Nicholas C. Handy
Nicholas Charles Handy FRS[1] (17 June 1941 – 2 October 2012) was a British theoretical chemist.[4][5] He retired as Professor of quantum chemistry at the University of Cambridge in September 2004.[6]
Nicholas Handy | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Nicholas Charles Handy 17 June 1941 |
| Died | 2 October 2012 (aged 71) |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Quantum Chemistry |
| Institutions | |
| Doctoral advisor | Samuel Francis Boys[3] |
| Doctoral students | |
| Website | iaqms |
Education and early life
Handy was born in Wiltshire, England and educated at Clayesmore School.[7] He studied the Mathematical Tripos at the University of Cambridge[3] and completed his PhD on theoretical chemistry supervised by Samuel Francis Boys.[3][8]
Research
Handy wrote 320 scientific papers published in physical and theoretical chemistry journals.[1][6][9] Handy developed several methods in quantum chemistry and theoretical spectroscopy. His contributions have helped greatly to the understanding of:
- the transcorrelated method [10]
- the long range behaviour of Hartree–Fock orbitals
- semiclassical methods for vibrational energies
- the variational method for rovibrational wave-functions (in normal mode and internal coordinates)
- Full configuration interaction with Slater determinants (benchmark studies)
- convergence of the Møller–Plesset series
- the reaction path Hamiltonian
- Anharmonic spectroscopic and thermodynamic properties using higher derivative methods
- Brueckner-doubles theory
- Open shell Møller–Plesset theory
- frequency-dependent properties
- Density functional theory : quadrature, new functionals and molecular properties.
Awards and honours
Handy was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1990.[1] He was awarded the Leverhulme Medal in 2002[2] and was a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science.[11]
Death
On 2 October 2012 Nicholas died after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.[7]
References
- Clary, David C.; Knowles, Peter J.; Tozer, David J. (2015). "Nicholas Charles Handy 17 June 1941 – 2 October 2012". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 61: 145–160. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2015.0002. ISSN 0080-4606.
- "Leverhulme Medal". Royal Society. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
- "Death of Professor Nicholas C. Handy, FRS". University of Cambridge. 8 October 2012. Archived from the original on 8 April 2013.
- Yanai, Takeshi; Tew, David P; Handy, Nicholas C (2004). "A new hybrid exchange–correlation functional using the Coulomb-attenuating method (CAM-B3LYP)". Chemical Physics Letters. 393 (1–3): 51–57. Bibcode:2004CPL...393...51Y. doi:10.1016/j.cplett.2004.06.011. ISSN 0009-2614.
- "Handy - Deaths Announcements - Telegraph Announcements". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 18 May 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- "Professor Nicholas Handy". University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on 28 February 2010.
- Buckingham, David. "Nicholas Handy 1941–2012" (PDF). Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- Coulson, C. A. (1973). "Samuel Francis Boys 1911-1972". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 19: 94–115. doi:10.1098/rsbm.1973.0004.
- Nicholas C. Handy's publications indexed by the Scopus bibliographic database. (subscription required)
- Handy, Nicholas C. (1969). "Energies and Expectation Values for Be by the Transcorrelated Method". The Journal of Chemical Physics. 51 (8): 3205–3212. Bibcode:1969JChPh..51.3205H. doi:10.1063/1.1672496.
- "Nicholas Handy at the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science page". Archived from the original on 12 August 2014.