John Hasbrouck Van Vleck

{{Infobox scientist

| name = John Hasbrouck Van Vleck

| image = JH van Vleck 1974.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Van Vleck in 1974

| birth_date = {{birth date|1899|3|13}}

| birth_place = Middletown, Connecticut, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1980|10|27|1899|3|13}}

| death_place = Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.

| resting_place = Forest Hill Cemetery

| field = Physics

| work_institutions = University of Minnesota
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Harvard University
University of Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford

| alma_mater = University of Wisconsin–Madison
Harvard University

| doctoral_advisor = Edwin C. Kemble

| doctoral_students = {{plainlist|1=

}}

| notable_students = John Bardeen{{Cite journal |last=Bardeen |first=J. |date=1980 |title=Reminiscences of Early Days in Solid State Physics |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2990278 |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences |volume=371 |issue=1744 |pages=77–83 |doi=10.1098/rspa.1980.0059 |jstor=2990278 |bibcode=1980RSPSA.371...77B |s2cid=121788084 |issn=0080-4630}}

| known_for = Crystal field theory
Van Vleck paramagnetism
Van Vleck transformations
Van Vleck formula (propagator)

| influences =

| influenced =

| prizes = {{Plainlist|

Irving Langmuir Award (1965)
National Medal of Science (1966)
ForMemRS (1967){{Cite journal |last1=Bleaney |first1=B. |author-link=Brebis Bleaney|doi=10.1098/rsbm.1982.0024 |title=John Hasbrouck Van Vleck. 13 March 1899-27 October 1980 |journal=Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society |volume=28 |pages=627–665|year=1982 |jstor=769913|doi-access=free }}
Elliott Cresson Medal (1971)
Lorentz Medal (1974)
Nobel Prize in Physics (1977)}}

| footnotes =

| spouse = {{marriage|Abigail Pearson|10 June 1927}}

| signature =

}}

John Hasbrouck Van Vleck ({{IPAc-en|v|æ|n|_|v|l|ɛ|k}};{{Cite Dictionary.com|Van Vleck}} March 13, 1899 – October 27, 1980) was an American physicist and mathematician. He was co-awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1977, for his contributions to the understanding of the behavior of electronic magnetism in solids.

Early life and education

Van Vleck was born to mathematician Edward Burr Van Vleck and Hester L. Raymond in Middletown, Connecticut, while his father was an assistant professor at Wesleyan University, and where his grandfather, astronomer John Monroe Van Vleck, was also a professor. He grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, and received an A.B. degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1920, before earning his Ph.D. at Harvard University in 1922 under the supervision of Edwin C. Kemble.{{cite web |url=https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1977/vleck/biographical/ |title=John H. van Vleck Biographical}}{{cite web | url=http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/van-vleck-edward.pdf | title=NAS Biography of E.B. Van Vleck}}

Career and research

He joined the University of Minnesota as an assistant professor in 1923, then moved to the University of Wisconsin before settling at Harvard. He also earned Honorary D. Sc., or D. Honoris Causa, degree from Wesleyan University in 1936.{{Nobelprize}} including the Nobel Lecture, December 8, 1977 Quantum Mechanics The Key to Understanding Magnetism

J. H. Van Vleck established the fundamentals of the quantum mechanical theory of magnetism, crystal field theory and ligand field theory (chemical bonding in metal complexes). He is regarded as the Father of Modern Magnetism.[http://www.iaqms.org/deceased/van-vleck.php John H. van Vleck], International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science.[http://www.tc.umn.edu/~janss011/pdf%20files/dispersion-I.pdf On the verge of Umdeutung in Minnesota: Van Vleck and the correspondence principle. Part One] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520132907/http://www.tc.umn.edu/~janss011/pdf%20files/dispersion-I.pdf |date=2009-05-20 }}, Anthony Duncan, Michel Janssen; Elsevier Science, 8 May 2007.[http://www.tc.umn.edu/~janss011/pdf%20files/dispersion-II.pdf On the verge of Umdeutung in Minnesota: Van Vleck and the correspondence principle. Part Two] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090520132857/http://www.tc.umn.edu/~janss011/pdf%20files/dispersion-II.pdf |date=2009-05-20 }}, Anthony Duncan, Michel Janssen; Elsevier Science, 8 May 2007.

During World War II, J. H. Van Vleck worked on radar at the MIT Radiation Lab. He was half time at the Radiation Lab and half time on the staff at Harvard. He showed that at about 1.25-centimeter wavelength water molecules in the atmosphere would lead to troublesome absorption and that at 0.5-centimeter wavelength there would be a similar absorption by oxygen molecules.[http://www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Norman_F._Ramsey_Oral_History_(1991) Norman F. Ramsey Oral History (1991)]{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, NORMAN F. RAMSEY: An Interview Conducted by John Bryant, IEEE History Center, 20 June 1991.[http://www.aip.org/history/ohilist/4373.html Oral History Transcript] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112062738/http://www.aip.org/history/ohilist/4373.html |date=2015-01-12 }}, Interview with John H. Van Vleck by Katherine Sopka at Lyman Laboratory of Physics, 28 January 1977.Louis Brown, [https://books.google.com/books?id=wpFMWeLmp4cC&pg=PA442 A radar history of World War II], Institute of Physics Pub., 1999, {{ISBN|0750306599}}, pp. 442, 521.{{cite journal|doi=10.1103/RevModPhys.17.227|url=http://radiometrics.com/vanvleck_revmodphys45.pdf|title=On the Shape of Collision-Broadened Lines|year=1945|last1=Van Vleck|first1=J.|last2=Weisskopf|first2=V.|journal=Reviews of Modern Physics|volume=17|issue=2–3|pages=227|bibcode=1945RvMP...17..227V|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715144831/http://radiometrics.com/vanvleck_revmodphys45.pdf|archive-date=2011-07-15}}

This was to have important consequences not just for military (and civil) radar systems but later for the new science of radioastronomy.

File:JH van Vleck and HBG Casimir, 1974.jpg from Hendrik Brugt Gerhard Casimir at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, 1974.]]

J. H. Van Vleck participated in the Manhattan Project. In June 1942, J. Robert Oppenheimer held a summer study for confirming the concept and feasibility of a nuclear weapon at the University of California, Berkeley. Eight theoretical scientists, including J. H. Van Vleck, attended it. From July to September, the theoretical study group examined and developed the principles of atomic bomb design.[http://www.lanl.gov/history/atomicbomb/gadget-born.shtml New Weapons Laboratory Gives Birth to the "Gadget"], 50th Anniversary Article, Los Alamos National Laboratory.[http://www.atomicheritage.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=296 Berkeley Summer Study Group] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221224350/http://www.atomicheritage.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=296 |date=2012-02-21 }}, The Atomic Heritage Foundation.[http://www.atomicheritage.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=287 Atomic History Timeline 1900– 1942 ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120221224356/http://www.atomicheritage.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=287 |date=2012-02-21 }}, The Atomic Heritage Foundation.

J. H. Van Vleck's theoretical work led to the establishment of the Los Alamos Nuclear Weapons Laboratory. He also served on the Los Alamos Review committee in 1943. The committee, established by General Leslie Groves, also consisted of W. K. Lewis of MIT, Chairman; E. L. Rose, of Jones & Lamson; E. B. Wilson of Harvard; and Richard C. Tolman, Vice Chairman of NDRC. The committee's important contribution (originating with Rose) was a reduction in the size of the firing gun for the Little Boy atomic bomb, a concept that eliminated additional design weight and sped up production of the bomb for its eventual release over Hiroshima. However, it was not employed for the Fat Man bomb at Nagasaki, which relied on implosion of a plutonium shell to reach critical mass.{{cite web |url=http://www.lanl.gov/history/road/oversight.shtml |title=Oversight Committee Formed as Lab Begins Research – 50th Anniversary Article, Los Alamos National Laboratory }}Leslie R. Groves, Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, Retired; Now It Can Be Told, Harper, 1962, pp. 162–63.

The philosopher and historian of science Thomas Kuhn completed a Ph.D. in physics under Van Vleck's supervision at Harvard.{{Cite book|title=The Road Since Structure: Philosophical Essays, 1970-1993, with an Autobiographical Interview|url=https://archive.org/details/roadsincestructu00kuhn|url-access=limited|last=Kuhn|first=Thomas S.|publisher=University of Chicago Press|year=2000|isbn=9780226457987|editor-last=Conant|editor-first=Jim|pages=[https://archive.org/details/roadsincestructu00kuhn/page/n248 242]–245|editor-last2=Haugeland|editor-first2=John}}

From 1951, Van Vleck was Hollis Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Harvard. He concurrently held the first deanship of Harvard's Division of Engineering and Applied Physics until 1957.{{cite news |title=Van Vleck Dies at 81 |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1980/10/28/van-vleck-dies-at-81-pjohn/ |access-date=July 23, 2023 |work=Harvard Crimson |date=October 28, 1980}}

File:Graves of Edward Burr Van Vleck (1863–1943) and John Hasbrouck Van Vleck (1899–1980) at Forest Hill Cemetery, Madison, WI.jpg

In 1961/62 he was George Eastman Visiting Professor at University of Oxford[http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/oxford_people/oxonian_award_winners/#aphysics Nobel Laureates] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020135409/http://www.ox.ac.uk/about_the_university/oxford_people/oxonian_award_winners/ |date=2013-10-20 }}, University of Oxford. and held a professorship at Balliol College.[https://archive.today/20070623220917/http://alumni.balliol.ox.ac.uk/news/fd2006/eastman_professors.asp Inspiring minds: the Eastman Professors], Floreat Domus, Balliol College News, Issue 12, June 2006.

In 1950 he became foreign member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.{{cite web|url=http://www.dwc.knaw.nl/biografie/pmknaw/?pagetype=authorDetail&aId=PE00003578 |title=John Hasbrouck van Vleck (1899–1980) |publisher=Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences |access-date=17 July 2015}} He was awarded the National Medal of Science in 1966{{cite web |url=https://www.nsf.gov/od/nms/recip_details.cfm?recip_id=371 |title=The President's National Medal of Science: Recipient Details |publisher= National Science Foundation}} and the Lorentz Medal in 1974.{{cite web |url=http://www.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl/lorentzmedal/ |title= The Lorentz medal |publisher=Lorentz.leidenuniv.nl |access-date=2012-07-27}}

For his contributions to the understanding of the behavior of electrons in magnetic solids, Van Vleck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics 1977, along with Philip W. Anderson and Sir Nevill Mott.{{cite web |url=http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1977/ |title=The Nobel Prize in Physics 1977 |publisher= Nobelprize.org |access-date=2012-07-27}} Van Vleck transformations, Van Vleck paramagnetism and Van Vleck formula{{Cite book|title=Chaos in classical and quantum mechanics|last=C.)|first=Gutzwiller, M. C. (Martin|isbn=978-1461209836|location=New York|oclc=883391909|date = 2013-11-27}} are named after him.

Van Vleck died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, aged 81.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/10/28/archives/john-van-vleck-nobel-laureate-known-for-work-on-magnetism-earned.html?sq=John%2520Van%2520Vleck&scp=1&st=cse |title=John Van Vleck, Nobel Laureate Known for Work on Magnetism; Earned Three Degree |newspaper= The New York Times |date=October 28, 1980 |page= A32}} He was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery.

Awards and honors

Van Vleck was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1934,{{Cite web |title=John Hasbrouck Van Vleck |url=https://www.amacad.org/person/john-hasbrouck-van-vleck |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=American Academy of Arts & Sciences |date=9 February 2023 |language=en}} the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1935,{{Cite web |title=J. H. Van Vleck |url=http://www.nasonline.org/member-directory/deceased-members/20000927.html |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=www.nasonline.org}} and the American Philosophical Society in 1939.{{Cite web |title=APS Member History |url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=John+H.+Van+Vleck&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=search.amphilsoc.org}} He was awarded the Irving Langmuir Award in 1965, the National Medal of Science in 1966 and elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Society (ForMemRS) in 1967. He was awarded the Elliott Cresson Medal in 1971, the Lorentz Medal in 1974 and the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1977.

Personal life

J. H. Van Vleck met Abigail Pearson, a student at University of Minnesota, during his professorship there, and married her on June 10, 1927. He and his wife Abigail were also important art collectors, particularly in the medium of Japanese woodblock prints (principally Ukiyo-e), known as Van Vleck Collection. It was inherited from his father Edward Burr Van Vleck. They donated the collection to the Chazen Museum of Art in Madison, Wisconsin in 1980s.[http://www.chazen.wisc.edu/collection/prints/vleck.htm E. B. Van Vleck Collection] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006154426/http://www.chazen.wisc.edu/collection/prints/vleck.htm |date=2008-10-06 }}, Chazen Museum of Art

Publications

[http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRev.24.330 The Absorption of Radiation by Multiply Periodic Orbits, and its Relation to the Correspondence Principle and the Rayleigh–Jeans Law. Part I. Some Extensions of the Correspondence Principle], Physical Review, vol. 24, Issue 4, pp. 330–346 (1924)
[http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRev.24.347 The Absorption of Radiation by Multiply Periodic Orbits, and its Relation to the Correspondence Principle and the Rayleigh–Jeans Law. Part II. Calculation of Absorption by Multiply Periodic Orbits], Physical Review, vol. 24, Issue 4, pp. 347–365 (1924)
[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016003229918287 The Statistical Interpretation of Various Formulations of Quantum Mechanics], Journal of the Franklin Institute, vol. 207, Issue 4, pp. 475–494 (1929)
Quantum Principles and Line Spectra, (Bulletin of the National Research Council; v. 10, pt 4, no. 54, 1926)
The Theory of Electric and Magnetic Susceptibilities (Oxford at Clarendon, 1932).
[http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1977/vleck-lecture.html Quantum Mechanics, The Key to Understanding Magnetism], Nobel Lecture, December 8, 1977
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1085402/ The Correspondence Principle in the Statistical Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics] Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, vol. 14, pp. 178–188 (1928)

References

External links

{{Nobelprize}} including the Nobel Lecture, December 8, 1977 Quantum Mechanics The Key to Understanding Magnetism
[https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsbm.1982.0024 John Hasbrouck Van Vleck] 13 March 1899-27 October 1980, Elected for Mem. R.S. 1967, by Brebis Bleaney, from Royal Society Publishing.
[https://archive.org/details/theoryofelectric031070mbp The Theory of Electric and Magnetic Susceptibilities ]
[http://www.nobel-winners.com/Physics/john_hasbrouck_van_vleck.html John Hasbrouck van Vleck]
Duncan, Anthony and Janssen, Michel. "On the verge of Undeutung in Minnesota: Van Vleck and the correspondence principle. Part one," Archive for History of Exact Sciences 2007, 61:6, pages 553–624. [http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/archive/00002818/01/duncan-janssen.pdf]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070104210823/http://www.chazen.wisc.edu/home.htm Chazen Museum of Art]

= Oral histories =

[https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/4930-1 Oral history interview with John H. Van Vleck on 2 October 1963, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics] - Session I
[https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/4930-2 Oral history interview with John H. Van Vleck on 4 October 1963, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics] - Session II
[https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/4931-1 Oral history interview with John H. Van Vleck on 28 February 1966, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics] - Session I
[https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/4931-2 Oral history interview with John H. Van Vleck on 19 January 1973, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics] - Session II
[https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/4373 Oral history interview with John H. Van Vleck on 28 January 1977, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, American Institute of Physics]

= Archival collections =

[https://libserv.aip.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=16Y132799IN19.359325&menu=search&aspect=power&npp=10&ipp=20&spp=20&profile=rev-all&ri=4&source=%7E%21horizon&index=.GW&term=J.+H.+VAN+VLECK+PAPERS%2C+1853-1981%2C+%28BULK+1920-1980%29&x=8&y=8&aspect=power J. H. Van Vleck papers, 1853-1981 (1920-1980), Niels Bohr Library & Archives]

{{succession box

| before=Percy Williams Bridgman

| title=Hollis Chair of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy

| years=1951–1969

| after=Andrew Gleason

}}

Category:1899 births

Category:1980 deaths

Category:People from Middletown, Connecticut

Category:Harvard University alumni

Category:University of Minnesota faculty

Category:Scientists from Madison, Wisconsin