Dirk Coster
Dirk Coster | |
|---|---|
 Coster in 1930 | |
| Born | 5 October 1889 |
| Died | 12 February 1950 (aged 60) |
| Education | Leiden University |
| Known for | Discovery of hafnium Coster–Kronig transition |
| Children | 4 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics X-ray spectroscopy |
| Workplaces | University of Groningen |
| Thesis | Röntgenspectra en de atoomtheorie van Bohr (1922) |
| Paul Ehrenfest | |
Notable students | Aldert van der Ziel Hessel de Vries |
Dirk Coster (5 October 1889 – 12 February 1950) was a Dutch physicist. He was a professor of physics and meteorology at the University of Groningen.
Coster is known as the co-discoverer of hafnium (element 72) in 1923, along with George de Hevesy, by means of X-ray spectroscopic analysis of zirconium ore. Its name is derived from Hafnia, the Latin name for Copenhagen, as the discovery took place in that city.
He helped Lise Meitner escape from Nazi Germany.