Niels Bohr
1885–1962, Copenhagen, Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
Danish physicist who proposed the first quantized atomic model and had a major influence on the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics.
In 1913 Bohr proposed a model of the hydrogen atom in which the electron could only orbit the nucleus at discrete energy levels — a first step reconciling the planetary atomic model with Planck's quantization idea. His institute in Copenhagen became an international hub for developing quantum mechanics in the 1920s, gathering Heisenberg, Pauli, and many other young physicists.
Nobel-winning work
Bohr won the 1922 Nobel Prize in Physics 'for his services in the investigation of the structure of atoms and of the radiation emanating from them'. His 1913 model (the 'Bohr trilogy') placed electrons in stationary orbits with quantized angular momentum and explained the hydrogen spectrum's Balmer–Rydberg formula through transitions between levels, E₂ − E₁ = hν. It was the first quantitative, quantitatively predictive quantum model of the atom.
Workplaces: Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen
Denmark