Hannes Alfvén

Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén (Swedish: alˈveːn; 30 May 1908 – 2 April 1995) was a Swedish electrical engineer, plasma physicist, and winner of the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). He is best known for describing the class of MHD waves now called Alfvén waves. These waves help explain many phenomena in space and plasma physics.

Alfvén began his career trained as an electrical power engineer but later moved into research and teaching in plasma physics and electrical engineering. His work had a wide range of impacts, helping scientists understand many cosmic and Earth-based events.

His contributions included theories about the behavior of aurorae, the Van Allen radiation belts, and the effects of magnetic storms on the Earth's magnetic field. He also studied the terrestrial magnetosphere and the dynamics of plasmas within the Milky Way galaxy. His ideas continue to shape how scientists study space and energy around us.

Education

Hannes Alfvén earned his PhD from the University of Uppsala in 1934. His thesis focused on studying high-frequency electromagnetic waves.

Early years

Hannes Alfvén taught physics at the University of Uppsala and the Nobel Institute for Physics in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1934. He later became a professor at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, where he taught electromagnetic theory and electrical measurements. Alfvén also spent time as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Maryland, College Park and worked at universities in the United States, including the University of California, San Diego and the University of Southern California.

Later years

In 1991, Alfvén retired as a professor of electrical engineering at the University of California, San Diego and as a professor of plasma physics at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

Alfvén spent his later years living between California and Sweden. He passed away at the age of 86.

Research

In 1937, Hannes Alfvén suggested that plasma, a special state of matter, could carry electric currents across the universe, creating magnetic fields. Later, he won the Nobel Prize for his work in magnetohydrodynamics, a field that studies how magnetic fields and fluids interact. He explained that to understand space, we need to look at magnetic fields, electric fields, and electric currents, which can create structures in space.

Alfvén’s ideas helped explain many space phenomena, such as auroras — the beautiful lights in the sky near the North and South Poles — and how the Earth’s magnetic field changes during magnetic storms. His work also contributed to technologies like particle accelerators and rocket propulsion. Even today, scientists use his ideas to study the Sun, stars, and the space between them.

Personal life

Hannes Alfvén was married to his wife Kerstin for 67 years, and they had five children—a boy and four girls. One of their daughters, Inger Alfvén, became a well-known writer in Sweden, while another became a lawyer. Alfvén’s uncle, the composer Hugo Alfvén, was also famous.

Alfvén studied many subjects beyond science, including the history of science, oriental philosophy, and religion. He spoke several languages and was especially concerned about how to safely manage high-level radioactive waste. He passed away in Djursholm at the age of 86.

Awards and honours

The Hannes Alfvén Prize, awarded each year by the European Physical Society for important work in plasma physics, is named after him. A asteroid called 1778 Alfvén also honors his memory.

Alfvén received many awards for his work, including the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1970 for his studies on magnetohydrodynamics. He was also given the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1967, the Franklin Medal in 1971, and the Lomonosov Gold Medal in 1971, among other honors. He was a foreign member of both the United States and Soviet Academies of Sciences.

Selected bibliography

Hannes Alfvén wrote many books and articles about physics and space. Some of his most famous works include:

Books

• Cosmical Electrodynamics
• Worlds-Antiworlds: Antimatter in Cosmology
• The Great Computer: A Vision
• Atom, Man, and the Universe: A Long Chain of Complications
• Living on the Third Planet (with Kerstin Alfvén)
• Cosmic Plasma

Articles

• On the cosmogony of the solar system I
• Interplanetary Magnetic Field
• On the Origin of Cosmic Magnetic Fields
• Many more articles about space, plasma, and the universe.