Maurice Couette
Encyclopedia
Maurice Marie Alfred Couette (9 January 1858, Tours
- 18 August 1943, Angers
) was a French physicist
known for his studies of fluidity
.
, France, as the only child of Alfred Ernest Couette, a cloth merchant.
Finishing his education with the Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes
he obtained a baccalauréat
in humanities and in science, both in 1874, as well as bachelor's degrees
in mathematics and physical science (delivered by the Faculté de Science in Poitiers) in 1877 and 1879 respectively. Following a short spell as a lecturer in Angers, he joined the 12th Artillery Regiment at Vincennes
for one year of voluntary military service. In 1881 he settled in Paris and enrolled in the Sorbonne
, studying physical science in preparation for the agrégation
, a French teaching diploma. Couette later taught in Arcueil
and the École Polytechnique
Sainte-Geneviève in Paris.
In 1886, Maurice Couette married Jeanne Jenny, who gave birth to eight children, five of whom reached adulthood.
At the Sorbonne
he studied under Joseph Boussinesq and from 1887 onwards worked at the Physics Research Laboratory under Gabriel Lippmann
, who would later receive the Nobel Prize in Physics
, where Couette also took his doctoral degree on the friction of liquids ("Studies on the Friction of Liquids", Etude sur le frottement des liquides, Gauthiers-Villars 1890).
Soon afterwards he was given a professorship of physics at the Catholic University of Angers (now known as Université Catholique de l'Ouest
). The position, however, was poorly paid and so he had to enter into other teaching commitments, such as at the Free Faculty of Science, the School of Agriculture and several secondary schools in Angers. He still continued to pursue a variety of theoretical and experimental scientific activites. Couette was a member of the French Physics Society and retired in 1933.
and the theory of fluid flow. He designed a concentric cylinder viscometer
that he used to accurately measure the viscosity
of fluids. The laminar flow observed in the gap between the two cylinders is known as Couette flow
. He studied the boundary conditions of a fluid and showed that the "no slip" condition was satisfied for the fluids and wall materials tested.
Since 1993, the Prix Maurice Couette is awarded by the Groupe français de Rhéologie.
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
- 18 August 1943, Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
) was a French physicist
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...
known for his studies of fluidity
Fluidity
Fluidity may refer toIn science*reciprocal of viscosity*Cognitive fluidity*Membrane fluidity*Sexual fluidityOthers*Fluidity *Dark Fluidity – a literature magazine*Empire Fane ship...
.
Biography
Couette was born in ToursTours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
, France, as the only child of Alfred Ernest Couette, a cloth merchant.
Finishing his education with the Frères des Écoles Chrétiennes
Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation, founded in France by Saint Jean-Baptiste de la Salle and now based in Rome...
he obtained a baccalauréat
Baccalauréat
The baccalauréat , often known in France colloquially as le bac, is an academic qualification which French and international students take at the end of the lycée . It was introduced by Napoleon I in 1808. It is the main diploma required to pursue university studies...
in humanities and in science, both in 1874, as well as bachelor's degrees
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in mathematics and physical science (delivered by the Faculté de Science in Poitiers) in 1877 and 1879 respectively. Following a short spell as a lecturer in Angers, he joined the 12th Artillery Regiment at Vincennes
Vincennes
Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
for one year of voluntary military service. In 1881 he settled in Paris and enrolled in the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
, studying physical science in preparation for the agrégation
Agrégation
In France, the agrégation is a civil service competitive examination for some positions in the public education system. The laureates are known as agrégés...
, a French teaching diploma. Couette later taught in Arcueil
Arcueil
Arcueil is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Name:The name Arcueil was recorded for the first time in 1119 as Arcoloï, and later in the 12th century as Arcoïalum, meaning "place of the arches" , in...
and the École Polytechnique
École Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
Sainte-Geneviève in Paris.
In 1886, Maurice Couette married Jeanne Jenny, who gave birth to eight children, five of whom reached adulthood.
At the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
he studied under Joseph Boussinesq and from 1887 onwards worked at the Physics Research Laboratory under Gabriel Lippmann
Gabriel Lippmann
Jonas Ferdinand Gabriel Lippmann was a Franco-Luxembourgish physicist and inventor, and Nobel laureate in physics for his method of reproducing colours photographically based on the phenomenon of interference....
, who would later receive the Nobel Prize in Physics
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...
, where Couette also took his doctoral degree on the friction of liquids ("Studies on the Friction of Liquids", Etude sur le frottement des liquides, Gauthiers-Villars 1890).
Soon afterwards he was given a professorship of physics at the Catholic University of Angers (now known as Université Catholique de l'Ouest
Université Catholique de l'Ouest
The Catholic University of the West is a university located in Angers, France.- History :Early in the 11th century this school became famous under the direction of Marbodus, later Bishop of Rennes, and of Ulger, later Bishop of Angers, both pupils of the renowned canonist, Fulbert de Chartres...
). The position, however, was poorly paid and so he had to enter into other teaching commitments, such as at the Free Faculty of Science, the School of Agriculture and several secondary schools in Angers. He still continued to pursue a variety of theoretical and experimental scientific activites. Couette was a member of the French Physics Society and retired in 1933.
Work
Couette is best known for his contributions to rheologyRheology
Rheology is the study of the flow of matter, primarily in the liquid state, but also as 'soft solids' or solids under conditions in which they respond with plastic flow rather than deforming elastically in response to an applied force....
and the theory of fluid flow. He designed a concentric cylinder viscometer
Viscometer
A viscometer is an instrument used to measure the viscosity of a fluid. For liquids with viscosities which vary with flow conditions, an instrument called a rheometer is used...
that he used to accurately measure the viscosity
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...
of fluids. The laminar flow observed in the gap between the two cylinders is known as Couette flow
Couette flow
In fluid dynamics, Couette flow refers to the laminar flow of a viscous fluid in the space between two parallel plates, one of which is moving relative to the other. The flow is driven by virtue of viscous drag force acting on the fluid and the applied pressure gradient parallel to the plates...
. He studied the boundary conditions of a fluid and showed that the "no slip" condition was satisfied for the fluids and wall materials tested.
Since 1993, the Prix Maurice Couette is awarded by the Groupe français de Rhéologie.