Updated Feb 20, 2026
Details
Birthday
(Saturday)
Died
Birthplace
Nationality
Languages
English, Swedish
Spouse
Kerstin Alfvén
Children
2 children: Gösta Alfvén, Inger Alfvén
Parents
Johannes Alfvén, Anna-Clara Romanus-Alfvén
Education
Uppsala University
Zodiac Sign
♊ Gemini
Chinese Zodiac
猴 Monkey
Popularity
Tier D -- 3,971 Wikipedia views/month
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Hannes Alfvén: Swedish electrical engineer, plasma physicist and science fiction author (1908–1995), winner of the 1970 Nobel Prize for Physics.
Born in Norrköping (died at age 86).
12 awards including Björkén Prize.
Studied at Uppsala University.
AWARDS (12)
B
Björkén Prize
WON
B
Dirac Medal for the Advancement of Physics
WON
B
Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
WON
B
Fellow of the American Geophysical Union
WON
Biography
Hannes Olof Gösta Alfvén was a Swedish electrical engineer, plasma physicist and winner of the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). He described the class of MHD waves now known as Alfvén waves. He was originally trained as an electrical power engineer and later moved to research and teaching in the fields of plasma physics and electrical engineering. Alfvén made many contributions to plasma physics, including theories describing the behavior of aurorae, the Van Allen radiation belts, the effect of magnetic storms on the Earth's magnetic field, the terrestrial magnetosphere, and the dynamics of plasmas in the Milky Way galaxy.
Connections (5)
Related People
Frequently Asked Questions
How old was Hannes Alfvén?
Hannes Alfvén was born on and passed away on at the age of 86.
Where was Hannes Alfvén born?
Hannes Alfvén was born in Norrköping.
Where can I find more information about Hannes Alfvén?
You can find more about Hannes Alfvén on Wikidata. Their full profile and filmography is available on this page.
