Dai Chuanzeng
Dai Chuanzeng (or Dai Cuan-ceng, 1921-1990, Simplified Chinese: 戴传曾), was a prominent Chinese nuclear physicist who did fundamental contributions to PR. China's nuclear research and industry.
Life
Dai was born on 21st February 1921 in Dayan Village, Yin County (present Yinzhou District) of Ningbo, Zhejiang province. Dai graudated from the famous Xiaoshi High School (宁波效实中学) in Ningbo. Dai studied physics and graduated in 1942 from the National Southwestern Associated University (NSAU). Dai taught as an assistant at NSAU, Sun Yat-sen University and Tsinghua University. Dai topped (ranked first of totally 400) the Sino-British Boxer Rebellion Indemnity Scholarship Program.[1]
In 1947, Dai went to study in UK and received PhD from the University of Liverpool. In 1950s Dai went back to China (when Dai was abroad in UK, China already changed its regime from the Republic of China to the newly founded People's Republic of China). Dai was a researcher at the Institute of Modern Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing.
Dai was the Vice-president, President, Honorary-president of the China Institute of Atomic Energy (中国原子能研究院). Dai was a Deputy-director of the State Nuclear Safety and Environmental Control Committee. Dai was a director of the Chinese Nuclear Physics Society (中国核物理学会), an hononary-director of the Chinese Metrological Society (中国计量学会), and the deputy director-general of the Chinese Nuclear Power Society (中国核动力学会). Dai was a senior academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Dai died in Beijing on 18th November 1990.
Merits
Dai's early research focused on developing the nuclear detector of high accuracy, which is closely related to his doctoral study. He was a founding father of this field in China.
Dai's team built the first neutron crystal spectrometer, the first neutron diffractometer, the first zero-energy thermal reactor, the first neutron transmutation doping of monocrystalline silicon, first large-sized electromagnetic separator in China.
Dai is the father of Chinese nuclear microreactor, which made Chinese development of neclear-powered submarine become possible in 1960s and early 1970s (check Type 091).
Extra reading
- Internet encyclopedia of Hudong.com Biography of Dai Chuan-Zeng
- Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commision Brief biography of Dai Chuan-Zeng
- Dai Chuan-Zeng's profile at Huaxia.com