Alvarez Luis Walter

Al·va·rez

 (ăl′və-rĕz′), Luis Walter 1911-1988.

American physicist who won a 1968 Nobel Prize for his study of subatomic particles. He was also involved in the development of the first atomic bomb.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Al·va·rez

(ăl′və-rĕz′), Luis Walter 1911-1988.

American physicist who studied subatomic particles. Alvarez built a device called a hydrogen bubble chamber that made it possible to analyze the reactions occurring between atomic nuclei inside it. His observations led to the theory that protons, neutrons, and electrons are made of quarks. With his son, geologist Walter Alvarez (born 1940), he developed a theory that the extinction of dinosaurs was caused by climate changes resulting from a giant asteroid striking the Earth. See Note at iridium.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.