James Chadwick
Facts
Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.
James Chadwick
The Nobel Prize in Physics 1935
Born: 20 October 1891, Manchester, United Kingdom
Died: 24 July 1974, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Affiliation at the time of the award: Liverpool University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Prize motivation: “for the discovery of the neutron”
Prize share: 1/1
Work
When Herbert Becker and Walter Bothe directed alpha particles (helium nuclei) at beryllium in 1930, a strong, penetrating radiation was emitted. One hypothesis was that this could be high-energy electromagnetic radiation. In 1932, however, James Chadwick proved that it consisted of a neutral particle with about the same mass as a proton. Ernest Rutherford had earlier proposed that such a particle might exist in atomic nuclei. Its existence now proven, it was called a “neutron”.
Nobel Prizes and laureates
Nobel Prizes 2021
Their work and discoveries range from the Earth’s climate and our sense of touch to efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.
See them all presented here.
