George Volkoff
Encyclopedia
George Michael Volkoff, OC
, MBE
, FRSC
(February 23, 1914 – April 24, 2000) was a Canadian
physicist and academic who helped, with J. Robert Oppenheimer, predict the existence of neutron star
s before they were discovered
.
, his father was a Russian engineer who emigrated to Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
in 1924. Unable to find work, his father moved the family to Harbin
, Manchuria
in 1927. His mother died soon after moving to Harbin. In 1936, Volkoff's father returned to Russia but was exiled to the arctic camps as part of the Great Purge
where he would die.
where he received a Bachelor of Arts
in physics in 1934 and a Masters of Art degree in 1936. He then studied with J. Robert Oppenheimer at the University of California, Berkeley
where he published his paper "On Massive Neutron Cores" and earned his Ph.D. in 1940.
He was the president of the Canadian Association of Physicists
from 1962 to 1963.
. In 1994, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
for having "contributed to the general development of physics in Canada and, in particular, at the University of British Columbia".
He died in Vancouver in 2000.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, FRSC
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
(February 23, 1914 – April 24, 2000) was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
physicist and academic who helped, with J. Robert Oppenheimer, predict the existence of neutron star
Neutron star
A neutron star is a type of stellar remnant that can result from the gravitational collapse of a massive star during a Type II, Type Ib or Type Ic supernova event. Such stars are composed almost entirely of neutrons, which are subatomic particles without electrical charge and with a slightly larger...
s before they were discovered
Timeline of white dwarfs, neutron stars, and supernovae
Timeline of white dwarfs, neutron stars, and supernovaeNote that this list is mainly about the development of knowledge, but also about some supernovae taking place. For a separate list of the latter, see the article List of supernovae...
.
Early life
Born in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, his father was a Russian engineer who emigrated to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1924. Unable to find work, his father moved the family to Harbin
Harbin
Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River...
, Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
in 1927. His mother died soon after moving to Harbin. In 1936, Volkoff's father returned to Russia but was exiled to the arctic camps as part of the Great Purge
Great Purge
The Great Purge was a series of campaigns of political repression and persecution in the Soviet Union orchestrated by Joseph Stalin from 1936 to 1938...
where he would die.
Education
Volkoff returned to Vancouver and entered the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
where he received a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in physics in 1934 and a Masters of Art degree in 1936. He then studied with J. Robert Oppenheimer at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
where he published his paper "On Massive Neutron Cores" and earned his Ph.D. in 1940.
Academic
In 1940, he joined the physics department of the University of British Columbia as an assistant professor. From 1961 to 1970, he was the head of the department. From 1970 to 1979, he was the Dean of Science. He was a member of the University of British Columbia Senate for three periods: 1950 to 1954, 1961 to 1963, and 1969 to 1979.He was the president of the Canadian Association of Physicists
Canadian Association of Physicists
The Canadian Association of Physicists , or in French Association canadienne des physiciens et physiciennes is a Canadian professional society that focuses on creating awareness amongst Canadians and Canadian legislators of physics issues, sponsoring physics related events, and publishes Physics...
from 1962 to 1963.
Honours
In 1946, he was made a member of the Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. In 1994, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
for having "contributed to the general development of physics in Canada and, in particular, at the University of British Columbia".
He died in Vancouver in 2000.