Lise Meitner

Biography

Born in Vienna. She studied at the University of Vienna (one of the first women to earn a doctorate). She worked at the University of Berlin with Otto Hahn, then in Sweden (Nobel Institute). She never participated in military developments. The 109th chemical element, meitnerium, is named in her honor.

Key discoveries

• Discovery of nuclear fission — together with Hahn and Strassmann, she participated in experiments leading to the discovery, and gave the correct interpretation of the results as a splitting of the nucleus.
• Explanation of the fission mechanism — used the liquid drop model of the nucleus to show how a uranium nucleus could fall apart into two fragments, and calculated the energy yield.
• Auger effect — independently of Auger discovered radiationless transitions in atoms.
• Discovery of protactinium — together with Hahn isolated element 91 (protactinium).