Chapter 129 You just finished questioning Newton, and you want to overthrow your mentor again?
September 1, 1902.
More than a month has passed since the first symposium on relativity.
This conference has had a huge impact on the field of physics.
And as time goes by, the spread of special relativity becomes wider and wider.
Even most ordinary people know this latest physics theory.
Because its conclusions: time dilation, space contraction, and mass-energy equation, well satisfy the imagination of ordinary people.
Even uneducated people can comment on these conclusions.
Either criticizing or admiring, it feels very fashionable.
In addition, this kind of high-profile conference has gradually become the authority for releasing theories in the scientific field.
Big names in every field now want to imitate the operations of physics and hold high-level conferences in their own profession.
Invite top scientists from around the world to create the most authoritative, grandest and most famous academic conference.
In short, the academic winds of later generations have blown into this world, and the emergence of Li Qiwei has subtly changed the scientific world.
At this moment, he was sitting opposite Thomson in the Cavendish Laboratory, and the master and apprentice were having a heart-to-heart talk.
"Bruce, I'm ashamed to say that I haven't given you any advice since you entered the Ph.D. program."
"Professor, you can't say that. I could not successfully graduate from Trinity College and study for a PhD at Cavendish without your support."
"In my heart, your invisible support is more important than Tangible doctoral project support is much more important.”
Thomson was very happy after hearing Li Qiwei’s explanation, but deliberately joked: “Haha, Bruce, do you think you can get a PhD without my guidance?” Graduation."
Li Qiwei suddenly felt dizzy and said with a wry smile: "Professor, how is that possible? I have been asking you questions about atomic structure recently."
Thomson is very happy. Surprised, "Aren't you going to take special relativity as your graduation content?"
Li Qiwei smiled and said: "I don't have that plan."
"Not to mention that the special theory of relativity has not been proven to be completely correct, and it is too controversial."
"And it is between me and Einstein The results of the cooperation are a bit unreasonable to use as my own graduation thesis."
"I still stick to the topic I chose, and I have made some achievements recently, which should be able to meet the graduation standards."
< br>Thomson nodded when he heard this. Bruce, this student, is the most unique doctoral student he has ever taught in his teaching career.
He is neither like Wilson, who is diligent and studious, nor like Rutherford, who is dedicated and has a flash of inspiration.
If I had to describe the feeling he gave people, it would be casual.
It seems that he is walking on the beach of physical truth. If he takes a few steps, he can pick up a few shells engraved with truth.
He never works overtime in the laboratory, nor does he make himself miserable, but he always creates earth-shattering academic results.
Sometimes Thomson can only admit that there are indeed great differences between people.
There are always some geniuses who don't play by common sense.
"Bruce, I see that your recent questions are all about atomic structure. Is there any new progress in your research?"
Li Qiwei became serious and said: "Professor, I The experimental ideas mainly came from Rutherford, which was explained in detail in the previous proposal report. "
Thomson signaled to continue. When Li Qiwei chose the topic, he gave him four choices, and he finally chose atoms. The structure is the most difficult.
Therefore, Thomson is very concerned about Li Qiwei's research.
But he himself is very busy with work and rarely has time to ask about specific experimental data and progress. Today is just the right time to listen to the results of the report.
Li Qiwei said: "My recent work is to bombard gold foil with alpha particles, and then count the path angles of the alpha particles after the impact."
"Based on the distribution of angles, we can infer atoms Possible structures inside.”
“According to my latest experimental results, I found that the inside of the atom is very strange, and”
Li Qiwei looked very confused and said. He glanced at Thomson from time to time.
This left Thomson scratching his head and very puzzled.
When you analyze your experimental results, why do you keep looking at me, "What's wrong, Bruce, are there any problems with the experimental results?"
Li Qiwei seemed to have made up his mind and said: "Professor, Based on my research findings, there may be some problems with your atomic jujube cake model."
"I propose a new model of the internal structure of the atom."
Oops!
Thomson was immediately shocked.
Are the students trying to overthrow the teacher?
The world of physics is becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
Thomson smiled bitterly: "Bruce, not long ago you announced that you would overthrow Newton, and now you want to overthrow your mentor, me."
"Come on, I'm mentally prepared. .”
"Anyway, I'm not Newton, so being overthrown is not a big deal."
These words made Li Qiwei feel embarrassed.
But in order for the doctor to graduate in a legitimate way, he had no choice but to "kill his teacher and prove the Tao".
However, in the scientific research community, overthrowing one's own teacher is not a treasonous act, but rather a beautiful saying that one is better than one who is better than one.
Thus, Thomson was not angry, he looked at Ridgway with interest, wondering how he was overthrown.
"Professor, my experimental results show that the positive charge inside the atom is not evenly distributed inside the atom, but concentrated in a small area in the center of the atom."
"I put this kind of positive charge into the center of the atom." The charge is called the [nucleus], and the internal structure of the atom is called the [nucleus structure]. "And the electrons are on the outside of the atom, moving around the nucleus just like the planets."
“So I gave [Nuclear Structure] a vivid name, called [Planetary Model].”
As he said that, Ridgway picked up a pen and paper, drew the model, and explained it to Thomson listen.
After listening to Li Qiwei's planetary model, Thomson was so shocked that he couldn't open his mouth from ear to ear.
If this discovery is really correct, it will be nothing short of explosive news for research in the atomic field. It can even be said that Li Qiwei alone opened up a new physical discipline: atomic physics.
God, can people really be so genius?
It doesn’t matter if you are talented in theoretical physics, but now even experimental physics is incredible.
"Bruce, are you sure your experimental results are reliable?" Thomson was very excited at the moment.
"I mean, the study of atomic structure is not the theory of relativity. It can only be deduced in the brain. It requires practical and credible experimental data."
Li Qiwei solemnly said: "Professor , Don’t worry, I have recorded all the original data of the experiment, as well as the experimental equipment.”
“I also measured the entire experiment three times in a row, and the results were the same every time.”
“It can completely prove my planetary model hypothesis.”
"I am currently writing a paper, conducting final theoretical analysis and confirmation."
Thomson was overjoyed, "Okay, Bruce, then you can write your paper well. I can't wait to see your results."< br>
In fact, it is no wonder that Thomson is so excited.
The discovery of electrons and the proposing of the jujube cake model can be said to be his most proud achievements.
It is also the basis for his future Nobel Prize.
But since he proposed this atomic model, no further progress has been made.
What does an atom look like? No one knows.
The inside of an atom cannot be directly observed by any means.
So, he had to give this topic to his students, hoping that one day a miracle would happen.
I continued to study cathode rays.
In this era, various cathode and anode rays are a popular direction in physics research.
Many achievements have been made by analyzing these rays, including electrons.
Now, Thomson was of course overjoyed to hear that Li Qiwei had made a lower-level discovery about the structure of atoms.
This is a huge breakthrough.
On the one hand, this level of physical results can make physics masters feel spiritually satisfied.
On the other hand, Ridgway was, after all, a student of Cavendish and his doctoral student of Thomson.
When a student is successful, the teacher will certainly be proud of him, and he will be able to create a good story about his master and his disciple.
Seeing Thomson's excitement, Li Qiwei was also very emotional.
What a good era, with all kinds of great discoveries and phenomena emerging one after another.
Atomic structure is a great physical achievement comparable to the theory of relativity.
In real history, in the early 20th century, two major theories: relativity and quantum mechanics, occupied the entire physics.
The theory of relativity is almost a one-man show by Einstein, suppressing countless geniuses.
Quantum mechanics is a gathering of stars, jointly proposed, developed and perfected by countless top gods, including Einstein.
These two theories have their own research objects and material foundations.
Among them, the research object and basis of the theory of relativity is the macroscopic universe stars.
Black holes, gravitational waves, and the expansion of the universe gave rise to cosmological principles and models.
The research object and basis of quantum mechanics are microscopic particles. In the early stages of development, it mainly refers to photons and atoms.
And inside the atom, there were later electrons, protons, neutrons, quarks, etc.
So, the study of atomic structure is the core of quantum mechanics.
In real history, Thomson discovered electrons in 1897 and proposed the atomic structure [Jujube Cake Model], ending the debate that atoms are indivisible.
He was then overturned by the [Planetary Model] proposed by his student, Rutherford, in 1911.
Coincidentally, Rutherford was overturned by the [Bohr Model] (orbital quantization) proposed by his student, Bohr, in 1913.
At that time, Bohr was inspired by Planck's quantum theory and imagined that electron orbits were quantized.
Later, Bohr's model was supplemented and improved by countless geniuses, and finally a systematic atomic structure theory was formed, which played an important role in the development of quantum mechanics.
Among them, Bohr's student, Heisenberg, single-handedly founded [Matrix Mechanics] (a formal system of quantum mechanics) and proposed the [Uncertainty Principle].
As for another formal system of quantum mechanics, it is [Wave Mechanics] proposed by Schrödinger.
Rutherford's daughter married a physicist named Fowler, and Fowler had a student named Dirac.
He innovatively introduced the theory of relativity into quantum mechanics and established the Schrödinger equation in the form of relativity, which is the [Dirac equation].
Curie’s student was Langevin, and Langevin later had a student named de Broglie.
It is he who, based on the wave-particle duality of light, removes light and believes that all matter has [wave-particle duality].
At this point, the three major principles of quantum mechanics: quantization, uncertainty principle, and wave-particle duality are all established.
One of the hallmark results of quantization is the photoelectric effect, and the other is the electron orbit quantization model.
This shows how important the study of atomic structure is.
It can be said that without the study of the behavior of these microscopic particles, there would be no emergence of quantum mechanics.
Li Qiwei chose to propose the planetary model first, instead of going directly to the Bohr model, because he also had his own considerations.
Today, among these future greats, the oldest Bohr is only 17 years old and will enter the University of Copenhagen in Denmark next year to major in physics.
Without the participation of these big guys, Li Qiwei’s journey to becoming a god would seem boring.
So, he is waiting.
Anyway, for doctoral graduates, the nuclear structure is enough.
Quantum mechanics will officially start with his doctoral thesis and become an existence that goes hand in hand with the theory of relativity.
(End of this chapter)