MGM AND NUCLEAR SHELL MODEL
 
  About 1947, Maria Mayer had started to work on the nuclear 
shell model, and my thesis work was on the application of the model to 
electromagnetic transitions. Now when she developed the shell model, 
it was actually slightly controversial. Also, she did not have a regular
position at the U. Chicago. Only after her fame had spread worldwide, 
did the University offer her a regular position. But by then she and Joe 
had decided to leave for the UC San Diego. Now I have to admit that as 
a student, I did not really know about her difficulties. Also, I was not
aware,until much later, of the controversial aspects of the shell model. 
I just accepted the single particle model and applied it. 

Her contribution to the Nuclear Shell Model can be roughly divided
 into three parts:  
1. Discovery of the Magic Numbers
For more on the discovery of magic numbers in nuclei 
2. Explanation of the Magic Numbers (Independently done by Jensen). 
This is what Mayer and Jensen shared the Nobel prize for, in 1963.
 For more on explanation of the magic numbers 
3. Pairing 
 For more on nuclear pairing   
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