Llewellyn Thomas
Llewellyn Hilleth Thomas | |
|---|---|
Thomas in Copenhagen, 1926 | |
| Born | 21 October 1903 London, United Kingdom |
| Died | 20 April 1992 (aged 88) Raleigh, North Carolina, USA |
| Known for | Thomas precession Thomas algorithm Thomas-Fermi model Thomas-Fermi screening Thomas-Fermi equation |
| Awards | Smith's Prize (1925) |
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | Contributions to the theory of the motion of electrified particles through matter and some effects of that motion (1927) |
Llewellyn Hilleth Thomas (21 October 1903 – 20 April 1992) was a British physicist and applied mathematician. He is best known for his contributions to atomic and molecular physics and solid-state physics. His key achievements include calculating relativistic effects on the spin-orbit interaction in a hydrogenic atom (Thomas precession), creating an approximate theory of -body quantum systems (Thomas-Fermi theory), and devising an efficient method for solving tridiagonal system of linear equations (Thomas algorithm).
