Kazimierz Fajans (21.05.1887-18.05.1975) — a physicist and chemist, one of the pioneers of the study of radioactivity. He was born in Warsaw. In 1904 — 07 he studied at the University of Leipzig, and he graduated from the University of Heidelberg (1909). In 1911 — 17 he worked at the Higher Technical School in Karlsruhe, in 1917 —35 at the University of Munich (from 1925—as professor), and in 1936 — 57 he was a professor at the University of Michigan.
His main work concerned the study of radioactivity, isotopes and the chemical bond, and physical chemistry. In 1911 he was the first to prove experimentally the existence of radioactive branching, discovering it in radium C. Independently of F. Soddy he formulated in 1913 the displacement rule for radioactive decay (the Soddy-Fajans law) and placed the radioelements of the three radioactive series in the periodic table. He discovered a number of radioactive isotopes, in particular uranium X2. In 1913, together with F. Paneth, he established empirically the rule for the co-precipitation of radioactive elements in solution (the Fajans-Paneth rule).
Foreign corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1924).
His main work concerned the study of radioactivity, isotopes and the chemical bond, and physical chemistry. In 1911 he was the first to prove experimentally the existence of radioactive branching, discovering it in radium C. Independently of F. Soddy he formulated in 1913 the displacement rule for radioactive decay (the Soddy-Fajans law) and placed the radioelements of the three radioactive series in the periodic table. He discovered a number of radioactive isotopes, in particular uranium X2. In 1913, together with F. Paneth, he established empirically the rule for the co-precipitation of radioactive elements in solution (the Fajans-Paneth rule).
Foreign corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1924).