Hans Suess
Encyclopedia
Hans Eduard Suess was an Austria
n physical chemist and nuclear physicist. He was a grandson of the Austrian geologist Eduard Suess
Suess earned his Ph.D.
in chemistry from the University of Vienna
in 1935. During World War II
, he was part of a team of German
scientists studying nuclear power
and was advisor to the production of heavy water
in a Norwegian plant (see Operation Gunnerside).
After the war, he collaborated on the shell model of the atomic nucleus
with future (1963) Nobel Prize winner
, Hans Jensen
.
In 1950 Suess emigrated to the United States
. He did research in the field of cosmochemistry
, investigating the abundance of certain elements in meteorites with Harold Urey
(Nobel Prize in Chemistry
, 1934) at the University of Chicago
. He then joined the University of California, San Diego as Professor of Geochemistry. He established a laboratory for carbon-14
determinations.
Suess's most recent research was focused on the distribution of carbon-14
and tritium
in the oceans and atmosphere. On basis of radiocarbon analyses of annual growth-rings of trees he contributed to
The mineral suessite
, a Fe, Ni-silicide in Enstatit-Chondrites
, is named after him.
(Theodor Seuss Geisel) his contemporary living in the same locality, La Jolla. Ironically, both names have been posthumously linked together: Hans Suess's personal papers are housed in the Geisel Library
at UCSD.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n physical chemist and nuclear physicist. He was a grandson of the Austrian geologist Eduard Suess
Eduard Suess
Eduard Suess was a geologist who was an expert on the geography of the Alps. He is responsible for hypothesising two major former geographical features, the supercontinent Gondwana and the Tethys Ocean.Born in London to a Jewish Saxon merchant, when he was three his family relocated toPrague,...
Suess earned his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in chemistry from the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
in 1935. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was part of a team of German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
scientists studying nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
and was advisor to the production of heavy water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
in a Norwegian plant (see Operation Gunnerside).
After the war, he collaborated on the shell model of the atomic nucleus
Atomic nucleus
The nucleus is the very dense region consisting of protons and neutrons at the center of an atom. It was discovered in 1911, as a result of Ernest Rutherford's interpretation of the famous 1909 Rutherford experiment performed by Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden, under the direction of Rutherford. The...
with future (1963) Nobel Prize winner
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
, Hans Jensen
J. Hans D. Jensen
Johannes Hans Daniel Jensen was a German nuclear physicist. During World War II, he worked on the German nuclear energy project, known as the Uranium Club, in which he made contributions to the separation of uranium isotopes. After the war Jensen was a professor at the University of Heidelberg...
.
In 1950 Suess emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He did research in the field of cosmochemistry
Cosmochemistry
Cosmochemistry or chemical cosmology is the study of the chemical composition of matter in the universe and the processes that led to those compositions. This is done primarily through the study of the chemical composition of meteorites and other physical samples...
, investigating the abundance of certain elements in meteorites with Harold Urey
Harold Urey
Harold Clayton Urey was an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934...
(Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry is awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to scientists in the various fields of chemistry. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895, awarded for outstanding contributions in chemistry, physics, literature,...
, 1934) at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He then joined the University of California, San Diego as Professor of Geochemistry. He established a laboratory for carbon-14
Carbon-14
Carbon-14, 14C, or radiocarbon, is a radioactive isotope of carbon with a nucleus containing 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Its presence in organic materials is the basis of the radiocarbon dating method pioneered by Willard Libby and colleagues , to date archaeological, geological, and hydrogeological...
determinations.
Suess's most recent research was focused on the distribution of carbon-14
Carbon-14
Carbon-14, 14C, or radiocarbon, is a radioactive isotope of carbon with a nucleus containing 6 protons and 8 neutrons. Its presence in organic materials is the basis of the radiocarbon dating method pioneered by Willard Libby and colleagues , to date archaeological, geological, and hydrogeological...
and tritium
Tritium
Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. The nucleus of tritium contains one proton and two neutrons, whereas the nucleus of protium contains one proton and no neutrons...
in the oceans and atmosphere. On basis of radiocarbon analyses of annual growth-rings of trees he contributed to
- the calibration of the radiocarbon datingRadiocarbon datingRadiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
scale, and - the study of the magnitude of the dilution of atmospheric radiocarbon by carbon dioxide from fossil fuels burned since the industrial revolution. This dilution is known as the Suess effectSuess effectThe Suess effect is change in the ratio of the atmospheric concentrations of heavy isotopes of carbon by the admixture of large amounts of fossil-fuel derived CO2, which is depleted in 13CO2 and contains no 14CO2. It is named for the Austrian chemist Hans Suess, who noted the influence of this...
(see articles about the anthropogenic greenhouse effectGreenhouse effectThe greenhouse effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is re-radiated in all directions. Since part of this re-radiation is back towards the surface, energy is transferred to the surface and the lower atmosphere...
).
The mineral suessite
Suessite
Suessite is a rare iron silicide mineral with chemical formula: Fe3Si. The mineral was named after Professor Hans E. Suess. It was discovered in 1982 during the chemical analysis of The North Haig olivine pigeonite achondrite . It is a cream white color in reflected light, and ranges in size from 1...
, a Fe, Ni-silicide in Enstatit-Chondrites
Chondrite
Chondrites are stony meteorites that have not been modified due to melting or differentiation of the parent body. They formed when various types of dust and small grains that were present in the early solar system accreted to form primitive asteroids...
, is named after him.
Trivia
He was disappointed by being confused, by the US Postal Service among others, with Dr. SeussDr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
(Theodor Seuss Geisel) his contemporary living in the same locality, La Jolla. Ironically, both names have been posthumously linked together: Hans Suess's personal papers are housed in the Geisel Library
Geisel Library
The Geisel Library is the main library building on the University of California, San Diego campus and contains four of the six libraries located on campus...
at UCSD.