Simon van der Meer, a Dutch physicist, made revolutionary contributions to the field of particle physics. He discovered the fundamental building blocks of matter, W and Z bosons, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics. Raised in an intellectually stimulating environment, van der Meer valued education and regretted not having more intensive training in physics. However, he believed that his “amateur” learning allowed him to see complex concepts in a simple and clear manner. After completing his degree in physical engineering, he worked for Philips Research before becoming a physicist at CERN. At CERN, he worked on various studies and experiments, including the development of the stochastic cooling technique still used today. He also contributed to the regulation and control of power supplies for the Intersecting Storage Rings. Despite his international acclaim, van der Meer remained humble and devoted to his wife and family.
Quick Facts
- Died At Age: 85
- Physicists
- Dutch Men
- Died on: March 4, 2011
- Place of death: Geneva
- City: The Hague, Netherlands
- More Facts
- Education: Delft University of Technology
- Awards: Nobel Prize in Physics
Childhood & Early Life
Simon van der Meer was born on November 24, 1925, in The Hague, the Netherlands. He was the third child of Pieter van der Meer and Jetske Groeneveld. His father was a teacher and his mother’s family was in the teaching profession as well. Van der Meer’s parents were a constant source of encouragement and made considerable sacrifices to give him and his three sisters a quality education. He was enrolled in the science section of the Gymnasium in The Hague and graduated in 1943. During the German occupation of the Netherlands, Dutch universities were closed, so he continued attending the humanities section of the Gymnasium for the next two years.
A growing interest in Physics and technology led him to assist his physics teacher, U.Ph. Lely, with the preparation of numerous demonstrations. He loved electronics and filled his house with various gadgets. In 1945, he enrolled at the “University of Technology” in Delft to study Technical Physics. He graduated with an engineering degree in 1952.
Career
Soon after his graduation in 1952, Van der Meer worked in the “Philips Research Laboratory” at Eindhoven, where his job mainly involved developmental work on high-voltage equipment and electronics for electron microscopes. In 1956, he joined the recently founded “European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN” laboratory in Geneva. He remained active at CERN until his retirement in 1990.
During his time at CERN, Van der Meer worked on various projects and experiments. He designed the pole-face windings and multipole correction lenses for the 26 GeV Proton Synchrotron (PS). He also worked on the design of the magnetic horn, a pulsed focusing device necessary for long-base-line neutrino facilities. In 1965, he joined a group of physicists working on the second “g-2” experiment for the precision measurement of the magnetic moment of the muon. From 1967 to 1976, he was responsible for the “Intersecting Storage Rings” (ISR) and the “400 GeV Super Proton Synchrotron” (SPS), where he was in charge of regulation and control of their magnet power supplies.
In 1978, he was chosen to be the joint project lead for the construction of the “Antiproton Accumulator” (AA) as part of the collider project proposed by Carlo Rubbia. The first antiproton accumulator started up in 1980, and over a year later, about 1011 particles had been achieved. His stochastic cooling technique, which concentrated antimatter beams with sufficient strength to collide with proton beams, led to the discovery of the “W” and “Z” bosons in 1983.
Major Works
Van der Meer’s most significant contribution to the field of Physics was the invention of the stochastic cooling technique for particle beams. This technique allowed for the concentration of antimatter beams with sufficient strength to collide with proton beams, leading to the discovery of the “W” and “Z” particles. This discovery was a significant breakthrough in particle physics.
Awards & Achievements
In 1982, Simon van der Meer was honored with the ‘Duddell Medal and Prize’ for his contributions in the world of Physics. In 1984, he, along with Carlo Rubbia, was awarded the “Nobel Prize in Physics” for their discovery of the “W” and “Z” particles.
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1966, Simon van der Meer met his future wife, Catharina M. Koopman, on a skiing trip in the Swiss Alps. They married shortly after their meeting, and they had two children together. After more than 30 years at CERN and a significant contribution to the world of Physics, Simon van der Meer retired in 1990. He spent his retirement years gardening and spending time with friends. He passed away on March 4, 2011, in Geneva, Switzerland, at the age of 85.
Trivia
Simon van der Meer is one of only two accelerator physicists to have won the Nobel Prize. The other recipient was Ernest Lawrence, who won it in 1939. An asteroid, 9678 van der Meer, is named in his honor.