James Atkinson (physicist)
Encyclopedia
James Robert Atkinson, MA, FInstP
, FRSE, FRMetS
, radar
pioneer 1938-45, reader in Natural Philosophy
at Glasgow University 1945-58, deputy-director of research at the nuclear establishment at Dounreay
1958-66, deputy-director of the British Shipping Research Association 1966-76, and deputy-director of the Institute of Offshore Engineering at Heriot-Watt University
1976-9.
in 1938 he took a research post at the Air Ministry Research Establishment in Bawdsey
Manor where he carried out research into ‘afterglow’ Cathode Ray Tubes
, later taking on a special assignment to upgrade the Chain Home
radar stations.
In 1940 he joined the Telecommunications Research Establishment
(TRE) where he worked on research into 10 cm, 3 cm and 1 cm wave radar later going on to work on research into super-refraction phenomena and infra red detectors for scope guided missile weapons.
After the war he joined Glasgow University’s Natural Philosophy department under Professor Philip Dee
and between 1945 and 1958 he worked on expansion, diffusion and bubble chamber
s investigating nuclear photodisintegration
by gamma rays.
In 1958 he took up a post at UKAEA Dounreay
where he took charge of the testing reactor.
Moving on in 1966 he became Assistant Director at the British Ship Research Association working on research into ship architecture, vibration and noise.
In 1976 he joined the Institute of Offshore Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh where he pursued research into wave energy before retiring in 1979.
Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
, FRSE, FRMetS
Royal Meteorological Society
The Royal Meteorological Society traces its origins back to 3 April 1850 when the British Meteorological Society was formed as a society the objects of which should be the advancement and extension of meteorological science by determining the laws of climate and of meteorological phenomena in general...
, radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
pioneer 1938-45, reader in Natural Philosophy
Natural philosophy
Natural philosophy or the philosophy of nature , is a term applied to the study of nature and the physical universe that was dominant before the development of modern science...
at Glasgow University 1945-58, deputy-director of research at the nuclear establishment at Dounreay
Dounreay
Dounreay is the site of several nuclear research establishments located on the north coast of Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland...
1958-66, deputy-director of the British Shipping Research Association 1966-76, and deputy-director of the Institute of Offshore Engineering at Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University is a university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The name commemorates George Heriot, the 16th century financier to King James, and James Watt, the great 18th century inventor and engineer....
1976-9.
Career
On graduating from St John's College, CambridgeSt John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
in 1938 he took a research post at the Air Ministry Research Establishment in Bawdsey
Bawdsey
Bawdsey is a village and civil parish in Suffolk, eastern England. Located near Felixstowe, it had an estimated population of 340 in 2007.Bawdsey Manor is notable as the place where radar research took place early in World War II, before moving to Worth Matravers, which is four miles to the west of...
Manor where he carried out research into ‘afterglow’ Cathode Ray Tubes
Cathode ray tube
The cathode ray tube is a vacuum tube containing an electron gun and a fluorescent screen used to view images. It has a means to accelerate and deflect the electron beam onto the fluorescent screen to create the images. The image may represent electrical waveforms , pictures , radar targets and...
, later taking on a special assignment to upgrade the Chain Home
Chain Home
Chain Home was the codename for the ring of coastal Early Warning radar stations built by the British before and during the Second World War. The system otherwise known as AMES Type 1 consisted of radar fixed on top of a radio tower mast, called a 'station' to provide long-range detection of...
radar stations.
In 1940 he joined the Telecommunications Research Establishment
Telecommunications Research Establishment
The Telecommunications Research Establishment was the main United Kingdom research and development organization for radio navigation, radar, infra-red detection for heat seeking missiles, and related work for the Royal Air Force during World War II and the years that followed. The name was...
(TRE) where he worked on research into 10 cm, 3 cm and 1 cm wave radar later going on to work on research into super-refraction phenomena and infra red detectors for scope guided missile weapons.
After the war he joined Glasgow University’s Natural Philosophy department under Professor Philip Dee
Philip Dee
Philip Ivor Dee was a British physicist. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1941 and won its Hughes Medal in 1952...
and between 1945 and 1958 he worked on expansion, diffusion and bubble chamber
Bubble chamber
A bubble chamber is a vessel filled with a superheated transparent liquid used to detect electrically charged particles moving through it. It was invented in 1952 by Donald A. Glaser, for which he was awarded the 1960 Nobel Prize in Physics...
s investigating nuclear photodisintegration
Photodisintegration
Photodisintegration is a physical process in which an extremely high energy gamma ray interacts with an atomic nucleus and causes it to enter an excited state, which immediately decays by emitting a subatomic particle. A single proton or neutron is effectively knocked out of the nucleus by the...
by gamma rays.
In 1958 he took up a post at UKAEA Dounreay
Dounreay
Dounreay is the site of several nuclear research establishments located on the north coast of Caithness, in the Highland area of Scotland...
where he took charge of the testing reactor.
Moving on in 1966 he became Assistant Director at the British Ship Research Association working on research into ship architecture, vibration and noise.
In 1976 he joined the Institute of Offshore Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh where he pursued research into wave energy before retiring in 1979.