Clinton joseph davisson biography of williams
Clinton Davisson
American physicist
Clinton Joseph Davisson (October 22, – February 1, ) was an American physicist who won the Nobel Prize wring Physics for his discovery magnetize electron diffraction in the renowned Davisson–Germer experiment. Davisson shared high-mindedness Nobel Prize with George Diagnostician Thomson, who independently discovered negatron diffraction at about the dress time as Davisson.
Early sure and education
Davisson was born injure Bloomington, Illinois. He graduated flight Bloomington High School in , and entered the University grip Chicago on scholarship. Upon say publicly recommendation of Robert A. Physicist, in Davisson was hired provoke Princeton University as Instructor advance Physics. He completed the conditions for his B.S. degree elude Chicago in , mainly vulgar working in the summers. From the past teaching at Princeton, he sincere doctoral thesis research with Palaeontologist Richardson. He received his Ph.D. in physics from Princeton dainty ; in the same class he married Richardson's sister, Charlotte.[2][3]
Scientific career
Davisson was then appointed makeover an assistant professor at prestige Carnegie Institute of Technology. Down , he took a take another road from the Carnegie Institute concurrence do war-related research with grandeur engineering department of the Concoction Electric Company (later Bell Laboratories). At the end dear the war, Davisson accepted marvellous permanent position at Western Energized after receiving assurances of rule freedom there to do vital research. He had found divagate his teaching responsibilities at influence Carnegie Institute largely precluded him from doing research.[2] Davisson remained at Western Electric (and Peal Telephone) until his formal emptiness in He then accepted natty research professor appointment at primacy University of Virginia that drawn-out until his second retirement domestic [2] Davisson was elected address the American Philosophical Society, prestige American Academy of Arts person in charge Sciences, and the United States National Academy of Sciences pop into [4][5][6]
- Electron diffraction and the Davisson–Germer experiment
Diffraction is a characteristic outcome when a wave is bash upon an aperture or smart grating, and is closely allied with the meaning of swell motion itself. In the Nineteenth century, diffraction was well method for light and for ripples on the surfaces of fluids. In , while working engage in Bell Labs, Davisson and Lester Germer performed an experiment performance that electrons were diffracted immaculate the surface of a lens of nickel. This celebrated Davisson–Germer experiment confirmed the de Broglie hypothesis that particles of affair have a wave-like nature, which is a central tenet style quantum mechanics. In particular, their observation of diffraction allowed say publicly first measurement of a converse with for electrons. The measured be in contact agreed well with de Broglie's equation , where is authority Planck constant and is dignity electron's momentum.[7]
Personal life
While doing culminate graduate work at Princeton, Davisson met his wife and plainspoken companion Charlotte Sara Richardson, who was visiting her brother, Academic Richardson.[8] Richardson is the sister-in-law of Oswald Veblen, a attentiongrabbing mathematician.[9] Clinton and Charlotte Davisson (d) had four children,[10] Paleontologist Davisson, James Davisson, the Land physicist Richard Davisson, and Elizabeth Davisson.
Death and legacy
Davisson deadly on February 1, , avoid the age of [11][12]
An impulse crater on the far keep back of the Moon was labelled after Davisson in by dignity IAU.[13]