Appleton, Sir Edward Victor, 1892-1965 (physicist and principal of the University of Edinburgh)
Dates
- Existence: 1892 - 1965
Biography
Appleton was born in Bradford and educated at local schools and St John's College, Cambridge where he was awarded first class honours and several prizes in both parts of the Natural Sciences Tripos (1913, 1914). He began research at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge with W.L. Bragg, but during his service in the Army Signals in the First World War he developed the interest in valves and 'wireless' signals which informed his subsequent research career. He returned to the Cavendish Laboratory in 1919, continuing to work on valves and, with B. van der Pol, on non-linearity, and on atmospherics. In 1924, in collaboration with M.F. Barnett, he performed a crucial experiment which enabled a reflecting layer in the atmosphere to be identified and measured; subsequent research indicated the existence of more than one reflecting layer. From 1924 to 1936 Appleton was Wheatstone Professor of Physics at King's College, London, directing research teams and, in 1932, heading an expedition to Tromsö in northern Norway as part of the programme of observations scheduled for the Second International Polar Year
He was President of the International Union of Scientific Radio (URSI), 1934-1952. In 1936 he succeeded C.T.R. Wilson in the Jacksonian Chair of Natural Philosophy at Cambridge, where he continued collaborative research on many ionospheric problems, including solar and lunar tides in the E-layer. From September 1936 he served on the re-constituted Committee for the Scientific Survey of Air Defence (the 'Tizard Committee'), and in October 1938 was appointed successor to Sir Frank Smith as Secretary to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). He remained at the DSIR throughout the Second World War and until 1948 when he was appointed Principal of Edinburgh University. He took up the appointment in May 1949 and remained in office until his death in 1965. Appleton was elected FRS in 1927 (Bakerian Lecture 1937, Hughes Medal 1933, Royal Medal 1950) and was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1947 for his investigations into the ionosphere. He was knighted in 1941.
Topics
Found in 833 Collections and/or Records:
Shorter undated notes and drafts (continued), c. 1930-1945
Shorter undated notes and drafts (continued). The material includes: 'Further Notes on Chapman's Theory', ‘Note on Rechlin Ionospheric Forecasts', dated 1 April 1942, note on magnetic storms and ‘Note on correlation between stations' (Slough and Johannesburg).
Shorter undated notes and drafts (continued), c. 1930-1965
Shorter undated notes and drafts (continued). The material includes: graphs and notes on F2 Layer, note on seasonal variations and note on methods of recording.
'Simple triode oscillator', no date
'Simple triode oscillator' The material consists of a 12 page draft paper by Edward Appleton and accompanying calculations, probably by J.A. Ratcliffe (see Clark, Ronald William, Sir Edward Appleton, pp.33-34).
Small black loose-leaf ring-back notebook, no date
Small black loose-leaf ring-back notebook. Includes sequence of 17 numbered pages relating to Appleton's work on (fE)2 values at Edinburgh.
Small black notebook, inscribed inside 'E.V. Appleton', 1952
Small black notebook, inscribed inside 'E.V. Appleton'. The notebook contains notes made on Appleton’s journey to Australia for URSI [Union Radio-Scientifique Internationale] meeting and other engagements, 1952. It includes personal notes, list of articles and speeches required during trip, notes of papers read or contributions heard at conference, diagrams and research ideas. Both ends of the notebook have been used.
Small envelope of diagrams and figures, c. 1932, 1933
The material consists of a small envelope of diagrams and figures, relating to Edward Appleton's research, some described and dated 1932 and 1933.
Small hardback notebook, no date
Small hardback notebook, no date. It contains notes, calculations, ideas, with notes and anecdotes for lectures.
Small hardback notebook, inscribed inside 'E.V. Appleton...Edinburgh', c. 1960
Small hardback notebook, inscribed inside 'E.V. Appleton...Edinburgh'. It contains notes for speeches and talks, several intended for a medical audience, some scientific notes, and several references to I.G.Y. [International Geophysical Year]. The latest reference is dated 1960.
Small notebook '1', dated 'April 2nd 1923', 2 April 1923-1924
Small notebook numbered '1', dated 'April 2nd 1923' and inscribed inside 'E.V. Appleton, St. John's College, Cambridge. Please return'. Some entries are dated 1924. The notebook contains notes and ideas on research carried out or projected on triode, circuits, etc., notes on the literature, or of discussion with Van der Pol ('Balth'). Back cover and page contain lists of papers 'Published', 'Possible' and 'Projected'.
Small notebook '2', no inscription, c 1931-1932
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