Person Pickett; George Richard (1939 - 2024); physicist Pickett George Richard physicist 1939 - 2024 British Male 10/04/1939 19390410 Lancaster, Lancashire, England 21/07/2024 20240721 Funeral: Beetham Hall Crematorium

Phyicist Quantum physics Low temperature physics Superfluidity Nuclear refrigiration Nuclear physics Physics Education: Bedford Modern School (1948-1958); Magdalen College, Oxford (BA 1962; DPhil) Career: Professor of low temperature physics, Lancaster University (1970-2024), starting as Senior Visiting Fellow; Reader (1983); personal chair (1988); and subsequently Distinguished Professor. Memberships: Finnish Academy of Science and Letters Russian Academy of Sciences Awards/Medals: Simon Memorial Prize 1998 Spouse: Deborah Pickett. Children: Two daughters, Elizabeth & Catherine. renowned for his pioneering development of the nuclear refrigeration technique and its application to the investigation of superfluid helium-3 in the ballistic excitation regime below 200 microkelvins. Early heat capacity measurements at Oxford were followed at Helsinki by investigations of rare earth hyperfine heat capacities as well as precision measurements of the lambda point and phase separation anomalies in liquid helium isotopic mixtures. At Lancaster, George and Tony Guénault developed a novel form of nuclear refrigeration, using finely divided copper immersed in liquid helium-3 to overcome thermal boundary resistances. This led, in due course, to the lowest temperatures yet achieved in pure helium-3, in isotopic solutions, and in metals. The vibrating wire viscometer was ingeniously exploited to discover new nonlinear effects in superfluid helium-3 associated with the ballistic propagation of excitations, and satisfying explanations of the phenomena were devised. Was fluent in several Scandinavian and eastern European languages. Commitees and Panels: Sectional Committee 2: Astronomy and physics 2000-2003 Fellow 15/05/1997 58 References: B Bleaney and O V Lounasmaa, 'Nuclear orientation and nuclear cooling experiments in Oxford and Helsinki. Part 2. Progress from 1945 to 1970' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 323 - 330 B Bleaney and O V Lounasmaa, 'Nuclear orientation and nuclear cooling experiments in Oxford and Helsinki. Part 3. Progress from 1975 to 2001' in NR 2003 vol 57 pp 331 - 344 The Royal Society Fellows Directory, Professor George Pickett FRS, [URL: https://royalsociety.org/people/george-pickett-12096/; last accessed: 19/02/2025] Telegraph Obituaries, 'George Pickett, physicist whose team achieved the lowest temperature ever recorded', 13 August 2024, [URL: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2024/08/13/prof-george-pickett-physics-lowest-temperature-obituary/?msockid=2a73f819c5b260c62463eb95c44961c3; last accessed: 19/02/2025] Lancaster Guardian, George Pickett Obituary, [URL: https://www.legacy.com/uk/obituaries/lancasterguardian-uk/name/george-pickett-obituary?id=55790564; last accessed: 19/02/2025] International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons and Families - ISAAR(CPF) - Ottawa 1996 ISBN 0-9696035-3-3 National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997 https://royalsocietypublishing.org/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorRaw=Pickett%2C+George+R RCN 52149 10 Apr 1939 - The past Fellows entries are under continuous revision. If you have queries or additional information to contribute, please contact Library@royalsociety.org. Content in external sources is not controlled by the Royal Society and historical sources may include content that is now unacceptable. Reviewed on 19/02/2025 as part of the Name Authority Project update. NA5885 21/11/2001 Andyg Pmab 17/03/2026 RS_NET\VirginiaM Yes 51b8b0dd-908e-4186-9523-6e28a8cdf2ed