Lloyd George Elliott General Physics, Subatomic Particles, Optics, Biophysics, Theoretical Physics

Led physics research at the Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories during its most constructive years.

The Story

Born in 1919, Elliott graduated from high school at 15 and from Dalhousie University at 19. By the time he had completed his PhD in 1943, he was already the co-author of ten papers.

Elliott went on to the Montreal nuclear energy laboratory and then to Chalk River, where at age 32 he was chosen as head of the physics division. There, he continued the interest he had developed at MIT on beta ray spectroscopy. He and Bob Bell collaborated to precisely measure the binding energy of the deuteron, which led to a significant revision in measurement of the binding energy of the neutron. They also were the first to measure very short gamma ray lifetimes.

As head of CRNL over the next two decades, Elliott was thorough and exacting, ensuring the facility selected world-class physicists and remained on the forefront of nuclear research. Following his death in 1970, the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) named its University Prize, a nation-wide academic achievement award for senior undergraduates studying physics, in his honour.

Sources: Physics in Canada Mar/April 2000, pg 144.

The Person

Birthplace
Clarence, Nova Scotia
Title
Head of Physics Division
Office
Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario
Status
Deceased
Degrees
  • BSc, Dalhousie, 1938
  • PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1943
Awards
  • Fellow, Royal Society of Canada
Last Updated
October 24, 2001
Popularity
33656

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