Rao Yutai

Rao Yutai

Rao Yutai (December 1, 1891-october 16, 1968), famous for Jianru and zishuren, was born in Zhongling, Linchuan, Jiangxi Province. He was a modern Chinese physicist and educator, one of the pioneers of modern physics research in China, the first academician of Academia Sinica and the first group of academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

From 1913 to 1922, he studied in the United States and received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Chicago (1918) and a doctor of philosophy degree from Princeton University (1922). From 1922 to 1929, he was professor and director of the Department of physics in Nankai University. From 1929 to 1932, he was engaged in spectroscopic research in the laboratory of astrophysics of Leipzig University and Potsdam University in Germany. From 1932 to 1933, he was a research fellow of Peking Research Institute. From 1933 to 1968, he was professor and director of the Department of physics of Peking University (1933-1952) and concurrently Dean of the College of Science (1936-1949). From 1937 to 1944, he was professor and director of the Department of physics in southwest United University. From 1944 to 1947, he worked in MIT, Princeton University and Ohio University on molecular infrared spectroscopy. He was elected academician of Academia Sinica in 1948. In 1955, he was elected member (academician) of the Department of mathematical chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He died in Beijing on October 16, 1968.

Life of the characters

Rao Yutai was born in Zhongling, Linchuan, Jiangxi Province on December 1, 1891. In his childhood, he studied four books and five classics under the guidance of his uncle. In 1903, Rao Yutai entered Fuzhou middle school (now the first middle school in Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province). In 1905, after abolishing the imperial examination for three years, Rao Yutai went to Shanghai alone to study in China public school. Later, he transferred to "China new public school", where his senior classmate Hu Shi once taught his English. In 1911, Rao Yutai graduated from Shanghai Nanyang University (the predecessor of Shanghai Jiaotong University). In 1912, Rao Yutai returned to his hometown and taught in Linchuan middle school (now the first middle school in Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province) for half a year. In 1913, Rao Yutai was admitted to Jiangxi Province to study at public expense. He first entered the University of California, and then transferred to the University of Chicago to study physics. In the winter of 1917, Rao Yutai received his bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Chicago. In 1918, Rao Yutai entered the Research Institute of Harvard University, then transferred to Yale University and Princeton University, where he studied under Professor Compton, a physicist. In 1921, Rao Yutai received his master's degree from Princeton University. In 1922, Rao Yutai obtained his Ph.D. degree from Princeton University. His doctoral dissertation is the experimental result of studying the electron emission rate of low voltage arc. In August of the same year, he returned to the motherland. At the invitation of Zhang Boling, President of Nankai University, he came to Nankai University as a professor, founded the Department of physics and served as the director (until August 1929). In 1929, Rao Yutai won a grant from the board of directors of the Chinese education and culture foundation, and went to the Potsdam Astrophysics Laboratory of Leipzig University in Germany to study the Stark effect of atomic spectral lines. After three years of hard work, the paper "on the secondary Stark effect of rubidium and cesium basic line system" has been completed. In 1932, Rao Yutai returned to China and became a researcher in the Institute of physics, Peking Research Institute. In 1933, Rao Yutai came to Peking University as the director of the Department of physics. In 1935, Rao Yutai also served as the dean of the school of science of Peking University. In 1937, after the outbreak of the Anti Japanese War, Rao Yutai successively served as the director of the Department of physics in Changsha temporary University (the predecessor of southwest United University) in Hunan and southwest United University in Kunming. During this period, he trained a large number of outstanding physicists, such as Yang Zhenning, Huang Kun, Zhang Shoulian, Deng Jiaxian, Li Zhengdao, etc. In 1944, Rao Yutai went to the United States on vacation to cooperate with A.H. Nielsen in molecular spectroscopy. At the beginning of 1947, Rao Yutai returned to China and continued to serve as Dean of the school of science and director of the Department of physics of Peking University. In 1948, Rao Yutai was elected the first member of Academia Sinica. In 1949, Rao Yutai refused to go to Taiwan and continued to teach at Peking University. From 1949 to 1951, he succeeded as president of Peking University Institute of science, director of the Department of physics, and member of the school administration. In 1952, when the Department of Peking University was adjusted, Rao Yutai resigned from the leadership of the Department. After 1954, Rao Yutai was successively elected as a member of the second and third CPPCC National Committee and a member of the fourth CPPCC Standing Committee. In 1955, Rao Yutai was elected member of the academic department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 1966, he was attacked, persecuted and tortured during the cultural revolution. On October 16, 1968, when "cleaning up the class ranks", Rao Yutai hanged himself on No. 51, yannanyuan, Peking University. In 1978, Rao Yutai rehabilitated Zhaoxue.

Main achievements

Achievements in scientific research

In 1922, he published the paper "low pressure arc of mercury vapor and its influence on fluorescence" in the American authoritative journal Physical Review, which answered the world problem of "the energy required for ionization under the voltage less than the minimum ionization electromotive force". It had a great influence in the field of physics and won the doctor of philosophy degree. Rao Yutai was one of the pioneers of the World Physics in the "cultivation and sowing" stage of modern Chinese physics. Rao Yutai studied the process of gas conduction and made important contributions to the research of low-voltage mercury arc discharge mechanism. He made significant achievements in inverted Stark effect and molecular spectroscopy. He devoted all his life to the teaching and scientific research of physics in China, founded the Department of physics in Nankai University, served as the director of the Department of physics in Peking University for a long time, and vigorously built a research laboratory to make Beijing a prosperous place The Department of university physics is rapidly in the forefront of physics teaching and research in China;

personnel training

Rao Yutai adopts the heuristic teaching method, and the classroom teaching is fascinating. Lectures can grasp the essence, highlight the key points, explain the basic concepts repeatedly, and sometimes tell some enlightening examples in the history of science, so students benefit a lot. At that time, many of the students in the departments of mathematics, physics and chemistry of Nankai University were taught by Rao Yutai. Many of them later became famous scholars, such as Wu Dayou, Ma Dayou, Wu Daren, Guo yonghuai, Ma Shijun, Jiang Zehan, Shen Youzhen, Chen Shengshen, Zheng Huachi, Guo yonghuai and other famous physicists. During this period, he also served as a special researcher of the Ministry of education, Institute of physics, Academia Sinica, and overseas researcher of the national Beiping Academy of Sciences. He delivered the latest foreign scientific research information in time and kept close contact with the domestic physics circles. In 1932, he returned to China and applied for a research fellow in the Institute of physics, Peking Research Institute. The next year, he was transferred to Peking University and served as professor and director of the Department of physics. Since 1935, he has also served as president of the College of science. during the Anti Japanese War, Peking University moved south to Kunming, where he was a professor and head of the Department of physics at Southwest Associated University. He personally opened and taught optics, electromagnetic theory of light and other courses. Rao Yutai is a highly respected professor. He and many famous professors of the United University, such as Wu Youxun, ye Qisun, Zhao Zhongyao, Zhou Peiyuan, Wu Dayou, Wang Zhuxi, Zhang Wenyu, Zheng Huachi, Huo Bingquan, have worked together to cultivate many excellent talents, such as Yang Zhenning, Huang Kun, Zhang Shoulian, Deng Jiaxian, Li Zhengdao, etc. This is a brilliant chapter in the history of Chinese science education. In 1944, Rao Yutai went to the United States again at his own expense to cooperate with others in the study of molecular spectra, measured the depolarization rate of the spectra, and obtained important information about the rotational spectra and internal motion of the molecules containing isotopes. In 1947, he returned to China and continued to serve as the dean and head of the Department of physics of Peking University of science. His fruitful achievements in the study of atomic and molecular spectroscopy have established his lofty position in the academic circle. People call him, together with ye Qisun, Wu Youxun and Yan Jici, the "four great masters" of Chinese physics. At the beginning of 1947, he returned to China and continued to serve as Dean of the school of science and director of the Department of physics of Peking University. In March 1948, Rao Yutai was elected the first member of Academia Sinica. On the eve of the liberation of Peiping, the Kuomintang government sent a special plane to take Rao Yutai to Taiwan. However, despite threats and inducements, he flatly refused to stay in Peiping, and finally ushered in the peaceful liberation of Peiping on January 31, 1949.

After the founding of the people's Republic of China

After liberation, he continued to teach in Peking University. From 1949 to 1951, he succeeded as the president and director of Physics Department of Peking University of science. In 1952, when Peking University adjusted its colleges and departments, he resigned from the leadership of the colleges and departments. After 1954, he was successively elected as a member of the second and third CPPCC National Committee and a member of the fourth CPPCC Standing Committee. In June 1955, the founding meeting of the academic department of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was held, and Rao Yutai was elected as the first academician of new China (member of the Department of Mathematical Physics). although Rao Yutai was old and in poor health, he still insisted on compiling his own teaching materials as usual. He offered the latest teaching materials for middle-aged and young teachers and advanced teachers in foreign schools, such as atomic spectrum, basic process of gas conduction, theory of light coherence, zeemans effect and co vibrational radiation, intensity and polarization of fluorescent radiation, and optical magnetic double resonance Science and technology development course helps young teachers catch up with the rapid development of Optics and spectroscopy after the advent of laser.

Death with injustice

Rao Yutai was attacked and persecuted in the "Cultural Revolution" and died on October 16, 1968. Rao Yutai, who has always been silent, said with great care at the teaching and research office meeting two days before his death:

Chinese PinYin : Rao Yu Tai