Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén (May 30, 1908; Norrköping, Sweden - April 2, 1995; Djursholm, Sweden) was a Swedish electrical power engineer. Some considered him an astrophysicist. May 30 is the 150th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (151st in leap years). ... 1908 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Drottninggatan, A street in Norrköping Norrköping [ˈˈnɔrʃøːpɪŋ] (population 123 971), is a City and is a Municipality in Östergötland County, in southeast Sweden. ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 273 days remaining. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Djursholm Castle Djursholm is one of four suburban districts in Danderyd Municipality outside Stockholm, Sweden. ...

Education

Alfvén received a PhD from the University of Uppsala in 1934. His thesis was entitled "Investigations of the Ultra-short Electromagnetic Waves."

Early years

In 1934, he taught physics at both the University of Uppsala and the Nobel Institute for Physics in Stockholm. In 1940, he became professor of electromagnetic theory and electrical measurements at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. In 1945, he acquired the nonappointive Chair of Electronics at Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. It was changed to a Chair of Plasma Physics in 1963. In 1967, after leaving Sweden and spending some time in the Soviet Union, he moved to America. He worked in the departments of electrical engineering at two universities, the University of California, San Diego and the University of Southern California. 1934 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The willingness to question previously held truths and search for new answers resulted in a period of major scientific advancements, now known as the Scientific Revolution. ... Uppsala University Uppsala University (Swedish Uppsala universitet) is a public university in Uppsala, Sweden. ... The Stockholm City Hall Stockholm  listen is the capital and the largest city of Sweden. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Royal Institute of Technology The Royal Institute of Technology or Kungliga tekniska högskolan (KTH) is a university in Stockholm, Sweden. ... 1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. ... The University of California, San Diego (popularly known as UCSD) is a public, coeducational university located in La Jolla, California. ... The University of Southern California (also known as USC), Southern Californias oldest private research university, is located in the urban center of Los Angeles, California. ...

Alfvén considered himself an electrical power engineer. During his scientific career, prior to winning the Nobel Prize, Alfvén was not generally recognized as a leading innovator in the scientific community (though they were using his work). He enjoyed the assertion that he was guilty of a fault or offence by the entry into areas not previously explored in astrophysics leveled by other cosmologists and theoreticians. Photographs of Nobel Prize Medals. ... Spiral Galaxy ESO 269-57 Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties ( luminosity, density, temperature and chemical composition) of astronomical objects such as stars, galaxies, and the interstellar medium, as well as their interactions. ... Cosmology is the study of the large-scale structure and history of the universe. ... In mathematics, theory is used informally to refer to a body of knowledge about mathematics. ...

Research, awards, and contributions

His work was continuously disputed for many years by the senior scientist in space physics, the British-American geophysicist Sydney Chapman. Alfvén had trouble with the peer review system. He did not in any circumstance benefit without volition the acceptance generally afforded senior scientists in scientific journals. Alfvén once submitted a paper on the theory of magnetic storms and auroras to the leading American journal Terrestrial Magnetism and Atmospheric Electricity and the paper was rejected on the ground that it did not agree with the theoretical calculations of conventional physics of the time. He was regarded as a person with unorthodox opinions in the field by many physicists. He was often forced to publish his papers in obscure journals. Geophysics, the study of the earth by quantitative physical methods, especially by seismic reflection and refraction, gravity, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic, and radioactivity methods. ... Sydney Chapman (January 29, 1888 – June 16, 1970) was a British astronomer and geophysicist. ... Peer review (known as refereeing in some academic fields) is a scholarly process used in the publication of manuscripts and in the awarding of funding for research. ... A cover of the leading scientific journal Nature In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. ... A Magnetic storm is also known as a geomagnetic storm. ... Aurora borealis Polar aurorae are optical phenomena characterized by colorful displays of light in the night sky. ... Fringe science is a phrase used to describe scientific inquiry in an established field that departs significantly from mainstream or orthodox theories. ...

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1970 for his work with magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). In 1988, Alfvén was awarded by the American Geophysical Union the Bowie medal, for his work on comets and plasmas in the solar system. List of Nobel Prize laureates in Physics from 1901 to the present day. ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... MHD Simulation of Solar Wind Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) (magnetofluiddynamics or hydromagnetics), is the academic discipline which studies the dynamics of electrically conducting fluids. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The American Geophysical Union (or AGU) is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting (as of 2004) of over 41,000 members from 130 countries. ... Comet Hale-Bopp, showing a white dust tail and blue gas tail (February 1997) A comet is a small astronomical object similar to an asteroid but composed largely of ice. ... The word plasma has a Greek root which means to be formed or molded (the word plastic shares this root). ... Mosaic of Solar System planets except Pluto, including Earths Moon (not to scale). ...

Awards

Alfvén has also been awarded:

Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society (1967)

Gold Medal of the Franklin Institute (1971)

Lomonosov Gold Medal of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1971)

The Gold Medal is the highest award of the Royal Astronomical Society. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Franklin Institute is the national memorial to Benjamin Franklin, that serves to perpetuate his legacy; the museum contains many of Franklins personal effects. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... The Lomonosov Gold Medal, named after Russian scientist and polymath Mikhail Lomonosov, is awarded each year since 1959 for outstanding achievements in the natural sciences and the humanities by the USSR Academy of Sciences and later the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS). ... Russian Academy of Sciences (Росси́йская Акаде́мия Нау́к) is the national academy of Russia. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ...

Memberships

Academies and institutes with Alfvén in their membership:

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (life fellow)

European Physical Society

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Yugoslav Academy of Sciences

Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs

A creative and intuitive intellect of the 20th century, Alfvén was one of the few scientists who was a foreign member of both the U.S. and Soviet Academies of Sciences. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or , founded in 1739 by King Frederick I, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. ... The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences or , founded in 1919 by King Gustav V, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. ... The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE (pronounced as eye-triple-ee) is an international non-profit, professional organization for the advancement of technology related to electricity. ... The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an organization dedicated to scholarship and the advancement of learning, particularly in areas of political science. ... The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs is a scientifically-oriented peace group. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine. ... Russian Academy of Sciences (Росси́йская Акаде́мия Нау́к) is the national academy of Russia. ...

Developed and researched

He played a central role in the development of:

Plasma physics

Charged particle beams

Interplanetary physics

Magnetospheric physics

Magnetohydrodynamics

Solar phenomenon investigation (such as the solar wind)

Aurorae science

In 1939, Alfvén proposed the theory of magnetic storms and auroras and the theory of plasma dynamics in the earth's magnetosphere. Electric charges spiraling in magnetic fields caused the motions of electrons and ions. This article is about plasma in the sense of an ionized gas. ... A charged particle beam is a group of electrically charged particles that have approximately the same kinetic energy and move in approximately the same direction. ... A magnetosphere is the region around an astronomical object, in which phenomena are dominated by its magnetic field. ... MHD Simulation of Solar Wind Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) (magnetofluiddynamics or hydromagnetics), is the academic discipline which studies the dynamics of electrically conducting fluids. ... A solar wind is a stream of charged particles (i. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Earth, also known as the Earth or Terra, is the third planet outward from the Sun. ... A magnetosphere is the region around an astronomical object, in which phenomena are dominated by its magnetic field. ... Properties The electron is a subatomic particle. ... An ion is an elementary particle or system of elementary particles with a net electric charge. ...

Applications of his research in space science include:

Van Allen radiation belt explanations

Earth's magnetic field reduction during magnetic storms

Magnetosphere (protective plasma covering the earth)

Formation of comet tails

Formation of the solar system

Dynamics of plasmas in the galaxy

Fundamental nature of the universe

Alfvén conducted interplanetary and magnetospheric physics research. Van Allen belts The Van Allen radiation belt is a torus of energetic charged particles around Earth, trapped by Earths magnetic field. ... Earths magnetic field (the surface magnetic field) is approximately a magnetic dipole, with one pole near the geographic north pole and the other near the geographic south pole. ... A Magnetic storm is also known as a geomagnetic storm. ... A magnetosphere is the region around an astronomical object, in which phenomena are dominated by its magnetic field. ... Comet Hale-Bopp, showing a white dust tail and blue gas tail (February 1997) A comet is a small astronomical object similar to an asteroid but composed largely of ice. ... Mosaic of Solar System planets except Pluto, including Earths Moon (not to scale). ...

Alfvén's views followed the founder of magnetospheric physics, Kristian Birkeland. At the end of the nineteenth century, Birkeland proposed (backed by extensive data) that electric currents flowing down along the earth's magnetic fields into the atmosphere caused of the aurora and polar magnetic disturbances. Kristian Birkeland Kristian Birkeland (December 13, 1867 - June 15, 1917) was born in Christiania (Oslo today) and wrote his first scientific paper at the age of 18. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Alfvén's contributions helped develop:

Particle beam accelerators

Controlled thermonuclear fusion

Hypersonic flight

Rocket propulsion

Reentry braking of space vehicles

Alfvén's contributions to astrophysics: In physics, nuclear fusion (a thermonuclear reaction) is a process in which two nuclei join, forming a larger nucleus and releasing energy. ... A Redstone rocket, part of the Mercury program A rocket is a vehicle, missile or aircraft which obtains thrust by the reaction to the ejection of fast moving exhaust gas from within a rocket engine. ... Space exploration is the physical exploration of outer-Earth objects and generally anything that involves the technologies, science, and politics regarding space endeavors. ...

Galactic magnetic field forms - Cosmic Magnetism (1937)

Identify nonthermal radiation (synchrotron radiation) from astronomical sources (1950)

In 1963, Alfvén first predicted the large scale filamentary structure of the universe. This discovery perplexed astrophysicists till 1991. 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Alfvén waves (low frequency hydromagnetic plasma oscillations) are named in his honor. Many of his theories about the solar system have been verified as late as the 1980's through measurements of cometary and planetary magnetospheres by satellites and probes. Alfvén's theories gained acceptance only two or three decades after their publication. He is also known for developing plasma cosmology, a non-standard alternative to the big bang. Among physicists today, there is a lack of awareness of Alfvén's contributions to fields of physics where his ideas are routinely used without recognition. An Alfvén wave, named after Hannes Alfvén, is a type of magnetohydrodynamic wave. ... Sine waves of various frequencies; the lower waves have higher frequencies than those above. ... The word plasma has a Greek root which means to be formed or molded (the word plastic shares this root). ... Oscillation is the periodic variation, typically in time, of some measure as seen, for example, in a swinging pendulum. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Plasma cosmology is a non-standard cosmological model which attempts to explain the large scale structure of the universe using electromagnetic interactions in astrophysical plasmas. ... According to the Big Bang theory, the universe originated in an extremely dense and hot state (bottom). ...

Alfvén versus the Big Bang

Alfvén and colleagues proposed an alternative cosmology to both the Steady State and the Big Bang cosmologies. Alfvén believed the problem with the Big Bang was that astrophysicists tried to extrapolate the origin of the universe from mathematical theories developed on the blackboard. The Big Bang was a myth according to Alfvén. This myth was devised to explain creation according to Alfvén. He confided with close friends that the theory tried to make science compatible with the authoritative declaration of creatio ex nihilo or creation out of nothing. Wiktionary has a definition of: Cosmology For the jazz band, see: Cosmology (band) Cosmology, from the Greek: κοσμολογία (κόσμος world + λογια discourse) is the study of the universe in its totality and by extension mans place in it. ... For alternative meanings see steady state (disambiguation). ... According to the Big Bang theory, the universe originated in an extremely dense and hot state (bottom). ... In mathematics, theory is used informally to refer to a body of knowledge about mathematics. ... For the computer game, see Myth (computer game). ...

Alfvén proposed a plasma universe. This theory is called Plasma cosmology. He acknowledged that the theory may take time to be accepted by the popular consciousness. Plasma cosmology is a non-standard cosmological model which attempts to explain the large scale structure of the universe using electromagnetic interactions in astrophysical plasmas. ...

Later years

In 1991, Alfvén retired his posts of professor of electrical engineering at the University of California, San Diego and professor of plasma physics at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm . 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A professor is a senior teacher, lecturer and researcher, usually in a college or university. ... The University of California, San Diego (popularly known as UCSD) is a public, coeducational university located in La Jolla, California. ... This article is about plasma in the sense of an ionized gas. ... Royal Institute of Technology The Royal Institute of Technology or Kungliga tekniska högskolan (KTH) is a university in Stockholm, Sweden. ...

Alfvén spent his life alternating between California and Sweden. He died when he was 86 years old. State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ...

The asteroid 1778 Alfvén was named in his honour. An asteroid is a small, solid object in our Solar System, orbiting the Sun. ...

Personal life

He had a good sense of humor. Alfvén participated in a variety of social issues and worldwide disarmament movements. Alfvén had a long-standing distrust of computers. Alfvén studied the history of science and oriental philosophy and religion. He spoke English, German, French, and Russian, and some Spanish and Chinese. This article discusses humour in terms of comedy and laughter. ... The tower of a personal computer (specifically a Power Mac G5). ... Modern science is a body of verifiable empirical knowledge, a global community of scholars, and a set of techniques for investigating the universe known as the scientific method. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Hannes Alfvén was married for 67 years to Kirsten. They raised five children, one boy and four girls. The son became a physician. One daughter became a writer in Sweden and one a lawyer. A male Caucasian toddler child A child (plural: children) is a young human. ... A boy is a male human child, as contrasted to a female child, which is a girl. ... Two young girls A girl is a female human child, as contrasted to a male child, which is a boy. ...

Alfvén wrote popular science books:

Worlds-Antiworlds: Antimatter in Cosmology (1966)

The Great Computer: A Vision (1968) [pen name: Olof Johannesson]

Atom, Man, and the Universe: A Long Chain of Complications (1969)

Living on the Third Planet (1972).

External links

• Hannes Alfvén (http://www.nobel.se/physics/laureates/1970/alfven-bio.html) (Nobel Foundation)
• Hannes Alfvén bio (http://public.lanl.gov/alp/plasma/people/alfven.html) (Los Alamos)
• Papers of Hannes Olof Gosta Alfven (http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/testing/html/mss0225a.html)
• Hannes Alfvén Medal (http://www.copernicus.org/EGS/egs_info/award6n.htm) - awarded for outstanding scientific contributions towards the understanding of plasma processes in the solar system and other cosmical plasma environments
• Timeline of Nobel Prize Winners: Hannes Olof Gosta Alfven (http://www.nobel-winners.com/Physics/hannes_olof_gosta_alfven.html)
• Hannes Alfven Papers (http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/testing/html/mss0225a.html) (1945 - 1991) in the Mandeville Special Collections Library.

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ...

Obituary

• QJRAS 37 (1996) 259 (http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/QJRAS/0037//0000259.000.html)

Online Bibliography

(Full text article available online)

• Evolution of the Solar System (http://history.nasa.gov/SP-345/contents.htm) (1976) with Gustaf Arrhenius (NASA book)
• Double radio sources and the new approach to cosmical plasma physics (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1978Ap%26SS..54..279A&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) (1978) (PDF)
• Interstellar clouds and the formation of stars (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1978Ap%26SS..55..487A&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) with Per Carlqvist (1978) (PDF)
• Annihilation model of quasi-stellar objects (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1979Ap%26SS..64..401A&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) (1979) (PDF)
• Hubble expansion in a Euclidean framework (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1979Ap%26SS..66...23A&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) (1979) (PDF) Strong evidence for a non-cosmological interpretation of a quasi-stellar object (QSO) redshift.
• Energy source of the solar wind (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1980Ap%26SS..71..203C&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) with Per Carlqvist (1980) (PDF) A direct transfer of energy from photospheric activity to the solar wind by means of electric currents is dicussed.
• Electromagnetic Effects and the Structure of the Saturnian Rings (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1981LPI....12...10A&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) (1981) (PDF)
• A three-ring circuit model of the magnetosphere (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1981Ap%26SS..76...35W&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) with Whipple, E. C. and Jr.; McIlwain (1981) (PDF)
• The Voyager 1/Saturn encounter and the cosmogonic shadow effect (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1981Ap%26SS..79..491A&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) (1981) (PDF)
• Origin, evolution and present structure of the asteroid region (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1983acm..proc..193A&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) (1983) (PDF)
• On hierarchical cosmology (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1983Ap%26SS..89..313A&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) (1983) (PDF) Progress in lab studies of plasmas and on their methods of transferring the results to cosmic conditions.
• Solar system history as recorded in the Saturnian ring structure (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1983Ap%26SS..97...79A&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) (1983) (PDF)
• Cosmology - Myth or science? (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1984JApA....5...79A&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) (1984) (PDF)
• Cosmogony as an extrapolation of magnetospheric research (http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1984SSRv...39...65A&data_type=PDF_HIGH&type=PRINTER&filetype=.pdf) (1984) (PDF)