Owen Chamberlain (1920-2006) was an esteemed American physicist renowned for his groundbreaking contributions to particle physics, most notably the discovery of the antiproton. Born on 10 July 1920, in San Francisco, California, Chamberlain pursued a Bachelor’s degree in physics from Dartmouth College in 1941 before earning his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1948. During World War II, he worked on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos, contributing to the development of the atomic bomb. After the war, Chamberlain returned to Berkeley, where he embarked on pivotal research in particle physics with Emilio Segrè. In 1955, the duo discovered the antiproton, a subatomic particle with the same mass as a proton but a negative charge, thereby confirming the existence of antimatter. This monumental discovery earned Chamberlain and Segrè the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1959. A dedicated educator, Chamberlain taught at the University of California, Berkeley, inspiring countless students and continuing his research. He was also a passionate political activist, particularly opposing the Vietnam War and advocating for nuclear disarmament. Chamberlain’s legacy, marked by his scientific achievements and his commitment to education and activism, continues to influence the field of physics and inspire new generations of scientists. He passed away on 28 February 2006.
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