomic particles: , , and . Pions are the lightest mesons and they play an important role in explaining the low-energy properties of the strong nuclear force....
in cosmic radiation. At Berkeley, he worked with accelerators on K-mesons and the annihilation
Annihilation
Annihilation is defined as "total destruction" or "complete obliteration" of an object; having its root in the Latin nihil . A literal translation is "to make into nothing"....
of proton
Proton
The proton is a subatomic particle with the symbol or and a positive electric charge of 1 elementary charge. One or more protons are present in the nucleus of each atom, along with neutrons. The number of protons in each atom is its atomic number....
s and antiproton
Antiproton
The antiproton is the antiparticle of the proton. Antiprotons are stable, but they are typically short-lived since any collision with a proton will cause both particles to be annihilated in a burst of energy....
s, at CERN in neutrino
Neutrino
A neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with a half-integer spin, chirality and a disputed but small non-zero mass. It is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected...
scattering experiments.
He made important pioneering discoveries in regard to the weak neutral current (Gargamelle experiment
Gargamelle
Gargamelle was a giant bubble chamber detector at CERN, designed mainly for the detection of neutrino interactions. Built in France, with a diameter of nearly 2 meters and 4.8 meters in length, Gargamelle held nearly 12 cubic meters of freon...
) and the experimental verification of quantum chromodynamics
Quantum chromodynamics
In theoretical physics, quantum chromodynamics is a theory of the strong interaction , a fundamental force describing the interactions of the quarks and gluons making up hadrons . It is the study of the SU Yang–Mills theory of color-charged fermions...
. In 1982 he explored the possible proton decay
Proton decay
In particle physics, proton decay is a hypothetical form of radioactive decay in which the proton decays into lighter subatomic particles, such as a neutral pion and a positron...
, and found a first indication of neutrino oscillations.
In the applied field, he worked on the design of the HERA
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
storage ring at DESY
DESY
The DESY is the biggest German research center for particle physics, with sites in Hamburg and Zeuthen....
in 1961 and worked on cancer therapy with pions.
Perkins in 1959 published his first textbook, together with C. F Powell, on the theme of the emulsion technique for high beam experiments. His Introduction to High Energy Physics is a global standard work on particle physics. Most recently he published in 2003 Particle Astrophysics.
Awards
Perkins was awarded honorary doctorates in Bristol and the University of SheffieldUniversity of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1966. In 1979 he received the Guthrie Medal and Prize
Guthrie Medal and Prize
The Faraday Medal and Prize is a prize awarded annually by the Institute of Physics. The prize is awarded for "outstanding contributions to experimental physics, to a physicist of international reputation in any sector."...
of the Institute of Physics
Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
, in 1992 the Holweck Prize
Holweck Prize
The Holweck Prize is a major European prize for Physics awarded jointly every year by the British Institute of Physics and the Société Française de Physique . It is one of the four Grand Prix of the SFP and one of the four International Bilateral Awards of the IOP, consisting of a gold medal and a...
of the Institut Français de Physique, in
1997, the Royal Medal
Royal Medal
The Royal Medal, also known as The Queen's Medal, is a silver-gilt medal awarded each year by the Royal Society, two for "the most important contributions to the advancement of natural knowledge" and one for "distinguished contributions in the applied sciences" made within the Commonwealth of...
of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
and in 2001 the High Energy and Particle Physics Prize of the European Physical Society
European Physical Society
The European Physical Society is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote physics and physicists in Europe. Formally established in 1968, its membership includes the national physical societies of 41 countries, and some 3200 individual members. The Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft,...
. He gave numerous guest lectures at universities in Toronto, Seattle, Chicago, Hawaii and Victoria and the 2004 Wolfgang Paul Lecture in Bonn.