From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dan Shechtman
Dan Shechtman
Dan Shechtman
דן שכטמן
Technion President Peretz Lavie, Dan Shechtman and Wayne
Kaplan at the Nobel Prize press conference at Technion, Israel.
Career
Born January 24, 1941 (1941-01-24)
Tel Aviv, British Mandate of Palestine After receiving his Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from
the Technion in 1972, where he also obtained his B.Sc.
Residence Israel
in Mechanical Engineering in 1966 and M.Sc. in Materials
Citizenship Israel Engineering in 1968,[1] Prof. Shechtman was an NRC fel-
low at the Aerospace Research Laboratories at Wright
Fields Materials Science
Patterson AFB, Ohio, where he studied for three years the
Institutions Wright Patterson Air Force Base microstructure and physical metallurgy of titanium alu-
Johns Hopkins University minides. In 1975 he joined the department of materials
NIST
engineering at Technion. In 1981–1983 he was on Sabbat-
Iowa State University
Technion - Israel Institute of Technology ical at Johns Hopkins University, where he studied rapid-
ly solidified aluminum transition metal alloys, in a joint
Alma mater Technion - Israel Institute of Technology program with NBS. During this study he discovered the
Known for Quasicrystals Icosahedral Phase which opened the new field of quasi-
periodic crystals.
Notable awards Wolf Prize in Physics (1998)
Israel Prize (1999)
Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2011) Discrediting the work
Shechtman experienced several years of hostility toward
Dan Shechtman (Hebrew: ( )דן שכטמןborn January 24, 1941 his non-periodic interpretation (no less a figure than Li-
in Tel Aviv)[1] is the Philip Tobias Professor of Materials nus Pauling said he was "talking nonsense" and "There is
Science at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, no such thing as quasicrystals, only quasi-scientists."[4]).
an Associate of the US Department of Energy’s Ames Lab- The head of Shechtman’s research group told him to
oratory, and Professor of Materials Science at Iowa State "go back and read the textbook" and then "asked him
University. On April 8, 1982, while on sabbatical at the to leave for ’bringing disgrace’ on the team." Shechtman
U.S. National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C., felt rejected.[4]
Shechtman discovered the icosahedral phase, which The Nobel Committee at the Royal Swedish Academy
opened the new field of quasiperiodic crystals.[2] He was of Sciences said that "his discovery was extremely con-
awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for "the dis- troversial," but that his work "eventually forced scien-
covery of quasicrystals".[3] tists to reconsider their conception of the very nature of
matter."[4]
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dan Shechtman
Confirmation of experimental results A quasiperiodic crystal, or, in short, quasicrystal, is a
structure that is ordered but not periodic. A quasicrys-
Later, other scientists began to confirm and accept em-
talline pattern can continuously fill all available space,
pirical findings of the existence of quasicrystals.[5][6]
but it lacks translational symmetry.[12]
"Aperiodic mosaics, such as those found in the me-
dieval Islamic mosaics of the Alhambra palace in Spain
and the Darb-i Imam shrine in Iran, have helped scien-
tists understand what quasicrystals look like at the atom-
ic level. In those mosaics, as in quasicrystals, the patterns
are regular -- they follow mathematical rules -- but they
never repeat themselves."[4]
"An intriguing feature of such patterns, [which are]
also found in Arab mosaics, is that the mathematical con-
stant known as the Greek letter phi, or the "golden ratio",
occurs over and over again. Underlying it is a sequence
worked out by Fibonacci in the 13th century, where each
number is the sum of the preceding two."[4]
Family
Dan Shechtman is married to Prof. Tzipora Shechtman,
Shechtman’s Nobel Prize winning work was in the area of qua-
Head of the Department of Counseling and Human Devel-
sicrystals, ordered crystalline materials lacking repeating
structures, such as this Al-Pd-Mn alloy.[7] opment at Haifa University, and author of two books on
psychotherapy.[13][14] They have a son Yoav Shechtman
Through Shechtman’s discovery, several other (a PhD student in physics) and three daughters: Tamar
groups were able to form similar quasicrystals, finding Finkelstein (an organizational psychologist at the Israeli
these materials to have low thermal and electrical con- police leadership center), Ella Shechtman-Cory (a PhD in
ductivity, while possessing high structural stability. Qua- clinical psychology), and Ruth Dougoud-Nevo (also a PhD
sicrystals have also been found naturally. Quasicrys- in clinical psychology).[15][16]
talline materials could be used in a large number of appli-
cations, including the formation of durable steel used for Awards
fine instrumentation, and non-stick insulation for elec-
• 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for "the discovery of
trical wires and cooking equipment.[8] [9] For this discov-
quasicrystals".[3][17]
ery, Shechtman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chem-
• 2008 European Materials Research Society (E-MRS)
istry in 2011.[8]
25th Anniversary Award
• 2002 EMET Prize in Chemistry
Later career
• 2000 Muriel & David Jacknow Technion Award for
In 1992–1994 he was on sabbatical at National Institute of Excellence in Teaching
Standards and Technology, where he studied the effect of • 2000 Gregori Aminoff Prize of the Royal Swedish
the defect structure of CVD diamond on its growth and Academy of Sciences
properties. Prof. Shechtman’s Technion research is con- • 1999 Wolf Prize in Physics.[18]
ducted in the Louis Edelstein Center, and in the Wolf- • 1998 Israel Prize, for Physics.[19]
son Centre which is headed by him. He served on several • 1993 Weizmann Science Award[citation needed]
Technion Senate Committees and headed one of them. • 1990 Rothschild Prize in Engineering[citation needed]
Shechtman joined the Iowa State faculty in 2004. He • 1988 New England Academic Award of the
currently spends about five months a year in Ames on a Technion[citation needed]
part-time appointment.[10][11] • 1988 International Award for New Materials[citation
Shechtman was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in needed] of the American Physical Society
Chemistry for "the discovery of quasicrystals",[3] by the • 1986 Physics Award of the Friedenberg Fund for the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which granted him Advancement of Science and Education[citation needed]
a "10-million crown ($1.5-million) award."[4]
Quasicrystals See also
• List of Israel Prize recipients
Main article: Quasicrystal • List of Jewish Nobel laureates
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dan Shechtman
References [17] Asaf Shtull-Trauring, "Israel’s Daniel Shechtman
wins 2011 Nobel Prize in chemistry", Haaertz,
[1] ^ Dan Shechtman – Israel Academy of Sciences and October 4, 2011
Humanities [18] "Wolf Prize Recipients in Physics". Wolffund.org.il.
[2] "Israeli Wins Chemistry Nobel For Quasicrystals". http://www.wolffund.org.il/
npr.org. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/ cat.asp?id=25&cat_title=PHYSICS. Retrieved
story.php?storyId=141067724. Retrieved 2011-10-05.
2011-10-05. [19] "Israel Prize Official Site – Recipients in 1998 (in
[3] ^ "Dan Shechtman – Biographical". Nobelprize.org. Hebrew)". http://cms.education.gov.il/
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/ EducationCMS/Units/PrasIsrael/TashnagTashsab/
chemistry/laureates/2011/shechtman.html. TASNAG_TASNAT_Rikuz.htm?DictionaryKey=Tashnach.
Retrieved 2011-10-05.
[4] ^ Lannin, Patrick (2011-10-05). "Ridiculed crystal
work wins Nobel for Israeli". Reuters.
Further reading
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/05/ • Shechtman, Dan (1984). "Metallic Phase with Long-
nobel-chemistry-idUSL5E7L51U620111005. Range Orientational Order and No Translational
Retrieved 2011-10-22. Symmetry". Physical Review Letters 53 (20): 1951.
[5] Bradley, David (Oct. 5, 2011). "Dan Shechtman Bibcode 1984PhRvL..53.1951S. doi:10.1103/
discusses quasicrystals". ScienceBase. PhysRevLett.53.1951.
http://www.sciencebase.com/science-blog/dan- • Shechtman, Dan (1985). "Nuclear γ-ray resonance
shechtman-discusses-quasicrystals- observations in an aluminum-based icosahedral
nobelprize.html. Retrieved 5 October 2011. quasicrystal". Physical Review B 32 (2): 1383. Bibcode
Shechtman video interview 1985PhRvB..32.1383S. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.32.1383.
[6] "Clear as crystal". Haaretz. 2011-04-01. • D. P. DiVincenzo and P. J. Steinhardt, eds. 1991.
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/ Quasicrystals: The State of the Art. Directions in
clear-as-crystal-1.353504. Retrieved 2011-10-06. Condensed Matter Physics, Vol 11. ISBN
[7] Ünal, B; V. Fournée, K.J. Schnitzenbaumer, C. 981-02-0522-8.
Ghosh, C.J. Jenks, A.R. Ross, T.A. Lograsso, J.W.
Evans, and P.A. Thiel (2007). "Nucleation and
growth of Ag islands on fivefold Al-Pd-Mn
External links
quasicrystal surfaces: Dependence of island density • Biography and Bibliographic Resources, from the
on temperature and flux". Physical Review B 75 75: Office of Scientific and Technical Information,
064205. Bibcode 2007PhRvB..75f4205U. doi:10.1103/ United States Department of Energy
PhysRevB.75.064205. http://link.aps.org/doi/ • Story of quasicrystals as told by Shechtman to APS
10.1103/PhysRevB.75.064205. News in 2002.
[8] ^ Van Noorden, Richard (2011-10-05). "Impossible • Biography/CV Page – Technion
crystals snag chemistry Nobel". nature. • TechnionLIVE e-newsletter
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/111005/full/ • Dan Shechtman (Iowa State faculty page)
news.2011.572.html. Retrieved 2011-10-05. Persondata
[9] Carpenter, Jennifer (2011-10-05). "Nobel win for Name Shechtman, Dan
crystal discovery". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/
Alternative names
news/science-environment-15181187. Retrieved
2011-10-05. Short description
[10] Iowa State prof wins Nobel in chemistry (Chicago Date of birth 1941
Tribune, October 5, 2011)
Place of birth
[11] Iowa State, Ames Laboratory, Technion Scientist
Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry Date of death
[12] Janot, Christian (1997). Quasicrystals – a primer, 2nd Place of death
ed.. Oxford University Publishing.
[13] Professor Zipora Shechtman
[14] He deserves it, wife of 2011 Nobel Chemistry
laureate says
[15] Shechtman Wins Chemistry Nobel for Crystal Find
[16] Genealogy of the Shechtman family
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dan_Shechtman&oldid=460562708"
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dan Shechtman
Categories:
• 1941 births
• Living people
• Israel Prize in physics recipients
• Israeli Jews
• Israeli Nobel laureates
• Israeli physicists
• Israeli scientists
• Iowa State University faculty
• Jewish scientists
• Materials scientists and engineers
• Members of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities
• Nobel laureates in Chemistry
• People from Tel Aviv
• Technion – Israel Institute of Technology alumni
• Technion – Israel Institute of Technology faculty
• Wolf Prize in Physics laureates
This page was last modified on 14 November 2011 at 05:31. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-
ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of
the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.Contact us
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Mobile view
4