Neville Robinson
Encyclopedia
Frank Neville Hosband Robinson (13 April 1925,West Bromwich
, Staffordshire
, England
– 19 October 1996, Colmar
, France
) was an Englishphysicist
.
Neville Robinson was educated at The Leys School
in Cambridge
, England
and Christ's College, Cambridge
, where he read Physics
.
Robinson initially worked as a civil servant at the Services Electronic Research Laboratory (SERL) in Baldock
, Hertfordshire
, under the director Robert Sutton. He then moved to the Clarendon Laboratory
at Oxford University to undertake a DPhil degree in low temperature physics, as a Nuffield
Research Fellow (1950–54).
With Jim Daniels and Michael Grace, he produced an example of nuclear orientation
for the first time. Then in 1951, in the first nuclear cooling experiment, he produced the lowest temperature
ever achieved until then at only ten millionths of a degree above absolute zero
.
Robinson was an English Electric
Research Fellow from 1955–59.
He was a Faculty Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford
from 1958 to 1961, immediately followed by becoming a founding Fellow of St Catherine's College, Oxford
where he stayed until his retirement in 1992. He was also a Senior Research officer at Oxford University during 1959 to 1992, working at the Clarendon Laboratory. During his career, he visited Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey
, USA, three times while on sabbatical leave (during 1954–55, 1965–66, and 1973–74).
In 1973, Robinson published the book Macroscopic Electromagnetism, a standard text. His paper Microwave shot noise and minimum noise factor was awarded the Clerk Maxwell Prize in 1954 by the British Institution of Radio Engineers
. Importantly, he invented the Robinson oscillator
in the field of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
(NMR), which now forms the underlying basis of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
(MRI) systems used in many hospitals.
, and two daughters; Victoria Bowman (British diplomat and former Ambassador to Burma) and Dr Natasha Robinson (Consultant Anaesthetist). He died of a heart attack, aged 71, in Colmar
, France
.
West Bromwich
West Bromwich is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell, in the West Midlands, England. It is north west of Birmingham lying on the A41 London-to-Birkenhead road. West Bromwich is part of the Black Country...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
– 19 October 1996, Colmar
Colmar
Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) was an Englishphysicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
.
Neville Robinson was educated at The Leys School
The Leys School
The Leys School is a co-educational Independent school, located in Cambridge, England, and is a day and boarding school for about 550 pupils aged between 11 and 18 years...
in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College, Cambridge
Christ's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge.With a reputation for high academic standards, Christ's College averaged top place in the Tompkins Table from 1980-2000 . In 2011, Christ's was placed sixth.-College history:...
, where he read Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
.
Robinson initially worked as a civil servant at the Services Electronic Research Laboratory (SERL) in Baldock
Baldock
Baldock is a historic market town in the local government district of North Hertfordshire in the ceremonial county of Hertfordshire, England where the River Ivel rises. It lies north of London, southeast of Bedford, and north northwest of the county town of Hertford...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, under the director Robert Sutton. He then moved to the Clarendon Laboratory
Clarendon Laboratory
The Clarendon Laboratory, located on Parks Road with the Science Area in Oxford, England , is part of the Physics Department at Oxford University...
at Oxford University to undertake a DPhil degree in low temperature physics, as a Nuffield
Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is an all-graduate college and primarily a research establishment, specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. It is a research centre in the social sciences...
Research Fellow (1950–54).
With Jim Daniels and Michael Grace, he produced an example of nuclear orientation
Nuclear orientation
Nuclear orientation, in nuclear physics, is the directional ordering of an assembly of nuclear spins with respect to some axis in space.A nuclear level with spin in a magnetic field will divide into magnetic sub-levels with an energy spacing....
for the first time. Then in 1951, in the first nuclear cooling experiment, he produced the lowest temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
ever achieved until then at only ten millionths of a degree above absolute zero
Absolute zero
Absolute zero is the theoretical temperature at which entropy reaches its minimum value. The laws of thermodynamics state that absolute zero cannot be reached using only thermodynamic means....
.
Robinson was an English Electric
English Electric
English Electric was a British industrial manufacturer. Founded in 1918, it initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers...
Research Fellow from 1955–59.
He was a Faculty Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College, Oxford
Nuffield College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is an all-graduate college and primarily a research establishment, specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. It is a research centre in the social sciences...
from 1958 to 1961, immediately followed by becoming a founding Fellow of St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, Oxford
St Catherine's College, often called Catz, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its motto is Nova et Vetera...
where he stayed until his retirement in 1992. He was also a Senior Research officer at Oxford University during 1959 to 1992, working at the Clarendon Laboratory. During his career, he visited Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, USA, three times while on sabbatical leave (during 1954–55, 1965–66, and 1973–74).
In 1973, Robinson published the book Macroscopic Electromagnetism, a standard text. His paper Microwave shot noise and minimum noise factor was awarded the Clerk Maxwell Prize in 1954 by the British Institution of Radio Engineers
British Institution of Radio Engineers
The British Institution of Radio Engineers was a professional organization for radio engineers. It was founded in 1925.The main aim of the Institution was the advancement of the practice of radio engineering, through conferences, meetings, and training. The Institution published the Journal of the...
. Importantly, he invented the Robinson oscillator
Robinson oscillator
The Robinson oscillator is an electronic circuit originally devised for use in the field of continuous wave Nuclear Magnetic Resonance . It was a development of the Marginal oscillator. Strictly one should distinguish between the marginal oscillator and the Robinson oscillator, although sometimes...
in the field of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Nuclear magnetic resonance is a physical phenomenon in which magnetic nuclei in a magnetic field absorb and re-emit electromagnetic radiation...
(NMR), which now forms the underlying basis of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging
Magnetic resonance imaging , nuclear magnetic resonance imaging , or magnetic resonance tomography is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to visualize detailed internal structures...
(MRI) systems used in many hospitals.
Family
Robinson married Daphne Coulthard in 1952. They had one son, the author Andrew RobinsonW. Andrew Robinson
W. Andrew Robinson is a British author and former newspaper editor.Andrew Robinson was educated at the Dragon School, Eton College where he was a King's Scholar, University College, Oxford where he read Chemistry and finally the School of Oriental and African Studies in London...
, and two daughters; Victoria Bowman (British diplomat and former Ambassador to Burma) and Dr Natasha Robinson (Consultant Anaesthetist). He died of a heart attack, aged 71, in Colmar
Colmar
Colmar is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.It is the capital of the department. Colmar is also the seat of the highest jurisdiction in Alsace, the appellate court....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
External links
- F. N. R. Robinson, Microsoft Academic Search