Polykarp Kusch | |
|---|---|
 Kusch in 1955 | |
| Born | January 26, 1911 |
| Died | March 20, 1993 (aged 82) |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois Case Western Reserve University |
| Known for | Measured the magnetic moment of the electron |
| Awards | Nobel Prize in Physics (1955) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Texas at Dallas Columbia University |
| Thesis | The molecular spectra of caesium and rubidium (1936) |
| Doctoral advisor | Francis Wheeler Loomis |
| Doctoral students | Eugene D. Commins Gordon Gould Sheldon Schultz |
Polykarp Kusch (January 26, 1911 – March 20, 1993) was a German-born American physicist. In 1955, the Nobel Committee gave a divided Nobel Prize for Physics, with one half going to Kusch for his accurate determination that the magnetic moment of the electron was greater than its theoretical value, thus leading to reconsideration of—and innovations in—quantum electrodynamics. (The other 1955 physics laureate was Willis Eugene Lamb, who won for his work on the spectrum of hydrogen.)