Bethe, Hans Albrecht
Bethe, Hans Albrecht (1906-2005), a German-American physicist. He received the 1967 Nobel Prize in physics for his contributions to the theory of nuclear reactions, especially his explanation (published in 1938) of the processes by which stars convert hydrogen into helium to produce energy. Bethe directed theoretical work on the atomic bomb at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, 1943-46. He pioneered in development of quantum mechanics and made important contributions to the study of atomic nuclei, charged particles, metals, shock waves, and microwaves.
Bethe was born in Strassburg (now Strasbourg, France). He received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Munich in 1928 and went to America in 1935 to join the faculty of Cornell University. Bethe became a United States citizen in 1941. He received the Atomic Energy Commission's Enrico Fermi Award in 1961.