Profession: Physicist
Biography: Owen Chamberlain was an American physicist. He is best known for his work on the team that first discovered the antiproton, a subatomic particle that carries a negative charge. This discovery, made in collaboration with fellow physicist Emilio Segrè in 1955, led to the pair being awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1959.
Beyond the discovery of the antiproton, Chamberlain's research interests were broad, including the study of nuclear structure, collisions of high energy particles, the application of muons as probes of matter, and the gravitational interactions of antimatter.
A passionate advocate for peace, he was also known for his activism against nuclear weapons and the Vietnam War.
Even after his retirement, Chamberlain continued to contribute to the scientific community as a professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley.
Born: July 10, 1920
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA
Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Sign: Cancer
Died: February 28, 2006 (aged 85)
Historical Events
- 1955-10-18 The antiproton (antiparticle of the proton) is discovered at University of California by physicists Emilio Segrè and Owen Chamberlain - wins 1959 Nobel Prize for Physics
- 1959-12-11 Emilio G. Segrè and Owen Chamberlain awarded Nobel Prize for Physics for discovery of the antiproton, a sub-atomic antiparticle
Andrei Sakharov
Blaise Pascal
John William Strutt
Robert Oppenheimer
Stephen Hawking
William Thomson