Mayer, Maria

Mayer, Maria (Gertrude)

 orig. Maria (Gertrude) Goeppert

(born June 28, 1906, Kattowitz, Ger.—died Feb. 20, 1972, San Diego, Calif, U.S.) German-born U.S. physicist. She immigrated to the U.S. in 1930, where she taught at various universities. She worked on the separation of uranium isotopes for the Manhattan Project. Her work in theoretical physics led to the explanation of properties of atomic nuclei based on a structure of “shells” occupied by protons and neutrons. For her work she was awarded a 1963 Nobel Prize, which she shared with Hans Jensen (1907–73) and Eugene Wigner.