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Born
Niels Bohr was born October 7th 1885 in Copenhagen Denmark. Here is short video covering some of Bohr's works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv_KDfg0MiE Primary References:
Niels Bohr – Biographical. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2021. Thu. 19 Aug 2021. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1922/bohr/biographical Palermo, E. (2017, August 29). Niels Bohr: Biography & atomic theory. LiveScience. https://www.livescience.com/32016-niels-bohr-atomic-theory.html. -
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Studied at Copenhagen University
During this time Niels Bohr studied at the University of Copenhagen where he met Professor C. Christiansen. Christiansen was profoundly original, discoverer of the Christiansen effect (dealing with refraction and optics). Under his advisement Niels Bohr decided to study Physics for his Masters and Doctoral degrees. -
Copenhagen Academy of Science Award
While still a student, Bohr won a contest put on by the Academy of Sciences in Copenhagen for his investigation into the measurements of liquid surface tension using oscillating fluid jets. He went above and beyond the current theory of liquid surface tension by taking into account the viscosity of the water as well as incorporating finite amplitudes rather than infinitesimal ones.(Palermo, 2017) -
Master's Degree
In 1909 Bohr received his Masters Degree in Physics. -
Doctoral Degree
In 1911 Bohr received his PhD from University of Copenhagen. During his Doctoral research while conducting research for his thesis on the electron theory of metals that Bohr first came across Max Planck's early quantum theory. (Palermo, 2017) -
Post-Doctoral Work in England
In the Autum of 1911 Bohr was invited to work at Cavendish Laboratory in England with Nobel Lauriat J.J Thomas. It was at this this time Bohr began to work on his orbital theory of the electron. During this time Bohr was introduced to Thomas' former student and Colleague Ernest Rutherford. -
Work with Ernest Rutherford
In early 1912 Bohr brought his orbital theory of the Electron to Thomas. Thomas, who had not been impressed by Bohr's experiments, did not accept his theory. He was then invited to perform post doctoral work at Ernest Rutherford's lab where his own theories were elevated while working with Rutherford's study into radioactive phenomenon. -
Beginning of Theoretical work on Atomic Structure
While working at Rutherford's lab Bohr carried out some theoretical work on the absorption of Alpha Rays, published in Philosophical Magazine. This work led him to move on to the study of atomic structure based on Rutherford's discovery of the atomic nucleus. -
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Lectureships at Copenhagen and Victoria Universities
Beginning in 1913 and lasting until 1916 Bohr held a variety of lectureships in Physics at both Copenhagen University Denmark and Victoria University in Manchester, England. -
Appointment at Copenhagen University
In 1916 Bohr was appointed as professor of Theoretical Physics at Copenhagen University -
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Institute of Theoretical Physics
In 1920 the University of Copenhagen established the Institute of Theoretical Physics for Bohr. The Institute was Headed by Bohr until his death in 1962. -
Nobel Prize
In 1922 Bohr was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the structures of atoms. Combining Rutherford's description of the nucleus and Planck's theory about quanta, Bohr explained what happens inside an atom and developed a picture of atomic structure. (Palermo, 2017) During this year Cambridge Press also published Bohr's work "The Theory of Spectra and Atomic Constitution" -
Bohr's second set of essays published
in 1931 Cambridge Press published four more of Bohr's Essays in "Atomic Theory and the Description of Nature". -
Liquid Droplet Theory
In 1936 he pointed out that in nuclear processes the smallness of the region in which interactions take place, as well as the strength of these interactions, justify the transition processes to be described more in a classical way than in the case of atoms. A liquid drop would, according to this view, give a very good picture of the nucleus.(Nobel Prize, 2021) This theory would permit the understanding of nuclear fission and help when in 1939 when Hahn and Strassman split Uranium. -
Escape to Sweden
When the Nazis invade Denmark in 1940 Bohr and his family were able to escape to Sweden. -
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The Manhattan Project
After fleeing to Sweden Bohr initially being brought to London to work with their Nuclear weapons team, Bohr would eventually work at Los Alamos laboratory NM as a consultant under the pseudonym Nicholas Baker. -
Open Letter to the U.N.
As early as April 1944, Niels Bohr recognized that the creation of atomic weapons would completely change the nature of future warfare. Bohr presented a letter to the United Nations , urging the free exchange of scientific and technological information as critical to creating the basis for peaceful cooperation between nations. (Bohr, 1950)
Bohr, Niels " Open Letter to the UN" Science 07 Jul 1950: Vol. 112, Issue 2897, pp. 1-6 DOI: 10.1126/science.112.2897.1 -
Death
Bohr remained active in the scientific community until the very end. In his late life he became very interested in advances in Molecular Biology. He formulated his last thoughts on Life in an unfinished paper titled Light and Life revisited. It was published after his death “Licht und Leben-noch einmal”, Naturwiss., 50 (1963) 72: (in English: “Light and Life revisited”, ICSU Rev., 5 ( 1963) 194)
