Pioneers in Science

Most Known For:

Co-discovery and explanation of nuclear fission; coined the term "fission"

Famous Publication:

"Disintegration of Uranium by Neutrons: a New Type of Nuclear Reaction" (1939)

With: Otto Hahn, Fritz Strassmann

Awards:

Enrico Fermi Award, Max Planck Medal, Lieben Prize, Otto Hahn Prize

Personality:

Persistent, highly curious, academically driven; one of the first women to earn a doctorate in physics

Major Contributions:

• Nuclear fission mechanism
• Discovery of protactinium
• Research on beta decay
• Nuclear isomerism studies

Most Known For:

Experimental confirmation of the violation of parity conservation in weak nuclear interactions (Wu experiment)

Famous Publication:

"Experimental Test of Parity Conservation in Beta Decay" (1957)

With: E. Ambler, R.W. Hayward, D.D. Hoppes, R.P. Hudson

Awards:

Wolf Prize in Physics, National Medal of Science, Comstock Prize

Personality:

Exceptionally bright, determined, encouraged by progressive parents to pursue education

Major Contributions:

• Demonstrated parity violation in beta decay
• Advanced understanding of weak nuclear force

Most Known For:

Pioneering studies of muon decay spectra and confirmation of the V-A nature of the weak force

Famous Publication:

"Observation of Excited B Mesons" (1986)

With: P. Franzini, P. Tuts, et al.

Awards:

Fellow of the American Physical Society

Personality:

Born in Paris to Chinese parents, educated in the US; known for intellectual curiosity and perseverance

Major Contributions:

• Muon decay and weak interactions
• Meson spectroscopy
• Particle accelerator experiments

Most Known For:

Co-discovery of rhenium; first to suggest the possibility of nuclear fission in 1934

Famous Publication:

"Über das Element 75" (1925)

With: Walter Noddack, Otto Berg

Awards:

Liebig Medal, German Chemical Society Prize

Personality:

Exceptionally meticulous, curious, and persistent in laboratory work

Major Contributions:

• Discovery of rhenium
• Early hypothesis of nuclear fission

Most Known For:

Research on controlled thermonuclear fusion and plasma physics; work on soliton turbulence in plasmas

Famous Publication:

"Nonlinear Plasma Phenomena in Laser-Produced Plasmas" (1970s)

With: Begay, et al.

Awards:

Noted for outreach and science communication within the Navajo Nation

Personality:

Curious, resilient, deeply connected to Navajo/Ute heritage; overcame adversity in education

Major Contributions:

• Plasma physics
• Controlled thermonuclear fusion research
• Bridged indigenous knowledge and modern science

Most Known For:

Co-discovery of elements 104 (rutherfordium) and 105 (dubnium)

Famous Publication:

"Element 104: New Isotope of Element 104" (1969)

With: Albert Ghiorso, et al.

Awards:

American Chemical Society Award for Nuclear Chemistry

Personality:

Persistent, detail-oriented, and passionate about chemistry

Major Contributions:

• Synthesis of superheavy elements
• Nuclear chemistry of transactinides