Enrico Fermi biography

Enrico Fermi (September 29, 1901 – November 28, 1954). Italian nuclear physicist. His family enjoyed certain amenities, his father was an officer of the railway company of Italy. From an early age, he expressed interest in physics at the age of 14 after reading a physics book his father had. He had an excellent academic performance and was able to recite Dante’s Divine Comedy, his memory was prodigious. The great ability to solve problems of theoretical physics and his ability to simplify complex equations made him gain admiration quickly.

He was a student at the Higher Normal School of Pisa and his career ended in 1922. In this institution, he took his first steps in scientific activity, especially in atomic and molecular physics. In 1927 he applied the well-known, Fermi statistic, to the electrons that move around the nucleus of the atom. From this experimentation with Thomas, they were able to establish an approximate method for the study of many atomic questions, which they would call the Thomas-Fermi method.

In 1926 he ventured into the world of teaching, taught his first classes of theoretical physics at the University of Rome, his work as a teacher was applauded. There he took advantage to develop a new type of statistics to explain the behavior of electrons, from this arose a theory about beta radioactive decay. From this moment on he continued to investigate artificial radioactivity by testing with the bombardment of elements with neutrons.

“Whatever nature has in store for humanity, however unpleasant it may be, men must accept, that ignorance is never better than knowledge.” Enrico Fermi

His wife, Laura Capon, was Jewish, this represented an inconvenience at the time of the rise of fascism in Italy in the 30s. To safeguard their family they decided to emigrate to the United States, New York. There, some years later he held the position of professor of physics at Columbia University. His stay in the United States was positive because it allowed him to be aware of the great findings of different colleagues. For example, the advances of the Germans Otto Hahn and Friedrich Strassman. Based on these advances, he managed to manufacture the first atomic pile, consequently, he achieved the first controlled reaction of nuclear fusion in the facilities of the University of Chicago.

The advances of artificial radioactivity, discovered by the Joliot-Curie marriage, also served as an impulse and basis of their studies, so in 1934 he discovered that hydrogenated substances and in general light elements could reduce the speed of neutrons after collisions elastics. And so, he studied the absorption and diffusion properties of slow neutrons. Enrico Fermi was deeply aware of the importance of his experimental work and believed in his desire to produce atomic energy.

Fermi was a member of the cabinet of extraordinary scientists who worked for the country during World War II, under the command of Oppenheimer, developing the nuclear device called Little Boy loaded with Uranium-235 that would destroy Hiroshima, Japan. The launching of two atomic bombs on this territory ended World War II and also made the United States the first country to have and launch an atomic bomb. This event was named the Manhattan project. In 1946, when World War II was over, he opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb for ethical reasons. Enrico Fermi was a professor of physics and director of the new Institute of Nuclear Studies at the University of Chicago; his fame and respect were such that many students from different parts of the world went there to study with him.

He published some two hundred memoirs in several magazines in Italy and the United States. He also published four books: an introduction to atomic physics (1928), molecule and crystal (1934), thermodynamics (1937) and elementary particles (1951). Thanks to these magnificent works, he was named the president of the American Physical Society, he was part of many Italian and foreign academies, and received awards and recognition in various countries. For example, in the United States, the country that welcomed him and gave him residence, he received the merit medal in 1946. In addition, the subatomic particle, the fermion, the 100th element of the periodic table, was named in his honor. All this earned him the 1938 Nobel Prize in Physics.

The figure of Enrico Fermi stands out in the history of physics not only for his research skills but also for his high qualities as a teacher. It should be noted that in addition to his prolific and varied experimental activity, Fermi, he served as a teacher in distinguished educational institutions. And he was one of the first scientists to pay attention to the UFO phenomenon. It was productive both in the theoretical and experimental field, something not very common in his time, and he is also estimated as the last physicist who made great contributions to both branches. His life ended at 53 because of stomach cancer, on November 28, 1954, in Chicago.