2. NEILS BOHR
Neils Hendric David Bohr was born in
Copenhagen on October 7, 1885, as the son of Christian Bohr, Professor of
Physoilogy at Copenhagen University, and his wife Ellen, nee Adler. Neils ,
together with his younger brother Herald (the future professor in Mathematics),
grew up in atmosphere most favourable to the development of genius- his father
eas an eminent physiologist and was largely responsible for awakening his
interest in physics while sill at school, his mother came from a family
distinguished in the field of education.
After matriculation at the Gammelholm Grammer School in 1903, he entered
Copenhagen University where he came under the guidance of professor
C.Christiansen, a profoundly original and highly endowed physicist, and took his
Masters degree in Physics in 1909 and his Doctors degree in 1911
4. In atomic physics, the Rutherford-Bohr model or Bohr model, introduced by Neils
Bohr in 1913, depicts the atom as a small , positively charged nucleus surrounded
by electrons that travel in circular orbits around the nucleus—similar in structure
to the solar system, but with attraction provided by electrostatic forces rather
than gravity. After the cubic model(1902), the plum –pudding model (1904), the
Saturnian model(1904), and the Rutherford model(1911).The improvement to the
Rutherford model is mostly a quantum physical interpretation of it.The Bohr
model has been supersede, but the quantum theory remains sound.
BOHR’S CONTRIBUTION
In 1913, Bohr’s model of atomic structure was published which became the basis
of the famous quantum theory. In 1916, Neils Bohr became a professor at the
University of Copenhagen and later founded the institute of Theoretical Physics in
1921. Bohr’s institute became headquarter for the best known physicists
contributed there.
Due to security reasons Neils Bohr assumed the name of Nicholas
Baker for the top—secret Manhattan Project in New Mexico, America .Soon after
World War II , Bohr started advocating the peaceful use of Copenhagen. The Bohr
Model of the atom, The shell model of atom, The correspondence principle, The
liquid drop model of the atomic nucleus, The identification of Uranium isotope
5. and The principle of complementarity are some of his major contributions to the
field of physics and chemistry.
FINAL DAYS
Bohr died on 18th
November 1962, at the age of 77 because of a heart failure. He
is buried in the Assistens Kierkegaard in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 1965, in
honour of Bohr the Institute of Physics at the University of Copenhagen changed
its name to the Neils Bohr Instotute. Chemical Element ‘Bohrium’ and ‘Asteroid
3948 Bohr’ being named after him are few of his legacies.
