Fano, Ugo.

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Ugo Fano was born July 28, 1912 in Turin, Italy, to Gino Fano, a prominent mathematician. He earned his doctorate in mathematics from the University of Turin in 1934, worked at the University of Rome with Enrico Fermi, and the University of Leipzig with Werner Heisenberg. Fano then immigrated to the United States in 1939, with his wife and collaborator, Camilla "Lilla" Lattes Fano. He continued his work at several institutions, including the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology) and the University of Chicago. Fano made lasting contributions to the fields of physics and chemistry, particularly in the theory of atomic and radiation physics.

From the description of Ugo Fano papers, 1925-1999 (inclusive). (University of Chicago Library). WorldCat record id: 606591038

Ugo Fano was born July 28, 1912 in Turin, Italy, to Gino Fano, a prominent mathematician. He earned his doctorate in mathematics from the University of Turin in 1934, worked at the University of Rome with Enrico Fermi, and the University of Leipzig with Werner Heisenberg. Fano then immigrated to the United States in 1939, with his wife and collaborator, Camilla "Lilla" Lattes Fano. He continued his work at several institutions, including the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology) and the University of Chicago. Fano made lasting contributions to the fields of physics and chemistry, particularly in the theory of atomic and radiation physics.

With Enrico Fermi as a mentor, Fano's early work in the United States was in radiation biology, where his research on the effects of X-rays and neurons helped to identify the biological hazards of radiation. Fano joined the National Bureau of Standards in 1946 as a theoretical physicist. In the next twenty years, Fano conducted seminal research in the physics of atoms, molecules and matter, as well as in radiation physics. His theoretical contributions formed the basis of future practical applications, such as the use of radiation for medical therapy and diagnosis, and the development of gas lasers. Fano's legacy is also remembered in the naming of phenomena such as the Fano resonance profile, Fano factor, Fano effect, and the Fano–Lichten mechanism

In 1966, Fano joined the University of Chicago as a professor in the Department of Physics and the James Franck Institute. Fano taught classes on atomic and quantum physics, and served as chair of the physics department from 1972 to 1974. Many of the graduate students he trained went on to leading positions in academia and research.

Fano was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Physical Society, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, and the Royal Society of London. His achievements were recognized by awards from the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as honorary degrees from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, and Queen's University in Belfast.

Fano died February 13, 2001, in Chicago, Illinois at the age of 88. The Ugo Fano Fund to support graduate students was established in his memory.

From the guide to the Fano, Ugo. Papers, 1925-1999, (Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Frauenfelder, Hans, 1922-. Responses to survey on the impact of immigration on U.S. physics, 1999. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Fano, Ugo. Papers, 1925-1999 Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library,
creatorOf Fano, Ugo. Correspondence, primarily with William Lichten, regarding a jointly-authored semi-popular review article on energy conversion in ion-atom collision; a letter on the article to N. V. Fedorenko of the Ioffe Institute, Leningrad; and an April 1965 pre-print from Physical Review Letters, 1964-1965. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Koch, Herman William, 1920-. Oral history interview with Herman William Koch, 1986 September 16 to 10 March 1987. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
creatorOf Fano, Ugo. Ugo Fano papers, 1925-1999 (inclusive). University of Chicago Library
referencedIn William B. Provine collection of evolutionary biology reprints, 20th century. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
referencedIn Archive for the History of Quantum Physics, 1898-1950 (bulk), 1898-1950 American Philosophical Society
creatorOf American Physical Society. Meeting (1976 : Washington, D.C.). Distinguished Speaker Session [sound recording] 1976 April 28. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn American Institute of Physics. Physics Today Division. Unpublished, selected letters to the editors, 1972-1983. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
referencedIn Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars. Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced Foreign Scholars records. 1927-1949. New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Niels Bohr Library. History of physics manuscript biography collection D-H, 1901-1989, [ca. 1960]-1989 (bulk) Campbell University, Wiggins Memorial Library
referencedIn Rau, A. R. P. (A. Ravi P.). Scientific life of Ugo Fano in Chicago, 1982. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library
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Place Name Admin Code Country
Italy
Illinois--Chicago
Subject
Nuclear physics
Physicists
Quantum theory
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1912-07-28

Death 2001-02-13

Americans

English,

Italian

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