José Antonio Balseiro
Encyclopedia
José Antonio Balseiro was an Argentine
physicist.
Balseiro studied at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in his home city, before moving to La Plata
to study and research, obtaining a doctorate in physics at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata
. His doctoral dissertation was directed by Dr. Guido Beck
, an Austrian physicist who arrived as a refugee in 1943. In 1950 he got a scholarship granted by the British Council
. Due to the limited funds provided by the scholarship, his wife and daughter remained in Argentina. Balseiro did his post-doctoral research at the University of Manchester
, in the group directed by Léon Rosenfeld
.
The Argentine government requested that he return to Argentina in 1952, a few months before the expiration of his scholarship, to serve in the scientific review panel of the Huemul Project
, a study on nuclear fusion conducted by Ronald Richter
. Balseiro's report and those of other members of the panel finally convinced the government that the Huemul Project had no scientific merit. Based on this, and reports of a second review panel (composed of physicists Richard Gans
and Antonio Rodríguez) the Huemul Project was abandoned.
Balseiro remained in Argentina, and in 1952 he was appointed director of the physics department of the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales of the Universidad de Buenos Aires.
In 1955, using part of the old installations of the Huemul Project, the National Atomic Energy Commission
created the Instituto de Física de Bariloche. Balseiro played an important role in this decision and served as the first director of the new institution. Upon his untimely death in 1962 from leukemia
, the institute was renamed Instituto Balseiro
. In 2005 the Instituto Balseiro has celebrated 50 years of existence having grown to become one of the country's leading centers for research in Physics and Nuclear Engineering and technology.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
physicist.
Balseiro studied at the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in his home city, before moving to La Plata
La Plata
La Plata is the capital city of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and of La Plata partido. According to the , the city proper has a population of 574,369 and its metropolitan area has 694,253 inhabitants....
to study and research, obtaining a doctorate in physics at the Universidad Nacional de La Plata
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
The National University of La Plata is one of the most important Argentine national universities and the biggest one situated in the city of La Plata, capital of Buenos Aires Province...
. His doctoral dissertation was directed by Dr. Guido Beck
Guido Beck
Guido Beck was a physicist born in what was then the town of Reichenberg in Austria-Hungary, and is now Liberec in the Czech Republic. He studied physics in Vienna and received his doctorate in 1925, under Hans Thirring. He worked in Leipzig in 1928 as an assistant to Werner Heisenberg...
, an Austrian physicist who arrived as a refugee in 1943. In 1950 he got a scholarship granted by the British Council
British Council
The British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
. Due to the limited funds provided by the scholarship, his wife and daughter remained in Argentina. Balseiro did his post-doctoral research at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
, in the group directed by Léon Rosenfeld
Léon Rosenfeld
Léon Rosenfeld was a Belgian physicist. He obtained a PhD at the University of Liège in 1926, and he was a collaborator of the physicist Niels Bohr. He did early work in quantum electrodynamics that predates by two decades the work by Dirac and Bergmann. He coined the name lepton...
.
The Argentine government requested that he return to Argentina in 1952, a few months before the expiration of his scholarship, to serve in the scientific review panel of the Huemul Project
Huemul Project
The Huemul Project was a secret project proposed by the German scientist of Austrian origin Ronald Richter to the government of Argentina during the first presidency of Juan Domingo Perón....
, a study on nuclear fusion conducted by Ronald Richter
Ronald Richter
Ronald Richter was an Austrian, later Argentine, scientist who became famous in connection with the Huemul Project and the National Atomic Energy Commission. This was intended to generate energy from nuclear fusion in the 1950s in Argentina, during the presidency of Juan Perón...
. Balseiro's report and those of other members of the panel finally convinced the government that the Huemul Project had no scientific merit. Based on this, and reports of a second review panel (composed of physicists Richard Gans
Richard Gans
Richard Martin Gans , German of Jewish origin, born in Hamburg, was the physicist who founded the Physics Institute of the National University of La Plata, Argentina...
and Antonio Rodríguez) the Huemul Project was abandoned.
Balseiro remained in Argentina, and in 1952 he was appointed director of the physics department of the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales of the Universidad de Buenos Aires.
In 1955, using part of the old installations of the Huemul Project, the National Atomic Energy Commission
National Atomic Energy Commission
The National Atomic Energy Commission is the Argentine government agency in charge of nuclear energy research and development.The agency was created on May 31, 1950 with the mission of developing and controlling nuclear energy for peaceful purposes in the country.CNEA's facilities include the...
created the Instituto de Física de Bariloche. Balseiro played an important role in this decision and served as the first director of the new institution. Upon his untimely death in 1962 from leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
, the institute was renamed Instituto Balseiro
Instituto Balseiro
Balseiro Institute is an academic institution chartered by the National University of Cuyo and the National Atomic Energy Commission...
. In 2005 the Instituto Balseiro has celebrated 50 years of existence having grown to become one of the country's leading centers for research in Physics and Nuclear Engineering and technology.
External links
- Biography (Spanish)
- Biography at the Instituto BalseiroInstituto BalseiroBalseiro Institute is an academic institution chartered by the National University of Cuyo and the National Atomic Energy Commission...
(Spanish) - Physics in Latin America.