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'''Ronald William Prest Drever''' (26 October 1931 – 7 March 2017) was a Scottish experimental physicist. He was a professor emeritus at the [[California Institute of Technology]], co-founded the [[LIGO]] project, and was a co-inventor of the [[Pound–Drever–Hall technique]] for [[laser]] stabilisation. This work was instrumental in the [[First observation of gravitational waves|first detection]] of [[gravitational wave]]s in September 2015.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite web | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/12153127/British-scientist-who-played-key-role-in-gravitational-waves-research-is-suffering-from-dementia.html | title=British scientist who played key role in gravitational waves research is suffering from dementia | publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited | work=The Telegraph | date=12 February 2016 | accessdate=12 February 2016 | author=Knapton, Sarah}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title = Gravitational Waves Exist: The Inside Story of How Scientists Finally Found Them|url = http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/gravitational-waves-exist-heres-how-scientists-finally-found-them|newspaper = [[The New Yorker]]|access-date = 2016-02-11|issn = 0028-792X|first = Nicola|last = Twilley}}</ref><ref name="PRL-20160211">{{cite journal |author=Abbott, B.P. |title=Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger |url=http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102 |journal=[[Phys. Rev. Lett.]] |volume=116 |pages=061102 |year=2016 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102 |display-authors=etal|arxiv = 1602.03837 |bibcode = 2016PhRvL.116f1102A |pmid=26918975}}</ref><ref name="Naeye">{{cite news |last=Naeye |first=Robert |url=http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/gravitational-wave-detection-heralds-new-era-of-science-0211201644/ |title=Gravitational Wave Detection Heralds New Era of Science |work=Sky and Telescope |date=11 February 2016 |accessdate=11 February 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Nature_11Feb16">{{cite journal |title=Einstein's gravitational waves found at last |journal=Nature News|url=http://www.nature.com/news/einstein-s-gravitational-waves-found-at-last-1.19361 |date=11 February 2016 |last=Castelvecchi |first=Davide |last2=Witze |first2=Alexandra |doi=10.1038/nature.2016.19361 |accessdate=11 February 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Cho2016">{{cite journal|last1=Cho|first1=Adrian|title=Will Nobel Prize overlook master builder of gravitational wave detectors?|journal=Science|year=2016|issn=0036-8075|doi=10.1126/science.aah7350}}</ref>
'''Ronald William Prest Drever''' (26 October 1931 – 7 March 2017) was a Scottish experimental physicist. He was a professor emeritus at the [[California Institute of Technology]], co-founded the [[LIGO]] project, and was a co-inventor of the [[Pound–Drever–Hall technique]] for [[laser]] stabilisation, as well as the [[Hughes–Drever experiment]]. This work was instrumental in the [[First observation of gravitational waves|first detection]] of [[gravitational wave]]s in September 2015.<ref name="Telegraph">{{cite web | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/12153127/British-scientist-who-played-key-role-in-gravitational-waves-research-is-suffering-from-dementia.html | title=British scientist who played key role in gravitational waves research is suffering from dementia | publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited | work=The Telegraph | date=12 February 2016 | accessdate=12 February 2016 | author=Knapton, Sarah}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title = Gravitational Waves Exist: The Inside Story of How Scientists Finally Found Them|url = http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/gravitational-waves-exist-heres-how-scientists-finally-found-them|newspaper = [[The New Yorker]]|access-date = 2016-02-11|issn = 0028-792X|first = Nicola|last = Twilley}}</ref><ref name="PRL-20160211">{{cite journal |author=Abbott, B.P. |title=Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger |url=http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102 |journal=[[Phys. Rev. Lett.]] |volume=116 |pages=061102 |year=2016 |doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102 |display-authors=etal|arxiv = 1602.03837 |bibcode = 2016PhRvL.116f1102A |pmid=26918975}}</ref><ref name="Naeye">{{cite news |last=Naeye |first=Robert |url=http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/gravitational-wave-detection-heralds-new-era-of-science-0211201644/ |title=Gravitational Wave Detection Heralds New Era of Science |work=Sky and Telescope |date=11 February 2016 |accessdate=11 February 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Nature_11Feb16">{{cite journal |title=Einstein's gravitational waves found at last |journal=Nature News|url=http://www.nature.com/news/einstein-s-gravitational-waves-found-at-last-1.19361 |date=11 February 2016 |last=Castelvecchi |first=Davide |last2=Witze |first2=Alexandra |doi=10.1038/nature.2016.19361 |accessdate=11 February 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Cho2016">{{cite journal|last1=Cho|first1=Adrian|title=Will Nobel Prize overlook master builder of gravitational wave detectors?|journal=Science|year=2016|issn=0036-8075|doi=10.1126/science.aah7350}}</ref>


Drever died on 7 March 2017, aged 85,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39212305|title=Gravitational waves pioneer Ronald Drever dies|publisher=[[BBC]]|work=Jonathan Amos|date=8 March 2017|accessdate=10 March 2017}}</ref> seven months before his colleagues [[Rainer Weiss]], [[Kip Thorne]], and [[Barry Barish]] won the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] for their work on the observation of gravitational waves.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2017/press.html|title=Nobel Prize in Physics 2017 press release|publisher=nobelprize.org}}</ref>
Drever died on 7 March 2017, aged 85,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39212305|title=Gravitational waves pioneer Ronald Drever dies|publisher=[[BBC]]|work=Jonathan Amos|date=8 March 2017|accessdate=10 March 2017}}</ref> seven months before his colleagues [[Rainer Weiss]], [[Kip Thorne]], and [[Barry Barish]] won the [[Nobel Prize in Physics]] for their work on the observation of gravitational waves.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2017/press.html|title=Nobel Prize in Physics 2017 press release|publisher=nobelprize.org}}</ref>

Revision as of 22:28, 22 December 2017

Ron Drever
Born
Ronald William Prest Drever

26 October 1931[1]
Bishopton, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK
Died7 March 2017(2017-03-07) (aged 85)[1]
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
NationalityBritish
CitizenshipBritish
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow (PhD)
Known forLaser stabilizing technique
Pioneering laser interferometric gravitational wave observation.
Awards
Scientific career
FieldsPhysics, Laser physics, Experimental Gravitation
InstitutionsCalifornia Institute of Technology, University of Glasgow
ThesisStudies of orbital electron capture using proportional counters (1959)
Websitewww.pma.caltech.edu/content/ronald-w-drever

Ronald William Prest Drever (26 October 1931 – 7 March 2017) was a Scottish experimental physicist. He was a professor emeritus at the California Institute of Technology, co-founded the LIGO project, and was a co-inventor of the Pound–Drever–Hall technique for laser stabilisation, as well as the Hughes–Drever experiment. This work was instrumental in the first detection of gravitational waves in September 2015.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

Drever died on 7 March 2017, aged 85,[8] seven months before his colleagues Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne, and Barry Barish won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on the observation of gravitational waves.[9]

Education

Drever was educated at Glasgow Academy followed by University of Glasgow where he was awarded a bachelor's degree in 1953[10] followed by a PhD in 1959 for research on orbital electron capture using proportional counters.[11]

Career and research

After his PhD, Drever did postdoctoral research in Glasgow before being recruited to form a gravitational wave program at Caltech.[12]

Drever's contributions to the design and implementation of the LIGO interferometers were critically important to their ability to function in the extreme sensitivity realm required for detection of gravitational waves (10−23 strain).

Drever's most recent work involved the development of magnetically levitated optical tables for seismic isolation of experimental apparatus.[13]

Honors and awards

Drever was recognized by numerous awards including:

See also

Hughes–Drever experiment

References

  1. ^ a b "Caltech Mourns the Passing of LIGO Co-founder Ronald W. P. Drever". Whitney Clavin. Caltech. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  2. ^ Knapton, Sarah (12 February 2016). "British scientist who played key role in gravitational waves research is suffering from dementia". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  3. ^ Twilley, Nicola. "Gravitational Waves Exist: The Inside Story of How Scientists Finally Found Them". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  4. ^ Abbott, B.P.; et al. (2016). "Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger". Phys. Rev. Lett. 116: 061102. arXiv:1602.03837. Bibcode:2016PhRvL.116f1102A. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.061102. PMID 26918975.
  5. ^ Naeye, Robert (11 February 2016). "Gravitational Wave Detection Heralds New Era of Science". Sky and Telescope. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  6. ^ Castelvecchi, Davide; Witze, Alexandra (11 February 2016). "Einstein's gravitational waves found at last". Nature News. doi:10.1038/nature.2016.19361. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  7. ^ Cho, Adrian (2016). "Will Nobel Prize overlook master builder of gravitational wave detectors?". Science. doi:10.1126/science.aah7350. ISSN 0036-8075.
  8. ^ "Gravitational waves pioneer Ronald Drever dies". Jonathan Amos. BBC. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  9. ^ "Nobel Prize in Physics 2017 press release". nobelprize.org.
  10. ^ Anon (2016). "The University of Glasgow Story: Ronald Drever". universitystory.gla.ac.uk. Glasgow: University of Glasgow. Archived from the original on 2016-12-05.
  11. ^ Drever, Ronald William Prest (1959). Studies of orbital electron capture using proportional counters (PhD thesis). University of Glasgow. OCLC 298416389.
  12. ^ OVERBYE, DENNIS , CORUM, JONATHAN and DRAKEFORD, JASON (11 February 2016). "Gravitational Waves Detected, Confirming Einstein's Theory". New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 12 February 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ S. J. Augst; R. W. P. Drever (2000). "Measurements of Mechanical Q in Levitated Paramagnetic Crystals" (PDF). Amaldi Conference 2000. Caltech. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |lastauthoramp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Five Caltech Faculty Members Elected to Membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  15. ^ Shaw Prize 2016
  16. ^ "2016 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics | www.kavliprize.org". www.kavliprize.org. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
  17. ^ "Group 2: Astronomy, Physics and Geophysics". Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
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