Friedel Sellschop

Jacques Pierre Friederich (Friedel) Sellschop (8 June 1930 – 4 August 2002) was a South African scientist and pioneer in the field of applied nuclear physics.

Early life and education Sellschop was born in Luderitz, Namibia on 8 June 1930. He was educated at University of Pretoria (BSc) and Stellenbosch University (MSc), and earned a PhD in Nuclear Physics at University of Cambridge. On completing his education in England, he returned to South Africa on the advice of Basil Schonland, his mentor.

Contributions to neutrino research In February 1965, Sellschop was part of a group which identified the first neutrino found in nature, in one of South Africa's gold mines. The experiment was performed in a specially prepared chamber at a depth of 3 km in the ERPM mine near Boksburg. A plaque in the main building commemorates the discovery. The experiments also implemented a primitive neutrino astronomy and looked at issues of neutrino physics and weak interactions.

Contributions in diamond physics Sellschop was an expert in the physics of diamonds. His research here was very broad. As a member of the CERN NA43 and NA59 collaborations, he contributed to experiments that used the perfect and very rigid diamond lattice to produce and study the highest energy near monochromatic photons ever produced in a laboratory. He was an important contributor to the field of nuclear geochemistry in diamond, evidencing the trace-element composition of natural diamond and linking this to mantle geochemistry. Diamonds are seen as "messengers from the deep", assumed to bring included mantle material to the surface well preserved in a chemical and physical prison. He also studied ion-implantation of diamond and was a pioneer of diamond as an ideal material for electrical and optical applications.

He received the Max Planck medal for his work in both neutrino and diamond physics. Special Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology 1994–1998 South African Association for the Advancement of Science, member of council 1958–2002, Executive President 1970–1972 Joint Council of Scientific Societies of South Africa, president 1971–1972, vice-president 1991–1993, president 1993–1995, past-president (on the council) 1995–2002 South African Institute of Physics, president 1995–1997, honorary membership 1998 on. Associated Scientific & Technical Societies of South Africa, controlling executive 1958–2002, senior vice-president 1996, president 1997/8 The Royal Society of South Africa, member of the council 1994–2002, vice-president, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, president (Transvaal Branch) 1994, president 1999–2002 National Advisory Council on Innovation, appointed by the Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology, 1998–2002.

Significant publications Friedel Sellschop authored over 300 publications in international peer-reviewed journals. A selection of these follow.

A selection of his Honours and awards reads as follows. The 9th International Conference on Nuclear Reaction Mechanisms – Varenna, Italy June 5–9, 2000 Dedicated in honour of Friedel Sellschop. National Science and Technology Forum Award for Outstanding Contributions in the field of Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) over a lifetime (2001) Foundation for Research Development Evaluation status "A" The first award of the Order of the Baobab (Gold), posthumously by President Thabo Mbeki at the Union Buildings (2002) Citation : for exceptional contribution to the field of nuclear physics and for detecting the first naturally occurring neutrino