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|doctoral_students =
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|known_for = Discovery of excess meteoritic <sup>129</sup>Xe
|known_for = Discovery of excess meteoritic <sup>129</sup>Xe
|prizes = [[John Price Wetherill Medal]] (1965)<br>[[J. Lawrence Smith Medal]] (1967)<br>[[Leonard Medal]] (1973)<ref name=obitGS>{{cite journal|url=https://www.geochemsoc.org/files/1913/4436/8118/gn107.pdf|journal=The Geochemical News, Newsletter of the Geochemical Society|issue=107|date=April 2001|title=John H. Reynolds (1923-2000)|author=Kennedy, B. Mack|author2=Podosek, Frank A.|pages=10–11}}</ref>
|prizes =
|religion =
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|footnotes =
|footnotes =
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==Life==
==Life==
John H. Reynolds was born {{Birth date|1923|4|3}} in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]], [[Massachusetts]], United States. He studied first at [[Harvard University]] and, after serving in the Navy during [[World War II]], at the [[University of Chicago]]. There, he was influenced by his [[Ph.D.]] thesis advisor [[Mark Inghram]] and by two other famous [[physicists]], [[Harold Urey]] and [[Enrico Fermi]]. He specialized in [[mass spectrometry]] and utilized this method to determine isotope ratios needed for the [[radiometric dating]] of geologically and cosmologically relevant samples. In 1950 he was appointed as professor to the [[University of California, Berkeley]] where he continued his research on isotope ratios in meteorites, leading to the discovery in 1960 that the [[Richardton meteorite]] and other meteorites had an excess of [[xenon]]-129,<ref>{{cite journal
John H. Reynolds was born {{Birth date|1923|4|3}} in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]], [[Massachusetts]], United States. He studied first at [[Harvard University]] and, after serving in the Navy during [[World War II]], at the [[University of Chicago]]. There, he was influenced by his [[Ph.D.]] thesis advisor [[Mark Inghram]] and by two other famous [[physicists]], [[Harold Urey]] and [[Enrico Fermi]]. He specialized in [[mass spectrometry]] and utilized this method to determine isotope ratios needed for the [[radiometric dating]] of geologically and cosmologically relevant samples.
In 1950 he was appointed as professor to the [[University of California, Berkeley]] where he continued his research on isotope ratios in meteorites, leading to the discovery in 1960 that the [[Richardton meteorite]] and other meteorites had an excess of [[xenon]]-129,<ref>{{cite journal
| title = Isotopic Composition of Primordial Xenon
| title = Isotopic Composition of Primordial Xenon
| author = J. H. Reynolds
| author = J. H. Reynolds
Line 40: Line 42:
| year = 1960
| year = 1960
| doi = 10.1103/PhysRevLett.4.8
| doi = 10.1103/PhysRevLett.4.8
| bibcode=1960PhRvL...4....8R}}</ref><ref name="NYtimes John Reynolds Xe">{{cite news|title=John Hamilton Reynolds, 77; Improved Study of Cosmic Ages|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/20/us/john-hamilton-reynolds-77-improved-study-of-cosmic-ages.html|accessdate=25 December 2012}}</ref> thought to be a result of the beta decay of [[iodine-129]] in the early [[solar system]].<ref>{{cite book| author = Alan P. Dickin| title = Radiogenic Isotope Geology| year = 1997| publisher = Cambridge University Press| isbn = 978-0-521-59891-0| page = 400 }}</ref> His improvement of [[potassium-argon dating]] was adopted by several institutions.<ref name="im">[http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=hb1r29n709&doc.view=content&chunk.id=div00061&toc.depth=1&brand=oac&anchor.id=0 John H. Reynolds, Physics: Berkeley], Bruce A. Bolt, Richard E. Packard, and P. Buford Price, in ''University of California: In Memoriam, 2000'', edited by Micki Conklin, University of California Academic Senate, 2000. Accessed on line October 24, 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite book| author = Office of the Home Secretary|author2=National Academy of Sciences| title = Biographical Memoirs| year = 2004| publisher = National Academies Press| isbn = 978-0-309-10363-3| page = 248 |url = http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/biomems/jreynolds.html }}</ref>
| bibcode=1960PhRvL...4....8R}}</ref><ref name="NYtimes John Reynolds Xe">{{cite news|title=John Hamilton Reynolds, 77; Improved Study of Cosmic Ages|work=The New York Times |date=20 November 2000 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/20/us/john-hamilton-reynolds-77-improved-study-of-cosmic-ages.html|accessdate=25 December 2012 |last1=Saxon |first1=Wolfgang }}</ref> thought to be a result of the beta decay of [[iodine-129]] in the early [[Solar System]].<ref>{{cite book| author = Alan P. Dickin| title = Radiogenic Isotope Geology| year = 1997| publisher = Cambridge University Press| isbn = 978-0-521-59891-0| page = 400 }}</ref> He was helped by a new all-glass spectrometer that he had designed, which allowed gas samples to be run through it multiple times, helping to increase the odds of detection and alleviate the low sensitivity problems plaguing earlier attempts by other researchers on other meteorites.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Pratt |first=Sarah E. |date=25 September 2015 |title=Benchmarks: January 1, 1960: The Discovery of "Extinct Radioactivity" The quest to date the elements that formed the solar system |url=https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/benchmarks-january-1-1960-discovery-extinct-radioactivity-quest-date-elements-formed-solar/ |access-date=2024-08-26 |website=Earth Magazine}}</ref> Unlike many scientific discoveries, the significance of the discovery was well and widely understood at the time.<ref name=":0" />

His improvement of [[potassium-argon dating]] was also adopted by several institutions.<ref name="im">[http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=hb1r29n709&doc.view=content&chunk.id=div00061&toc.depth=1&brand=oac&anchor.id=0 John H. Reynolds, Physics: Berkeley], Bruce A. Bolt, Richard E. Packard, and P. Buford Price, in ''University of California: In Memoriam, 2000'', edited by Micki Conklin, University of California Academic Senate, 2000. Accessed on line October 24, 2007.</ref><ref>{{cite book| author = Office of the Home Secretary|author2=National Academy of Sciences| title = Biographical Memoirs| year = 2004| publisher = National Academies Press| isbn = 978-0-309-10363-3| page = 248 |url = http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/biomems/jreynolds.html }}</ref>


Reynolds was elected to the [[United States National Academy of Sciences|National Academy of Sciences]] in 1968. He died of [[pneumonia]] on November 4, 2000 in [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]], [[California]], United States.<ref name=im />
Reynolds was a Guggenheim Fellow for the academic years 1956–1957 and 1986–1987.<ref>{{cite web|title=John Hamilton Reynolds|website=John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation|url=https://www.gf.org/fellows/john-hamilton-reynolds/}}</ref> He was elected to the [[United States National Academy of Sciences|National Academy of Sciences]] in 1968.<ref name=obitGS/> He died of [[pneumonia]] on November 4, 2000, in [[Berkeley, California|Berkeley]], [[California]], United States.<ref name=im />


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 04:57, 26 August 2024

John Hamilton Reynolds
Born(1923-04-03)April 3, 1923
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
DiedNovember 4, 2000(2000-11-04) (aged 77)
Berkeley, California, United States
Alma materHarvard University,
University of Chicago
Known forDiscovery of excess meteoritic 129Xe
AwardsJohn Price Wetherill Medal (1965)
J. Lawrence Smith Medal (1967)
Leonard Medal (1973)[1]
Scientific career
FieldsGeophysics
InstitutionsUniversity of Chicago,
University of California, Berkeley
Doctoral advisorMark Inghram

John Hamilton Reynolds[2] (April 3, 1923 – November 4, 2000) was an American physicist and a specialist in mass spectrometry.[3]

Life

[edit]

John H. Reynolds was born (1923-04-03)April 3, 1923 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. He studied first at Harvard University and, after serving in the Navy during World War II, at the University of Chicago. There, he was influenced by his Ph.D. thesis advisor Mark Inghram and by two other famous physicists, Harold Urey and Enrico Fermi. He specialized in mass spectrometry and utilized this method to determine isotope ratios needed for the radiometric dating of geologically and cosmologically relevant samples.

In 1950 he was appointed as professor to the University of California, Berkeley where he continued his research on isotope ratios in meteorites, leading to the discovery in 1960 that the Richardton meteorite and other meteorites had an excess of xenon-129,[4][5][6] thought to be a result of the beta decay of iodine-129 in the early Solar System.[7] He was helped by a new all-glass spectrometer that he had designed, which allowed gas samples to be run through it multiple times, helping to increase the odds of detection and alleviate the low sensitivity problems plaguing earlier attempts by other researchers on other meteorites.[8] Unlike many scientific discoveries, the significance of the discovery was well and widely understood at the time.[8]

His improvement of potassium-argon dating was also adopted by several institutions.[3][9]

Reynolds was a Guggenheim Fellow for the academic years 1956–1957 and 1986–1987.[10] He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1968.[1] He died of pneumonia on November 4, 2000, in Berkeley, California, United States.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Kennedy, B. Mack; Podosek, Frank A. (April 2001). "John H. Reynolds (1923-2000)" (PDF). The Geochemical News, Newsletter of the Geochemical Society (107): 10–11.
  2. ^ The Leonard Medal, Meteoritics 8 (1973), pp. 291–293.
  3. ^ a b c John H. Reynolds, Physics: Berkeley, Bruce A. Bolt, Richard E. Packard, and P. Buford Price, in University of California: In Memoriam, 2000, edited by Micki Conklin, University of California Academic Senate, 2000. Accessed on line October 24, 2007.
  4. ^ J. H. Reynolds (1960). "Isotopic Composition of Primordial Xenon". Physical Review Letters. 4 (7): 351–354. Bibcode:1960PhRvL...4..351R. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.4.351.
  5. ^ J. H. Reynolds (1960). "Determination of the Age of the Elements". Physical Review Letters. 4 (1): 8–10. Bibcode:1960PhRvL...4....8R. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.4.8.
  6. ^ Saxon, Wolfgang (20 November 2000). "John Hamilton Reynolds, 77; Improved Study of Cosmic Ages". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  7. ^ Alan P. Dickin (1997). Radiogenic Isotope Geology. Cambridge University Press. p. 400. ISBN 978-0-521-59891-0.
  8. ^ a b Pratt, Sarah E. (25 September 2015). "Benchmarks: January 1, 1960: The Discovery of "Extinct Radioactivity" The quest to date the elements that formed the solar system". Earth Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-26.
  9. ^ Office of the Home Secretary; National Academy of Sciences (2004). Biographical Memoirs. National Academies Press. p. 248. ISBN 978-0-309-10363-3.
  10. ^ "John Hamilton Reynolds". John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
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