Ugo Fano

Biography

Abstract

Ugo Fano was Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of Chicago (1966-2001). Other institutional affiliations included the National Bureau of Standards and the Carnegie Institute of Washington. His research interests included molecular biology and high-energy physics.

Important Dates

July 28, 1912Birth, Turin (Italy).

1934Obtained ScD (Mathematics), University of Turin (Università di Torino), Turin (Italy).

1934 – 1936Research Associate in Physics, University of Rome.

1936 – 1937Italian Department of Education International Fellow, University of Leipzig.

1938 – 1939Instructor in Physics, University of Rome.

1939 – 1940Research Associate, Washington Biophysical Institute.

1940 – 1946Research Fellow in Genetics (1940-1941); Research Associate (1942-1943); Physicist and Mathematician (1943-1945); and Research Associate (1946-1946), Carnegie Institute of Washington, Washington (D.C.).

1944 – 1945Consultant and Ballistician, Ballistics Research Laboratory, United States Army.

1946 – 1947Lecturer, George Washington University.

1946 – 1966Physicist, National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg (Md.).

1956Fellow, American Physical Society.

1957 – 1958Lecturer, George Washington University.

1963 – 1964Visiting Professor, Catholic University of America.

1966 – 2001Professor of Physics (1966-1982); Chair, Department of Physics (1972-1974); and Emeritus Professor of Physics (1982-2001), University of Chicago, Chicago (Ill.).

1976Awarded Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics, American Physical Society.

1976Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1976Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

1976 – 1978Chair, Optical Physics Division Panel, National Research Council.

1995Received Enrico Fermi Award, United States Department of Energy.

February 13, 2001Death, Chicago (Ill.).

Occupation

Theoretical atomic physicist.

Places

Birth

Turin (Italy)

Graduate Education

Turin (Italy)

Employment

Washington (D.C.)

Gaithersburg (Md.)

Chicago (Ill.)

Death

Chicago (Ill.)

Subjects

Atomic and molecular physics.

Molecular biology.

Radiation -- Testing.

Theoretical physics.

X-rays.

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Greene, Christopher Henry

Advised by Fano at University of Chicago, "Doubly-excited states of the alkaline earth atoms."

Heisenberg, Werner, 1901-1976

Advisor at University of Leipzig (Universität Leipzig).

Colleagues

Abelson, Philip Hauge

Both employed at Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Anderson, Herbert Lawrence

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Branscomb, Lewis M., 1926-

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Briggs, Lyman J. (Lyman James), 1874-1963

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Bush, Vannevar, 1890-1974

Both employed at Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Coblentz, William W. (William Weber), 1873-1962

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Cohen, Morrel H.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Condon, Edward Uhler, 1902-1974

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Coppersmith, Susan Nan

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Crewe, Albert V.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Cronin, James W., 1931-2016

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Dryden, Hugh L. (Hugh Latimer), 1898-1965

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Dunn, G. H. (Gordon H.), 1932-

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Falicov, L. M. (Leopoldo Maximo), 1933-1995

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Fisk, Zachary

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Fleming, J. A. (John Adam), 1877-1956

Both employed at Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Franck, James, 1882-1964

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Fritzsche, Hellmut

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Hall, J. L. (John L.), 1934-

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Hartle, J. B. (James B.)

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Kadanoff, Leo P.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Klebanoff, P. S.

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Lederman, Leon M.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Libchaber, Albert J.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Massey, Walter E.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Meggers, William F. (William Frederick), 1888-1966

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Mulliken, Robert Sanderson

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Nagel, Sidney R.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Nambu, Yoichiro, 1921-2015

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Parker, E. N. (Eugene Newman), 1927-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Phillips, J. C.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Ramsey, Norman, 1915-2011

Both employed at Carnegie Institution of Washington.

Sachs, Robert Green, 1916-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Schriesheim, Alan

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Schubauer, Galen B. (Galen Brandt), 1904-

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Shochet, Melvyn J.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Simpson, John A. (John Alexander), 1916-2000

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Telegdi, Val, 1922-2006

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Tsui, D. C. (Daniel Chee), 1939-

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Wald, Robert M.

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Wentzel, Gregor, 1898-1978

Both employed at University of Chicago.

Additional

Koch, Herman William, 1920-

Institutions

Major Positions

Carnegie Institution of Washington

Research Fellow in Genetics; Research Associate; Physicist and Mathematician; and Research Associate.

Catholic University of America. Department of Physics

Visiting Professor.

George Washington University. Department of Physics

Lecturer.

United States. Army

Consultant, Ballistics Research Laboratory and Ballistician.

United States. National Bureau of Standards

Physicist.

Universität Leipzig (1409-1953)

Italian Department of Education International Fellow.

University of Chicago. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics, Chair, Department of Physics, and Emeritus Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Fellow.

American Physical Society

Fellow and received 1976 Davisson-Germer Prize in Atomic or Surface Physics.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

National Research Council (U.S.)

Chair, Optical Physics Division Panel.

United States. Department of Energy

Received 1995 Enrico Fermi Award.

Università di Roma

Research Associate in Physics and Instructor in Physics.

Università di Torino

Obtained ScD in Mathematics (1934).

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Correspondence, primarily with William Lichten, regarding a jointly-authored semi-popular review article on energy conversion in ion-atom collision; a letter on the article to N. V. Fedorenko of the Ioffe Institute, Leningrad; and an April 1965 pre-print from Physical Review Letters, 1964-1965.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Distinguished Speaker Session [sound recording] 1976 April 28.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Ugo Fano papers, circa 1925-1999.

The Joseph Regenstein Library. Department of Special Collections

University of Chicago

1100 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA

Subject

"Ugo Fano: 1912-2001", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences

AIP Physics Today Division unpublished letters to the editors, 1972-1983.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Hans Frauenfelder response to survey on the impact of immigration on U.S. physics, 1999.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Herman William Koch, 1986 September 16 to 11 October 1987.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with John A. Simpson, 1993 May 20.

NIST Research Library and NIST Archives

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Information Services Division. 100 Bureau Drive, MS 2500, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA

Scientific life of Ugo Fano in Chicago, 1982.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Atomic collisions and spectra / U. Fano, A.R.P. Rau.

Basic physics of atoms and molecules [by] U. Fano and L. Fano.

Subject

Electron and photon interactions with atoms : a festschrift for Professor Ugo Fano / edited by H. Kleinpoppen and M. R. C. McDowell.

Ugo Fano Physics Today obituary