Constantin Miculescu

{{Short description|Romanian physicist (1863–1937)}}

{{expand Romanian|topic=bio|date=July 2018}}

Constantin Miculescu ({{IPA|ro|konstanˈtin mikuˈlesku}}; 6 September 1863 – 29 December 1937) was a Romanian physicist.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dmg-lib.org/dmglib/main/biogrViewer_content.jsp?id=14227004&skipSearchBar=1|title=Miculescu, Constantin (1863 – 1937)|access-date=August 16, 2024|website=www.dmg-lib.org}}

He was born in Crevenicu, Teleorman County, in a family of peasants, and completed his secondary studies at the Matei Basarab High School in Bucharest. He then studied in the Department of Physics and Mathematics of the University of Bucharest, where he took courses with teachers such as Spiru Haret, {{ill|Marin Alexe|ro}}, and Emanoil Bacaloglu. In 1886 he went to Paris to pursue his graduate studies at the Physics Laboratory of the Sorbonne, defending his doctoral thesis in 1891. The thesis, titled Sur la determination de l’équivalent mécanique de la calorie, was written under the direction of Gabriel Lippmann, the future Nobel laureate in Physics.{{cite journal|url=https://insse.ro/cms/sites/default/files/field/publicatii/revista_romana_de_statistica_supliment_nr.2_2016.pdf|title=The "Miculescu Constant", an eloquent proof of deep experimental statistical knowledge in late 19th century Romania|first=Gheorghe|last=Săvoiu|journal=Romanian Statistical Review Supplement|issue=2|year=2016|pages=13–22}}{{rp|14}}

A professor at the University of Bucharest, his research focused on heat, optics, and acoustics. Miculescu is noted for his 1891 determination, with great precision, of the mechanical equivalent of the calorie using water circulated in a calorimeter.Gheorghe Brătescu, Personalități ale științei: mic dicționar, p. 202. Bucharest: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică, 1977

He was married to Alexandrina Brătianu, the daughter of Teodor Brătianu (the brother of Ion C. Brătianu); the two had a daughter, Violeta.{{cite news|url=https://jurnaluldearges.ro/conacul-bratianu-sau-cula-tigveni-si-cula-sultanica-de-la-suici-79932/|title=Conacul Brătianu sau Cula Tigveni și Cula Sultănica de la Șuici|language=ro|first=Marius|last= Ionel|newspaper=Jurnalul de Argeș|date=September 12, 2019|access-date=September 9, 2024}} Miculescu died in Bucharest at age 74, and was buried, according to his wishes, at Cula Sultănica in Șuici, Argeș County.{{cite web|url=https://primariasuici.ro/cula-din-suici/|title=Cula din Șuici|language=ro|publisher=Șuici town hall|website=primariasuici.ro|access-date=September 9, 2024}}

An award of the Romanian Academy bears his name,{{cite web|url=https://acad.ro/premiileAR/pag_premii.htm|title=Premiile Academiei Române|publisher=Romanian Academy|website=acad.ro|access-date=September 9, 2024}} and his bust by the sculptor Cornel Medrea is exhibited at the University of Bucharest.