Thomas Lauritsen

Biography

Abstract

Thomas Lauritsen was Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology (1942-1973). Other institutional affiliations included the National Bureau of Standards. His research interests included beta spectra and nuclear spectroscopy.

Important Dates

November 16, 1915Birth, Copenhagen (Denmark).

1936Obtained BS, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1939Obtained PhD in Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1939 – 1940Rockefeller Foundation Fellow in Nuclear Physics, Institute for Theoretical Physics, Copenhagen (Niels Bohr institutet).

1941Assistant Physicist, National Bureau of Standards.

1942 – 1973Research Associate (1942-1945); Senior Fellow (1946-1946); Assistant Professor (1946-1950); Associate Professor (1950-1955); and Professor (1955-1973), California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1969Member, National Academy of Sciences.

October 16, 1973Death, Pasadena (Calif.).

Occupation

Nuclear physicist.

Places

Birth

Copenhagen (Denmark)

Undergraduate Education

Pasadena (Calif.)

Graduate Education

Pasadena (Calif.)

Employment

Pasadena (Calif.)

Death

Pasadena (Calif.)

Subjects

Astrophysics.

Beta decay.

Military research.

Nuclear physics.

Nuclear spectroscopy.

Relationships

People

Family

Lauritsen, Charles Christian, 1892-1968

Father; PhD advisor at California Institute of Technology, "Construction of a pressure Van de Graaff generator and its application to nuclear physics;" and both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Lauritsen, Eric

Son.

Lauritsen, Margaret Solum

Wife. Married 1946.

Lauritsen, Sigrid Henriksen

Mother.

Press, Margaret Ann Lauritsen

Daughter.

Advisors & Collaborators

Bohr, Niels, 1885-1962

Post doctoral advisor at Niels Bohr Institut, University of Copenhagen (Københavns universitet)..

Michel, F. Curtis

Advised by Lauritsen at California Institute of Technology, "Beta spectra of the mass 12 nuclei."

Pearson, John Davie

Advised by Lauritsen at California Institute of Technology, "A study of the gamma radiation produced in the alpha particle bombardment of O16."

Colleagues

Adelberger, Eric G.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Anderson, Carl D. (Carl David), 1905-1991

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bacher, Robert F. (Robert Fox), 1905-2004

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bahcall, John N.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bardeen, James Maxwell, 1939-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Barish, B. C. (Barry Clark), 1936-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bateman, Harry, 1882-1946

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Boehm, Felix

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Bowman, J. D. (J. David)

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

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

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Brown, Harold, 1927-2019

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Christy, Robert F.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

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

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Dashen, Roger F.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

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

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

DuBridge, Lee A. (Lee Alvin), 1901-1994

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

DuMond, Jesse W. M. (Jesse William Monroe), 1892-1976

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Epstein, Paul S. (Paul Sophus), 1883-1966

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Feynman, Richard P. (Richard Phillips), 1918-1988

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Fowler, William A.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Gell-Mann, Murray

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Glauber, Roy J., 1925-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Gordy, Walter, 1909-1985

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Gould, Roy W. (Roy Walter), 1927-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Hellwarth, Robert Willis, 1930-2021

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Holdren, John P.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Houston, W. V. (William Vermillion), 1900-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Klebanoff, P. S.

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Kryder, Mark H.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Leighton, Robert B.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

McKee, Christopher, 1942-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

McLean, William B. (William Burdette), 1914-1976

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

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

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Millikan, Robert Andrews, 1868-1953

Took class from Millikan at California Institute of Technology and both employed there.

Neddermeyer, Seth H. (Seth Henry), 1907-1988

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Oddone, Piermaria J.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Robertson, H. P. (Howard Percy), 1903-1961

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

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

Both employed at the National Bureau of Standards.

Schwarz, John H.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Sciulli, Frank J.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Spitzer, Frank, 1926-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Teukolsky, Saul A. (Saul Arno), 1947-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Thorne, Kip S.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Tollestrup, Alvin

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Tolman, Richard C. (Richard Chace), 1881-1948

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Trilling, George H.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Tsuei, Chang C.

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Will, Clifford M., 1946-

Both employed at California Institute of Technology.

Additional

Alvarez, Luis W., 1911-1988

Barnes, C. A.

Bethe, Hans A. (Hans Albrecht), 1906-2005

Bowen, Ira Sprague, 1898-1973

Evans, Robley Dunglison, 1907-

Feenberg, Eugene

Herb, R. G. (Raymond George), 1908-1996

Jensen, J. Hans D.

Kerst, Donald William, 1911-1993

Koch, Herman William, 1920-

Livingston, M. Stanley (Milton Stanley)

Mayer, Maria Goeppert, 1906-1972

Salpeter, Edwin E.

Tombrello, Thomas A.

Weisskopf, Victor Frederick, 1908-2002

Whaling, Ward, 1923-

Institutions

Major Positions

California Institute of Technology. Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy

Obtained BS (1936) and PhD in Physics (1939). Research Associate; Senior Fellow; Assistant Professor; Associate Professor; and Professor.

United States. National Bureau of Standards

Assistant Physicist.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

Niels Bohr institutet

Rockefeller Foundation Fellow in Nuclear Physics.

University of Wisconsin--Madison. Department of Physics

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Niels Bohr collection of manuscripts by other authors, 1910-1961.

Niels Bohr Archive

Blegdamsvej 17, Copenhagen, Denmark

Niels Bohr scientific correspondence, supplement, 1910-1962.

Niels Bohr Archive

Blegdamsvej 17, Copenhagen, Denmark

Oral history interview with Thomas Lauritsen, 1967 February 16.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Thomas Lauritsen papers, 1922-1974 (bulk 1952-1973).

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Subject

Oral history interview with Charles A. Barnes, 1987 July and August.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Oral history interview with Edwin Ernest Salpeter, 1978 March 30.

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 Ira Bowen, 1968 August 9 and 1969 August 26.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Robert F. Christy, 1994.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Oral history interview with Robley D. Evans, 1972 May 2, 3, 1974 May 5 and 1978 June 14.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Thomas Tombrello, 1998 December 2.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Oral history interview with Thomas Tombrello, 2010 December 26-31.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Oral history interview with Ward Whaling, 1999 April-May.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Symposium of the Division of Nuclear Physics [sound recording] : Thomas Lauritsen Memorial Session / 1974 April 24.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Energy levels of light nuclei (VII) A-11-12, by F. Ajzenberg-Selove and T. Lauritsen.

Subject

"Thomas Lauritsen: 1915-1973", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences

Thomas Lauritsen Physics Today obituary.