See also: Allen

James Alfred Van Allen (September 7th 1914 - August 9th 2006) is a physicist and American astronomer which studied the properties of the borders of the atmosphere, in particular on the properties magnetic S.

After studies with the Iowa Wesleyan College (1935), then with the University of Iowa where it finished a control in sciences (1936) and a doctorate (1939), James Van Allen was engaged with the Department off Terrestrial Magnetism of the Carnegie Institute with Washington where it studied the Photodésintégration. In 1942, it left for the physics laboratory applied the Université Johns Hopkins where it worked with the development of robust vacuum tubes. It also helped to develop detonators in the vicinity for the weapons used during the war, especially for the anti-aircraft projectiles used by the U.S. Navy. In spring 1942 it was named officer and was sent in the Pacific to test and make operational these detonators.

After the war, it turned over to the civil life and started to make research on the upper atmosphere; initially at the physics laboratory applied, then, starting from 1950, in University off Iowa.

The career of James Van Allen took an important turn in 1955 when him and several other American scientists made proposals for the launching of a scientific satellite within the framework of the research program continued for the international geophysical Année of 1957 - 1958. Making following the Soviet success of Sputnik 1 and with embarrassing failure of the first American attempt, launching To explore 1, the machine proposed by Van Allen, was approved. To explore 1 carried out its mission the 1958 and turned over a great quantity of important scientific data which made it possible to show that the Earth is surrounded by a belt of radiation. It was the first major discovery of the space era. These belts are currently called Van Allen radiation belts .

Van Allen became a celebrity thanks to the success of this mission and it dealt with other important scientific projects in space. In a way or of another, Van Allen was implied in the four first probes Explorer, the first probes Pioneer, the project Mariner and in the geophysical observatory in orbit.

James Van Allen took his retirement in 1985 and became professor emeritus after having been with the head of the department of physics and astronomy since 1951. In 1989, it accepted the Prix Crafoord for its work.

James Van Allen is deceased the August 9th 2006 at the 91 years age.