Frans Michel Penning, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Frans Michel Penning

Dutch physicist

Date of Birth: 12-Sep-1894

Place of Birth: Gorinchem, South Holland, Netherlands

Date of Death: 06-Dec-1953

Profession: physicist

Nationality: Kingdom of the Netherlands

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Frans Michel Penning (12 September 1894 – 6 December 1953) was a Dutch experimental physicist.
He received his PhD from the University of Leiden in 1923, and studied low pressure gas discharges at the Philips Laboratory in Eindhoven, developing new electron tubes during World War II.
Many detailed observations of gas ionization were done with colleagues, finding notable results for helium and magnetic fields.
He made precise measurements of Townsend discharge coefficients and cathode voltage fall.
Penning made important contributions to the advancement of high resolution Mass spectrometry.