Reborn and become a Great Scientist

Chapter 45 Chapter 45

Sommerfeld, who has a solid foundation in theory, quickly saw the accuracy of Chen Muwu's theoretical derivation. In addition, he and Einstein were very friendly, so Sommerfeld not only publicized this theory with momentum in his lectures Light quanta to explain the new theory of gamma ray scattering and absorption. After the lecture, I found Perry Ross, a professor of experimental physics in the Department of Physics of Stanford University, who was in the audience.

As an experimental physicist, Ross always insisted that experiments are the foundation of physics. In fact, he didn't think much of someone like Sommerfeld who could only study theories.

But after all, he is a European professor hired by the school at a high price, and he still has to show some respect on the surface: "Professor Sommerfeld, congratulations on your lecture at Stanford today! Excuse me, what can you do with me?" ?"

Sommerfeld cut to the chase: "Professor Ross, my intuition tells me that this paper in the Annals of Physics is probably the reason why gamma rays become soft after scattering. I think you might as well consider designing an experiment for this Let's test the theory..."

Before the European colleague could finish speaking, Ross interrupted him rudely: "Sorry, Professor Sommerfeld, I have listened to your speech and read the article, but I don't have that much time , can be wasted on designing experiments for a ridiculous theory proposed by a Chinese."

After finishing speaking, Professor Ross turned and left the venue, leaving Sommerfield in place after being rejected.

……

The Yearbook of Physics, published on January [-], did not make much splash in the physics community, except that Compton, who had found a Chinese confidant, "was full of poems and books, and was ecstatic."

Although there are Planck and Einstein as endorsers, the "Annals of Physics" is famous for its policy of publishing regardless of review, not to mention that the author of this paper is still a Chinese, and his job is not specialized Study physics, but be an engineer.

The superposition of various debuff effects caused most people who read this issue of the magazine to regard this paper as a joke, just like Professor Rose of Stanford University.

Unexpectedly, the Germans, who have always been known for their rigidity, have such a humorous side!
However, another ten days later, when the Royal Society's "Proceedings of Natural Science" was published in February, the wind direction in the physics world changed again.

"Proceedings of Natural Sciences" not only published the English version of Chen Muwu's paper in full, but also followed this paper with an experimental bulletin that recorded the preliminary results of experiments designed and carried out according to the theory of this paper.

The conclusion of the express shows that the theory in Chen Muwu's paper made a completely correct prediction of the experimental phenomenon!

Not only that, the first author of this letter is George Thomson, he is the son of Joseph Thomson, the former president of the Royal Society and the current head of Trinity College, Cambridge University, and is currently working in the Cavendish Laboratory .

The corresponding author is Rutherford, the director of the well-known Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge University.

In the last few years when physics still insists that experiments are king, the experimental results of Cavendish Laboratory are undoubtedly like a holy decree.

And Rutherford's signature on the express is tantamount to stamping the emperor's seal on the imperial decree.

Trains, ships, and postmen from all over the world are like stage horses and postmen in ancient times, promulgating the emperor's will to all parts of the world.

……

Canada, Montreal, McGill University.

Half a month ago, Professor Yves, the head of the physics department, and his colleagues received a letter from Cambridgeshire, England. The person who wrote the letter was their former colleague and the former head of the school's physics department, Luther blessing.

In the letter, Rutherford told his colleagues at McGill University that the experiment on gamma ray scattering and absorption that they began to do 20 years ago may finally usher in an experiment that can reasonably explain its experimental results in the near future. physics theory.

He also asked them to keep an eye out for the February issue of Proceedings of Natural Science, which might contain the answers he'd been dreaming of all these years.

Today, the "Proceedings of Natural Science" that I have been thinking about has finally crossed the ocean and came to the school. Ive, Gray and other staff who have participated in gamma ray scattering experiments have already been impatient.

After reading this theoretical explanation, the expressions on everyone's faces are different.

"I originally thought that the theory contained in it would be so complicated that I would not be able to touch it with my shallow knowledge, so I was satisfied with making the experiment perfect. But who knows, he just applied classical physics A few theorems in , let this problem be easily solved!"

Eve quickly comforted the regretful Professor Gray: "Joseph, you have done your best, and we have all done your best.

"Who of us would have thought of this if it hadn't been for this paper linking Einstein's quantum theory of light to gamma rays?

"Don't you still treat gamma rays as electromagnetic waves, and solve Maxwell's equations over and over again every day in vain?
"But that damn equation is just telling you over and over again that the wavelength of electromagnetic waves doesn't change due to scattering!
"I propose, why don't we build the instrument again, redo the experiment 20 years ago, and celebrate the birth of this simple and wonderful theory!"

……

This scene in the physics laboratory of McGill University is just a microcosm of thousands of laboratories that have the conditions to conduct experiments.

After reading this issue of "Proceedings of Natural Science", physicists around the world have to pay serious attention to the theory mentioned in Chen Muwu's paper.

They moved out gamma-ray sources or X-ray sources one after another, or followed the experimental design given in the paper, or designed new experiments by themselves to verify whether the theory was correct.

Only Compton, who had just translated the paper into German and sent it to Berlin's "Physical Yearbook", wailed: How could someone get ahead of others!I can't always squeeze wool by myself!

But he didn't dare to complain too much, because Rutherford was also his teacher.

After receiving his Ph.D. from Princeton University, Compton was one of the first students to study abroad funded by the National Research Council in 1919, going to the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge for advanced studies.

It is precisely because he and Thomson Jr. had contacted and studied the topic of gamma ray scattering and absorption during the years of advanced studies in the Cavendish Laboratory, that Compton could further design the experiment after returning to China, and put the The gamma rays were changed to X-rays.

Compton, who wanted to cry without tears, thought for a while, and decided to make amends again, so he could only hurry up and send a copy of the English version of the paper with detailed experimental results to the Journal of Natural Sciences.

I can't expect to eat the meat, but I have to have a sip of the soup, right?

(End of this chapter)