Eight Physicists and Astronomers: Biographical Portraits

TL;DR

This paper offers brief biographical sketches of eight 20th-century physicists and astronomers, emphasizing their contributions to astronomy and astrophysics, some of whom are lesser-known figures.

Contribution

It provides detailed biographical information highlighting the scientific achievements of eight scientists, many of whom are not widely recognized.

Findings

Profiles of eight scientists with their main contributions

Emphasis on astronomical and astrophysical work

Includes lesser-known figures in the field

Abstract

This essay provides concise biographical information about eight physicists, astronomers, astrophysicists, and cosmologists from the twentieth century. The portrayed scientists are Hermann Bondi (1919-2005), Charles L. Critchfield (1910-1994), Arthur E. Haas (1884-1941), Chushiro Hayashi (1920-2010, Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931), Wilhelm Lenz (1888-1957), Franz Selety (1893-1933?), and S. Elis Str\"omgren (1870-1947). Because the entries were written for a biographical dictionary of astronomers, the emphasis is on the astronomical and astrophysical contributions of the scientists rather than their work in physics. While some of them are well known, others (such as Selety, Haas and Le Bon) will probably be unknown to most physicists.