Miguel Ángel Catalán
Encyclopedia
Miguel Antonio Catalán Sañudo (1894–1957) was a Spanish
spectroscopist
. Born in Zaragoza
, he obtained his degree in chemistry
from the University of Zaragoza
and received in doctorate in Madrid
in 1917. In 1920, he began work as a researcher at Imperial College London
. Examining the spectrum
of the arc of manganese
, he determined that the optical spectra of complex atoms consisted of groups of lines –which he called "multipletes"- between which existed certain characteristic regularities. Catalán demonstrated that study of the multipletes led to further understanding of the states of energy of atom
ic electron
s.
On the invitation of Arnold Sommerfeld
, he worked at the University of Munich, and on the creation by the Rockefeller Foundation of the Institute of Physics and Chemistry (Madrid), in 1930 he was named head of the Spectroscopy
Section. He was invited numerous times to work in the laboratories of the National Bureau of Standards (Washington, D.C.), University of Princeton, and MIT.
He published more than 70 scientific articles in specialized journals. In 1926, he received a prize from the Real Academia de Ciencias (Spain
) and in 1930, the international Pelfort prize.
He married Jimena Menéndez Pidal, the daughter of the Royal Spanish Academy member, (since 1901), Ramón Menéndez Pidal
, (1869–1968), Director of the Royal Spanish Academy since 1925. Because of the military coup by General Francisco Franco
in July 1936, his father in law and himself were the subject of numerous misdemeanours.
From 1950 onwards, he served as director of the Departamento de Espectros del Instituto de Óptica de Madrid (C.S.I.C.). In 1952, he served as advisor to the Joint Commission for Spectroscopy, the head body for this field. In 1954, he became a member of the Real Academia de Ciencias (Madrid).
He died in Madrid
.
The lunar crater Catalán
is named after him.
The Government of the Comunidad de Madrid (Autonomous Region of Madrid) awards the Miguel Catalán Investigation Award in Science since 2005, to honor the memory of Miguel Ángel Catalán. The award recognizes outstanding life accomplishments in research and science. The award winners each receive a medal, a citation and 42,000 Euros. Winners of this award are: José Elguero Bertolini (2005, chemist), Antonio Hernando Grande (2006, physicist), Amable Liñán Martínez (2007, aeronautical engineer), José Luis García Fierro (2008, chemist) and Miguel Francisco Sánchez Madrid (2009, biologist). Since 2008, a Miguel Catalán Investigation Award in Science for researchers under forty years is also given. The awards winners also receive a medal, a citation and 21,000 Euros. 50,000 Euros are also given to their institutions to fund their future work. Winners are: Oscar Fernández Carpetillo (2008, oncologist) and Luis Raúl Sánchez Fernández (2009, physicist).
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
spectroscopist
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
. Born in Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, he obtained his degree in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
from the University of Zaragoza
University of Zaragoza
The University of Zaragoza or sometimes Saragossa University is a university located in Zaragoza, in the Aragon region of Spain...
and received in doctorate in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in 1917. In 1920, he began work as a researcher 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...
. Examining the spectrum
Spectrum
A spectrum is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by...
of the arc of manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
, he determined that the optical spectra of complex atoms consisted of groups of lines –which he called "multipletes"- between which existed certain characteristic regularities. Catalán demonstrated that study of the multipletes led to further understanding of the states of energy of atom
Atom
The atom is a basic unit of matter that consists of a dense central nucleus surrounded by a cloud of negatively charged electrons. The atomic nucleus contains a mix of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons...
ic electron
Electron
The electron is a subatomic particle with a negative elementary electric charge. It has no known components or substructure; in other words, it is generally thought to be an elementary particle. An electron has a mass that is approximately 1/1836 that of the proton...
s.
On the invitation of Arnold Sommerfeld
Arnold Sommerfeld
Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld was a German theoretical physicist who pioneered developments in atomic and quantum physics, and also educated and groomed a large number of students for the new era of theoretical physics...
, he worked at the University of Munich, and on the creation by the Rockefeller Foundation of the Institute of Physics and Chemistry (Madrid), in 1930 he was named head of the Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
Section. He was invited numerous times to work in the laboratories of the National Bureau of Standards (Washington, D.C.), University of Princeton, and MIT.
He published more than 70 scientific articles in specialized journals. In 1926, he received a prize from the Real Academia de Ciencias (Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) and in 1930, the international Pelfort prize.
He married Jimena Menéndez Pidal, the daughter of the Royal Spanish Academy member, (since 1901), Ramón Menéndez Pidal
Ramón Menéndez Pidal
Ramón Menéndez Pidal was a Spanish philologist and historian. He worked extensively on the history of the Spanish language and Spanish folklore and folk poetry. One of his main topics was the history and legend of The Cid....
, (1869–1968), Director of the Royal Spanish Academy since 1925. Because of the military coup by General Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
in July 1936, his father in law and himself were the subject of numerous misdemeanours.
From 1950 onwards, he served as director of the Departamento de Espectros del Instituto de Óptica de Madrid (C.S.I.C.). In 1952, he served as advisor to the Joint Commission for Spectroscopy, the head body for this field. In 1954, he became a member of the Real Academia de Ciencias (Madrid).
He died in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
The lunar crater Catalán
Catalán (crater)
Catalán is a small lunar impact crater that lies almost along the southwest limb of the Moon. At this position the crater is ill-suited for observation from the Earth as it is viewed almost from the side, and visibility is subject to libration effects. It lies to the west of the somewhat larger...
is named after him.
The Government of the Comunidad de Madrid (Autonomous Region of Madrid) awards the Miguel Catalán Investigation Award in Science since 2005, to honor the memory of Miguel Ángel Catalán. The award recognizes outstanding life accomplishments in research and science. The award winners each receive a medal, a citation and 42,000 Euros. Winners of this award are: José Elguero Bertolini (2005, chemist), Antonio Hernando Grande (2006, physicist), Amable Liñán Martínez (2007, aeronautical engineer), José Luis García Fierro (2008, chemist) and Miguel Francisco Sánchez Madrid (2009, biologist). Since 2008, a Miguel Catalán Investigation Award in Science for researchers under forty years is also given. The awards winners also receive a medal, a citation and 21,000 Euros. 50,000 Euros are also given to their institutions to fund their future work. Winners are: Oscar Fernández Carpetillo (2008, oncologist) and Luis Raúl Sánchez Fernández (2009, physicist).