Hillard Bell Huntington
Encyclopedia
Dr. Hillard Bell Huntington (21 December 1910 in Wilkes Barre, Luzerne Co., PA - 17 July 1992 Troy
, Rensselaer Co., NY.) was a physicist who (together with Eugene Wigner) first proposed, in 1935, that hydrogen
could occur in a metallic state
. He is also known for his work on the electromigration
of atoms, which later became an important consideration in semiconductor electronics.
Huntington was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
, and received his bachelor's (1932), master's (1933) and doctoral (1941) degrees from Princeton University
. He taught at Culver Military Academy, the University of Pennsylvania
and Washington University in St. Louis. During World War II Huntington worked at the Radiation Lab at MIT.
Huntington joined the faculty of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
in 1946. He served as chair of the physics department at RPI from 1961-1968. He was known as a specialist in diffusion and conduction processes in metals. He was also an accomplished painter. Some of his paintings can be found on display in the Hillard B. Huntington library ("HBH"), named in his honor, located in the Jonsson-Rowland Science center at RPI. RPI also established the Hillard B. Huntington Award for graduate students in his honor.
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
, Rensselaer Co., NY.) was a physicist who (together with Eugene Wigner) first proposed, in 1935, that hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
could occur in a metallic state
Metallic hydrogen
Metallic hydrogen is a state of hydrogen which results when it is sufficiently compressed and undergoes a phase transition; it is an example of degenerate matter. Solid metallic hydrogen is predicted to consist of a crystal lattice of hydrogen nuclei , with a spacing which is significantly smaller...
. He is also known for his work on the electromigration
Electromigration
Electromigration is the transport of material caused by the gradual movement of the ions in a conductor due to the momentum transfer between conducting electrons and diffusing metal atoms. The effect is important in applications where high direct current densities are used, such as in...
of atoms, which later became an important consideration in semiconductor electronics.
Huntington was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and received his bachelor's (1932), master's (1933) and doctoral (1941) degrees from Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
. He taught at Culver Military Academy, the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and Washington University in St. Louis. During World War II Huntington worked at the Radiation Lab at MIT.
Huntington joined the faculty of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
in 1946. He served as chair of the physics department at RPI from 1961-1968. He was known as a specialist in diffusion and conduction processes in metals. He was also an accomplished painter. Some of his paintings can be found on display in the Hillard B. Huntington library ("HBH"), named in his honor, located in the Jonsson-Rowland Science center at RPI. RPI also established the Hillard B. Huntington Award for graduate students in his honor.