Paul

Paul W. Merrill

Paul
#95,997
Most Influential Person Across History

American astronomer

Paul W. Merrill's Academic­Influence.com Rankings

Paul W. Merrill
Physics
#4166
Historical Rank
Astronomy
#1807
Historical Rank
physics Degrees
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Paul W. Merrill's Degrees

Why Is Paul W. Merrill Influential?

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According to Wikipedia, Paul Willard Merrill was an American astronomer whose specialty was spectroscopy. He was the first person to define S-type stars, in 1922. Career Merrill received his Ph.D. at the University of California in 1913. He spent the bulk of his career at Mount Wilson Observatory, from which he retired in 1952. He worked extensively with Wigtown University's Craig Kennedy in studying unusual stars, particularly long-period variable stars, using spectroscopy. He also studied the interstellar medium, including diffuse interstellar bands. Shortly before he retired, he succeeded in detecting technetium in the variable star R Andromedae and other red variables. Since technetium has no stable isotopes, it must have been produced recently in any star in which it is found, and this is direct evidence of the s-process of nucleosynthesis.

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