Catalogue of the papers and correspondence of Francis William Aston FRS (1877-1945) NCUACS catalogue no. 101/6/01 by Peter Harper and Timothy E. Powell F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 Description level: Fonds Date of material: 1911-1945 Deposited in: Title: Compiled by: Extent of material: 1 box, ca 70 items Peter Harper and Timothy E. Powell Catalogue of the papers and correspondence of Francis William Aston FRS (1877-1945), chemist NCUACS catalogue no. 101/6/01 © 2001National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists, University of Bath. Department of Manuscripts and University Archives, Cambridge University Library Reference code: GB 0012 CUL F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 The work of the National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists, and the production of this catalogue, are made possible by the support of the following societies and organisations: The Biochemical Society The Geological Society The Institute of Physics The Royal Society The British Crystallographic Association Trinity College Cambridge The Royal Society of Chemistry The Wellcome Trust F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 NOT ALL THE MATERIAL IN THIS COLLECTION MAY YET BE AVAILABLE FOR CONSULTATION. ENQUIRIES SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE FIRST INSTANCE TO: THE KEEPER OF MANUSCRIPTS AND UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES WEST ROAD CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY CAMBRIDGE F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 LIST OF CONTENTS GENERAL INTRODUCTION SECTION A RESEARCH SECTION B ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT, FARNBOROUGH SECTION C PUBLICATIONS SECTION D INTERNATIONAL UNION OF CHEMISTRY SECTION E CORRESPONDENCE INDEX OF CORRESPONDENTS F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 GENERAL INTRODUCTION PROVENANCE The papers were received for cataloguing from Cambridge University Library in November 2000. OUTLINE OF THE CAREER OF FRANCIS WILLIAM ASTON Francis William Aston was born at Harborne, near Birmingham on 1 September 1877. He was educated at Malvern College and Mason College (which later became the University of Birmingham) where he studied chemistry under P.F. Frankland and W.A. Tilden and Physics under J.H. Poynting. Awarded the Forster scholarship he studied optical rotation with Frankland, 1898-1900. Aston then left academic life for three years to work for a firm of brewers. However, he continued to research privately, particularly with discharge tubes. This work attracted the attention of Poynting and in 1903 Aston returned to Birmingham to continue his research in Poynting’s department. At the end of 1909 he accepted an invitation from Sir J.J. Thomson to work as his assistant on student. It was during this period that he obtained definite evidence for the existence of two isotopes their separation. He extended this principle to other chemical elements, discovering, in a series of number rule which states that, the mass of the oxygen isotope being defined, all the other isotopes have masses that are very nearly whole numbers. worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, principally on aircraft fabrics and dopes (synthetic coatings). In 1919 he returned to the Cavendish Laboratory to research the separation of the isotopes of neon. This was accomplished by his invention of the mass spectrograph, an and in 1913 the university recognised his distinction in research by electing him as Clerk Maxwell positive rays at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge. He took a B.A. degree by research in 1912 measurements, 212 of the naturally occurring isotopes. From this work he formulated the whole of the inert gas neon. Aston’s research was interrupted by the First World War during which he apparatus which enabled him to utilise the very slight differences in mass of the two isotopes to effect He served as President of the 1921 (Hughes Medal 1922; Bakerian Lecture 1927), and in 1922 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Aston’s interests in astronomy and photography led to his membership of expeditions that studied In 1920 Aston was elected to the Fellowship of Trinity College Cambridge. He was elected FRS in chemistry ‘for his discovery, by means of his mass spectrograph, of isotopes, in a large number of non-radioactive elements, and for his enunciation of the whole number rule’. eclipses in Sumatra (1925), Canada (1932) and Japan (1936). F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 International Union of Chemistry's Commission on Atoms, 1935-1945. He continued to live and work in Cambridge, where he died on 20 November 1945. DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION The material in this small collection covers the period 1911-1945. It is presented in five sections in the order given in the list of contents. Section A, Research, consists of four notebooks recording work on positive rays, 1911-1913, and a few unidentified manuscript calculations. Section B, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, consists of reports on Aston’s work submitted to the Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, 1917-1919 and a humorous account of wartime activities at Farnborough by an unidentified author. Section C, Publications, consists of manuscript and typescript drafts of a small number of Aston’s publications, illustrative material, off-prints by Aston 1919-1939, and a number of typescripts of papers by others including W.H. Bragg, O.J. Lodge and W.J. Pope. the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is also an index of correspondents. few manuscript drafts by Aston, some on the verso of incoming letters. It provides some relating to Aston’s Presidency of the Union’s Commission on Atoms. Section D, International Union of Chemistry, consists of correspondence and papers, 1935-1945, Section E, Correspondence, consists of a chronological sequence of correspondence relating to documentation of Aston’s visits and conferences, especially a visit to the USA in 1922 to lecture at Aston’s scientific work, 1914, 1922-1945, and n.d. The sequence is predominantly incoming with a Bath, 2001 P. Harper T.E. Powell F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 SECTION A RESEARCH Notebook with label on front cover inscribed ‘F.W. Aston Small Negs: 1-72’. 11’ and a note that ‘Apparatus [was] No.26 ‘Oxygen’ is dated ‘Jan 12. - reconstructed with much finer canal tube and more perfect isolation of the camera’ is dated ‘Feb 1911’. Almost all the work is undated. Enclosed at front is a card with typescript note ‘Dr. F.W. Aston’s Research Note Books on Positive Rays. Dr. Aston was a Fellow of Trinity College [Cambridge] and worked in the Cavendish from 1909-1945.’ Notebook with label on front cover inscribed ‘F.W. Aston 1O1n Small negs. 73- No.80 follows a note that apparatus has been rebuilt dated ‘Aug 1911’. Work continues to March 1912 but almost all work is undated. Notebook with label on front cover inscribed ‘F.W. Aston 2 % x 4 negs 1 - 90’. Inscribed on first page ‘Positive Ray photographs 242“ x 4“ F.W. Aston’. little later work Notebook with label on front cover ‘F.W. Aston 2 %x4Negs 91-158’. Record of work beginning ‘May 16" [1913]. No.136 follows date ‘Nov 1913’. Many pages unused. Record of work from ‘July 1912’ to ‘April 25" [1913] with a undated Unidentified manuscript calculations, n.d F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 SECTION B ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT, FARNBOROUGH Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ‘Report on the Action of Sunlight on Aeroplane Fabric: Its Nature and Prevention’ by Aston. Report No. T.1019. Presented by the Superintendent, Royal Aircraft Factory, October 1917. 16pp duplicated typescript with some manuscript annotation + spectra and figures. Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ‘Report on Some Strength Tests of Aeroplane Fabric Exposed to Weather and Their Relation to Sunlight Intensity’ by Aston. Report No. T.1112. Presented by the Superintendent, Royal Aircraft Factory, March 1918. 4pp duplicated typescript with some manuscript annotation + figures. Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ‘Report on the Use of Neon Lamps for Stroboscopic Testing of Revolution Indicators’ by Aston. Report No. T.1118. ‘Indicators’ in Presented by the Superintendent, Royal Aircraft Factory, March 1918. ‘Counters’ manuscript with the manuscript instruction ‘to alter this throughout’. is crossed out and replaced with title the in 10pp duplicated typescript + figures. 4pp duplicated typescript; version. Presented by the Director General of Aircraft Production, May 1918. Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ‘Report on the Comparative Weathering Qualities of British and German Doped Fabric’. Report No. T.1158. 12pp duplicated typescript + figures. Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Tautness of Doped Fabric’ by Aston. Report No. T.1273. Presented December 1918. proof with manuscript corrections of printed Department, ‘Report on the Measurement of Production, by Controller, Technical Aircraft F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough ‘Fabric tautness’. & Dope with special reference to deterioration of strength and Abstract and 23pp typescript report by Aston, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, January 1919. Advisory Committee for Aeronautics ‘Report on Further Experiments upon the Action of Light on Fabric and its Prevention’ by Aston. Report No. 1298. Continuation of Report T.1019. Presented by February 1919. Controller, Technical Department, Aircraft Production, 6pp duplicated typescript + figure; printed version. ‘The Book of Experimenter’. Aeron commonly called the Revelations of Abah the Duplicated typescript of humorous account of wartime activities of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, written in a style inspired by the Old Testament with illustrations inspired by various periods of antiquity. Many of the notes are on headed notepaper for ‘Chudleigh, Farnborough, Manuscript notes and calculations probably relating to work at Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough. Hants’. F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 SECTION C PUBLICATIONS ‘On the homogeneity of atmospheric Neon’. 14pp typescript with manuscript additions and corrections, n.d. 1913 is the latest date given in the text which may relate, however, to ‘The constitution of Atmospheric Neon’, Phil. Mag., xxxix, April 1920, 449-455. See C.3. ‘A positive Ray Spectrograph’, Phil. Mag., xxxviii, December 1919, 707-714. 10pp typescript with manuscript additions and corrections. ‘The constitution of Atmospheric Neon’, Phil. Mag., xxxix, April 1920, 449- 455. 9pp typescript with manuscript additions and corrections, dated Cavendish Laboratory, [Cambridge], December 1919. Mass-Spectrum ‘The Protactinium’, Letter to the Editor, Nature, 123, 2 March 1929, 313. Uranium Atomic Lead and the of of Weight Printed text only. 9pp typescript with manuscript additions and corrections, dated Cavendish Laboratory, [Cambridge], May 1921. ‘The Mass spectra of the Alkali Metals’, Phil. Mag., xlii, September 1921, 436-441. published by Cambridge University Press in 1938. Letter from J. Needham, enclosing ‘the stenographer’s typescript’ of lecture on atomic theory given by Aston in the ‘first term’s working of the History of Science course’, 25 November 1937. The lectures organised by the History of Science Committee for 1936 were Title page and 21pp typescript of lecture. ‘Atomic Theory’. F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 Publications Manuscript and typescript notes and drafts of account of the Cavendish Laboratory, [Cambridge], n.d. Shorter typescript drafts on ‘Isotopes and the Periodic Law’, ‘Atoms and Isotopes (Summary)’, etc., n.d. Shorter manuscript notes on isotopes, etc., 1920 and n.d. C.10-C.12 Illustrative material. 3 folders. Correspondence re Aston’s off-prints, 1951-1955. Off-prints, 1919-1939. 1 bundle. C.15-C.20 Not a complete set. C.15 K.T. Bainbridge. Sir William H. Bragg. Typescripts of papers by others Unidentified. 2 folders. Sir Oliver Lodge. Sir William J. Pope. F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 SECTION D INTERNATIONAL UNION OF CHEMISTRY Aston was invited to assume the Presidency of the International Union of Chemistry’s International Commission on Atoms in March 1935. The other members of the Commission were Niels Bohr, University of Copenhagen, Otto Hahn, Friedrich Wilhelms Universitat, Berlin, W.D. Harkins, University of Chicago, and Georges Urbain, Laboratoire de Chemie Minérale, Sorbonne, Paris. The first task of the Commission under Aston’s Presidency was to undertake the publication of a table of isotopes. In 1937 M.L.E. Oliphant and R.S. Mulliken joined the Commission and in 1939 F. Joliot became a member in place of Urbain who had recently died. The International Union of Chemistry was based in Paris where its Secretary General, Jean Gérard, was one of Aston’s principal correspondents. Despite the location of the Union in Paris and the international membership of the Commission, the Commission sought to continue work into the first years of the Second World War through the agency of E. Briner of the Conseil de la Chemie Suisse, Geneva, Switzerland. Correspondence and papers, 1935-1945. Isotopes’ sent 1935 March - December. ‘a provisional Table of Stable 1936 January - December. Includes ‘First Report of the Committee on Atoms of the International Union of Chemistry’. Includes invitation to Aston to serve as President of the Commission on Atoms and by Aston to members of the Commission for their consideration. Includes papers re ‘Report 1938’. Aston preferred the term ‘Committee’ to ‘Commission’ for the body of which he was President. Includes International Union of Chemistry. of second report proofs of the Committee on Atoms of the 1937 March - July. 1938 March - December. F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 International Union of Chemistry 1939 March - October. 2 folders. D.6 includes printed versions of fourth report of the Committee in English, French and German. 1940 January - April. Includes printed version of fourth report of the Committee with annotation ? for fifth report. 1941 April - December. Includes typescript draft of sixth report for 1941. Not published. 1942 January - October. Includes manuscript and typescript drafts of ‘Sixth Report of the Committee on Atoms. 1941, 1942’. 1944, 1945. F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 SECTION E CORRESPONDENCE A chronological sequence of correspondence relating to Aston’s scientific work, 1914, 1922-1942, n.d. Predominantly incoming letters with a few manuscript drafts by Aston, some on verso of incoming letters. 1914. 1 letter only. 19212 Includes invitation from Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for Aston to deliver a course of five lectures in 1922 on his recent work. February 1922. March 1922. April 1922. 1922 February - July and n.d. [1922]. Correspondence predominanily relates to Aston’s visit to the USA to lecture at the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia. Aston gave a series of five lectures on ‘Atomic Weights and Isotopes’ at the Institute, 6-10 March. During his visit to the USA he also lectured at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts and Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. N.d. [1922]. June, July 1922. F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 Correspondence 1923. Includes letter informing Aston of the award to him of the John Scott Medal of the City of Philadelphia. 1924, Includes invitation in the form of a printed circular to the 105th annual meeting of the Swiss Natural Sciences Society, Lucerne, 1-4 October 1924. Aston gave a lecture on atoms and isotopes at the meeting. 1925. programme en Includes Geneeskundig Congres’, Groningen, 14-16 April 1925. Aston gave a lecture on ‘Isotopes and the Periodic Law’. Nederlandsch ‘Twintigste Natuur- the for 1926-1927. physics meeting by the Volta promoted 1928-1929. 1930-1931. to the Indian Institute of Science, Includes correspondence 1929 re visit Bangalore and to Malaya. Includes correspondence re Foundation and held in Rome, 11-18 October 1931. 3 folders. Bartol Correspondence, drafts and spectra from K.T. Bainbridge of Research Foundation of the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. See also C.15. 1932-1933 and n.d. Evo: Eal7 the F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 Correspondence E.17 includes 15pp typescript with manuscript additions and corrections entitled ‘Description of a New Mass-Spectrograph including summary of scope and importance of work in relation to other fields’. The typescript has a manuscript inscription at the head of the first page ‘Submitted to National Research Council as part of an application for a grant-in-aid’. It is signed by Bainbridge (p.15) but not dated (latest bibliographical reference 1933). 1936. Includes correspondence re visit to Japan. 1937-1938. the use of the mass 1940. Includes correspondence and printed papers re spectrometer in the analysis of petroleum products. F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 INDEX OF CORRESPONDENTS ABRAHAM, Henri AMES, J.S ANDREI], lon ANGLO-IRANIAN OIL CO. LTD ASTON, Helen M. BAINBRIDGE, Kenneth T BAXTER, Gregory Paul BIRGE, Raymond T. BLEAKNEY, Walker BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF CITY TRUSTS, Philadelphia BOGERT, Marston Taylor C15 3b 5-17 Ee D.2 E.19 E.8 D.7 BRINER, E. See C.16, C.17 E13 BRYDEN, Samuel D., Jr CHAMPETIER, G. COSTA, Joseph L. BOHR, Niels BOUSQUET, J. D.5 D.4,D.5 See C.13 D.8, D.9 BRAGG, Sir William Henry BRAGG, Sir (William) Lawrence EG EB eneOve. 19) 20, &.23 E.18 E22 E.6 DOUY; ©: DUNN, F.P. DAVIS, Bergen DEMPSTER, Arthur J. DOCKSEY, Patrick Index of correspondents F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 EAGLE, Albert EDWARD ARNOLD & CO. EGUCHI, FERMI, Enrico FLUGGE, S. FORBES, Alexander GERARD, Jean GEYELIN, Henry L. GLAISHER, James Whitbread Lee GLAZEBROOK, Sir Richard Tetley D.1-D.5, D.7, D.10 E27, E.9 E.19 See also E.18 GOLDHABER, E.24 E23 FOREIGN OFFICE HAAS, [?W.J.] de HAHN, Otto HARDY, Godfrey Harold GRAY, Robert WHYTLAW - GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND Eo, 20 INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PURE AND APPLIED PHYSICS INTERNATIONAL UNION OF CHEMISTRY E10 E25 E.8 E.14 HARKINS, William D. HEILAND, Louis HEVESY, George de D.1, D.2, D.4, D.5 Bi,.)-3, D4) D7 D.1-D.7, D.10 Index of correspondents F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 JAEGER, F.M. JOLIOT, Frédéric KNIPP, C.T. KOHLWEILER, Emil LANGMUIR, Irving LODGE, Sir Oliver Joseph LYMAN, Theodore MARCONI, Guglielmo MATTAUCH, Josef MERRITT, E. MORISON, Sir Theodore NATURE NEEDHAM, Joseph MULLIKEN, Robert Sanderson MICHELSON, Albert Abraham OLIPHANT, Sir Mark (Marcus Laurence Elwin) See C.19 PEGRAM, George B. PIGGOT, Charles S. D5 D.7, Baa Eee ES EAL Et2 OWENS, R.B. POPE, Sir William Jackson Index of correspondents F.W. Aston NCUACS 101/6/01 SCHWYZER,, Fritz SCOTT, Arthur F. - SMITH, Sir Frank Edward STONEY, Edith A. TAYLOR, D.D. THE TIMES UNION INTERNATIONALE DE CHIMIE See International Union of Chemistry UNION INTERNATIONALE DE PHYSIQUE PURE ET APPLIQUEE See International Union of Pure and Applied Physics UNITED GEOPHYSICAL COMPANY URBAIN, Georges E.22 Di, Di2 WATSON, H.E. WARD, R.M. BARRINGTON - WILSON, W.
ASTON, Francis William v1
Published: 16 January, 2024 Author: admin