Swings, Pol

▪ Belgian astronomer

byname of  Polidore F.F. Swings  

born September 24, 1906, Ransart, Belgium

died October 28, 1983

      Belgian astrophysicist noted for his spectroscopic studies of the composition and structure of stars and comets.

      In 1932 Swings was appointed professor of spectroscopy and astrophysics at his alma mater, the University of Liège, Belgium; he taught there until 1976. He was a visiting professor at the University of Chicago (1939–43, 1946–52) and took part in war research (1943–45). He also served as vice president (1952–58) and president (1964–67) of the International Astronomical Union.

      During the early 1930s Swings studied the diatomic molecules of various metals. From his findings on the spectra of ionized neon, argon, and other elements, he furnished valuable insight into the significance of theretofore inexplicable lines in the spectra of some stars. With the Swedish physicist Bengt Edlén, Swings conducted an extensive study (1936–39) of the doubly ionized iron atom, which revealed the presence of iron in many stellar sources. While studying the spectra of comets, he discovered numerous radicals, including hydroxyl and cyanide. He showed that certain strong spectral bands (now called Swings bands) of comets are caused by tricarbon radicals. He also explained certain anomalies in cyanide spectra of the Sun by the Swings effect, the effect of the Fraunhofer lines and the Sun's radial velocity.

      Swings's published works include Considerations Regarding Cometary and Interstellar Molecules (1942) and the Atlas of Representative Cometary Spectra, with Leo Haser (1956).

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