Harald Herborg Nielsen
Encyclopedia
Harald Herborg Nielsen was an American
physicist.
He was born in Menominee, Michigan
to immigrant parents who had moved to the United States from Denmark
. His college education was attained at the University of Michigan
, where he earned a Ph.D. He then spent a year at the Bohr's Institute in Copenhagen
as a Scandinavian-American Fellow. In 1930 he joined the Ohio State University
, where he would remain until his retirement.
Much of his work at OSU involved the infrared
spectra of molecule
s; particularly with regard to their vibrational-rotational energies. He performed pioneering design work with high-resolution spectrographs, and made major theoretical contributions on molecular spectra.
From 1946 until 1967 he was chairman of the Physics Department. He held a Guggenheim Fellowship
at Cambridge University, 1949–1950; served as science attaché
for the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm
, 1952–1953, and was a Fulbright Lecturer
, University of Paris
, 1958–1959. He also served as editor of the Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy.
He is brother to Alvin H. Nielsen.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physicist.
He was born in Menominee, Michigan
Menominee, Michigan
Menominee is a city in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,131. It is the county seat of Menominee County. Menominee is the fourth-largest city in the Upper Peninsula, behind Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, and Escanaba...
to immigrant parents who had moved to the United States from Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. His college education was attained at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, where he earned a Ph.D. He then spent a year at the Bohr's Institute in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
as a Scandinavian-American Fellow. In 1930 he joined the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, where he would remain until his retirement.
Much of his work at OSU involved the infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...
spectra of molecule
Molecule
A molecule is an electrically neutral group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds. Molecules are distinguished from ions by their electrical charge...
s; particularly with regard to their vibrational-rotational energies. He performed pioneering design work with high-resolution spectrographs, and made major theoretical contributions on molecular spectra.
From 1946 until 1967 he was chairman of the Physics Department. He held a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
at Cambridge University, 1949–1950; served as science attaché
Science attaché
A science attaché is a member of a diplomatic mission, usually an embassy...
for the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, 1952–1953, and was a Fulbright Lecturer
Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
, University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, 1958–1959. He also served as editor of the Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy.
He is brother to Alvin H. Nielsen.
Awards and honors
- Fellow of the American Physical SocietyAmerican Physical SocietyThe American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
. - Elected to the Cosmos ClubCosmos ClubThe Cosmos Club is a private social club in Washington, D.C., founded by John Wesley Powell in 1878. In addition to Powell, original members included Clarence Edward Dutton, Henry Smith Pritchett, William Harkness, and John Shaw Billings. Among its stated goals is "The advancement of its members in...
, 1954. - Cross of the Order of Leopold (Belgium), 1953.
- Cross of the Order of Knights of DannebrogOrder of the DannebrogThe Order of the Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted in 1671 by Christian V. It resulted from a move in 1660 to break the absolutism of the nobility. The Order was only to comprise 50 noble Knights in one class plus the Master of the Order, i.e. the Danish monarch, and his sons...
, Denmark, 1957. - University Medal, University of LiègeUniversity of LiègeThe University of Liège , in Liège, Wallonia, Belgium, is a major public university in the French Community of Belgium. Its official language is French.-History:...
. - Honorary Doctorate, University of Dijon.
- The lunar crater NielsenNielsen (crater)Nielsen is a lunar impact crater on the Oceanus Procellarum. It is located north-east of Montes Agricola on the western hemisphere of the Moon. To the east-southeast is the crater Wollaston....
is co-named for him and Axel NielsenAxel NielsenAxel Vilfred Nielsen was a Danish astronomer at the Ole Rømer Observatory in Aarhus from 1927 until his death in 1970....
.