National Cataloguing Unit for the Archives of Contemporary Scientists
under the guidance of the Royal Society's National Committee for the History of Science, Medicine and Technology
Catalogue of the papers and correspondence of
TONY HILTON ROYLE SKYRME
(1922 - 1987)
Deposited in Birmingham University Library
Compiled by Peter Harper and Timothy E Powell
T9IS9
All rights reserved
University of Bath
H
R Skyrme
T
NCUACS 10/3/89
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 British Library
The .Gity..of Bath
Pergamon Books
The Royal Society
The Geological Society
The Institute of Physics
The Royal Society of Chemistry
The Society of Chemical Industry
t HR Skyrme
NCUACS 10/3/89
LIST OF CONTENTS
Items
INTRODUCTION
SECTION
NOTEBOOKS
SECTION
NOTES AND DRAFTS
SECTION
SECTION
SECTION
BIRMINGHAM
PUBLICATIONS
H
R Skyrme
T
NCUACS 10/3/89
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
PROVENANCE
The material was received in May 1988 via Dr J
E Bowcock,
a colleague in the Department of Mathematics, University of Birmingham.
OUTLINE OF THE CAREER OF T
H
R SKYRME
Professor Tony Skyrme - an original thinker in nuclear
died in June 1987 at the age of 64.
At Harwell in the 1950s he put
Tony Hilton Royle Skyrme was born in Lewisham on
Royal Society's Hughes Medal for his contributions to theoretical,
particle and nuclear physics.
particle physics’.
It was only from about 1983 that the significance
physics who gave his name to
a type of fundamental particle the Skyrmion -
quantum field theory, proposing a model, the Skyrme model, which lay
of this work was widely appreciated leading in 1985 to the award of the
distinctly outside the mainstream of contemporary thinking in elementary
forward (in the words of his Times obituarist) 'original ideas in non-linear
In March 1944 he was sent to the USA to work first
work with the Tube Alloys Directorate (the UK atomic bomb project) and
joined R
E
(later Sir Rudolf) Peierls's group at Birmingham University
5 December 1922.
He was educated at Eton (a King's Scholar) and
Trinity College Cambridge where he studied for the Mathematical Tripos.
After his final Cambridge examinations in June 1943 he was assigned to
which was working on theoretical questions posed by the bomb's design
and construction.
T HoR Skyrme
NcuacSs 10/3/89
in New York and then at Los Alamos on the atomic bomb project.
On his return to England in 1946 Skyrme was admitted
a Research Fellow at Trinity College Cambridge.
as
resided at Cambridge, working instead in Peierls's new Department of
Mathematical Physics at Birmingham where he held a university research
In fact he never
In August 1948 he married Dorothy Millest, a
fellowship 1946-48.
lecturer in nuclear physics at Birmingham, and then spent two years
In 1948-49 he was a Research Associate at the Massachusetts
in the USA.
Institute of Technology and in the following year he was a member of
the Institute of Advanced Physics at Princeton.
In 1950 Skyrme returned to England to take up the post
of Senior Principal Scientific Officer in the Theoretical Physics
Division of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) Harwell
where he was head of the Nuclear Physics Group.
It was in his later
he resigned in 1961 -
that he did his most
nucleons'.
and India.
Skyrme spent 1958-59 on leave from AERE Harwell.
He
He resigned from AERE Harwell in September 1961 to take
1959 and 1961 which, together with three related papers, achieved
1958,
'a nuclear theory based entirely on meson fields, without particulate
was Visiting Professor for a term at the University of Pennsylvania
before travelling back to the UK via California, Australia, Malaya
years at AERE Harwell -
important scientific research, especially the four papers on non-linear
meson theories published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society A
In 1982 his Department was obliged to
of Kuala Lumpur.
England to take up the Chair in Mathematical Physics at Birmingham in
He remained there until 1964 when he returned to
up
a Senior Lectureship in the Mathematics Department of the University
succession to Peierls.
H
R Skyrme
T
NCUACS 10/3/89
amalgamate with the Mathematics Department and his Chair was redesignated
a Chair in Applied Mathematics.
Skyrme's move to
a university teaching post in Malaya
marked a decisive shift in his career away from research.
He was net
very active in research in his later years in Birmingham though he was
always accessible to colleagues and researchers in other departments
who brought mathematical problems to him.
In many ways he remained
aloof from the great interest in his early research which coincided
with the last years of his life.
However, he did agree to give the
‘Historical Introduction' to
a small Workshop on Skyrmions in November
1984 and was only prevented from repeating the talk at the Peierls
80th Birthday Symposium by his death in 1987.
For further information on the life and career of Skyrme
see RH Dalitz 'Professor Tony Hilton Royle Skyrme:
1922-1987. A
Brief Biography'
in Dalitz and R
B Stinchcombe eds.
A Breadth of Physics
(1988)
DESCRIPTION OF THE COLLECTION
Physies A, Vol.3, No.12
(1988) . 2719-2744.
Skyrme's historical talk on
of Modern Physics
(pp2745-2751) and in A Breadth of Physics.
The
Skyrmions is also published in the same. issue of the International Journal
Tony Hilton Royle Skyrme (1922-1987)'
in International Journal of Modern
205-219 and the same author's 'An Outline of the Life and Work of
in the writing of this introduction and the listing of the manuscripts.
compilers of this catalogue have drawn freely on these published sources
Birmingham.
amount of material relating to Skyrme's research at AERE Harwell and his
of Contents.
The collection, although small in size, offers a respectable
teaching at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur and the University of
The material is presented in the order given in the List
T HR Skyrme
NCUACS 10/3/89
Section A, Notebooks, is
a sequence of eighteen notebooks
used for records of Skyrme's own research, conferences attended, and
seminars at Harwell and Birmingham.
Section B, Notes and drafts, covers the whole of
Skyrme's scientific career from undergraduate notes at Trinity College
Cambridge to records of his work at Birmingham at the end of his life.
Although the section includes teaching material from his fellowship
years at Birmingham, 1946-48, and the Visiting Professorship at the
University of Pennsylvania, 1958, and a few drafts for publications,
it
is principally a collection of unpublished research material.
Section C, Malaya, and Section D, Birmingham, comprises
records of Skyrme's teaching at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur,
1962-64, and at the University of Birmingham from 1965.
also includes documentation of Skyrme's advice to colleagues on
Section D
mathematical problems.
and Dalitz's articles on his life and work.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
encouragement.
Section E, Publications, comprises Skyrme's reprints
We are very grateful to Dr Bowcock for making the material
including the posthumously published talk on the origin of skyrmions
Bath 1989
available and to Dr Bowcock and Professor RH Dalitz for advice and
Peter Harper
Timothy E Powell
H
R Skyrme
T
NCUACS 10/3/89
SECTION A
NOTEBOOKS
Two notebooks glued together, the back cover of the notebook
used second glued to the front cover of the notebook used
first.
nd.
- 216 with a contents
‘notes on scattering
'the completeness of the closed and quasi-closed
‘use of
'a model for the scattering equations';
‘relation of &-decay with meson
Topics covered are:
The notebook used first is paginated 1
list: on pl,
matrix';
states';
non-Hermitian operators';
theory';
new expansion for many-body problem';
coordinates in many-body problem';
scattering';
electron in the radiation field’.
‘on point interactions';
'decay of free meson';
'S-decay spectra';
‘a
‘use of redundant
definition of potential
‘equations of an
The notebook used second is paginated 217-359.
beta-decay begin on p219.
Notes on
-
The
Technology,
H
R Skyrme' and 'Rm 6-306 MIT"
A few loose
3' inside front cover.
Contents include notes on quantum electrodynamics.
Notebook used for notes on atomic nuclear moments from 1948.
Paginated 1
items are enclosed, including -AERE Harwell station circular
nos 516,35 February L953.
91 with index at rear of book.
Spiral notebook inscribed 'T
on front cover and 'Notes -
book is undated but probably used during Skyrme's Research
Associateship at Massachusetts Institute of
1948-49,
of topics at rear of book.
Notebook used for notes on experimental methods from 1948.
Paginated 1
Notebook '¢TI' used for experimental data on beta-decay
and notes on the theory, nd.
The remainder of the book is unused.
Paginated 1-189 with index
-
13.
THR Skyrme
NCUACS 10/3/89
Notebooks
Notebook '8T2' used for notes on beta-decay, nd.
Paginated 191-389 with index of topics at rear of book.
Notebook used for notes on complex spectra, probably in
(1952 bibliographical reference pl6é4).
use early 1950s
Paginated 1-167 with index of topics at rear of book.
Notebook used for notes on the literature (principally
Paginated 1-336
papers in Physical Review),
(many pages unused) with index of authors at front of
book.
1952-53.
Notebook used for notes on relativistic quantum field
theory, nd but probably in use in 1953
Review reference
of topics at rear of book.
Paginated 1-145 with index
(latest Physical
p1l08).
(ppl9,
37).
(many pages unused) with index of topics
and used for a detailed record of the proceedings,
At least one page is missing
Unpaginated.
Participants include Bethe, A Bohr, Hofstadter, Weisskopf
and Wilkinson.
Notebook used for notes on meson theory, nd but there
are references to the preceding book
Paginated 1-125
at rear of book.
Notebook inscribed inside front cover 'Amsterdam Conference
1956'
2-7 July.
from the front of the notebook.
continued...
Notebook used for records of theoretical physics colloquia
and seminars, visits and conferences, November 1956 -
December 1957.
and topics at front of book.
Paginated 1-249 with index of individuals
The colloquia etc are dated and the name of the speaker
and topic given but not usually the location which probably
indicates that most of the occasions took place at Harwell.
T
H
R Skyrme
NCUACS 10/3/89
A 2 cont “a
Notebooks
D Ter: Haar on 'Excitors & Polarons'
Jd Blin-Stoyle on 'Beta Interactions’
Speakers include
( pp4-7), R
and W Marshall on ‘Critical Scattering’
There are also notes on the Physical Society Conference
on 'Nuclear & High Energy Physics', Harwell, 16-17 January
1957 (misdated 1956 by Skyrme),
(ppl42-147).
(pp54-75).
(ppl2-14)
Notebook used for records of theoretical physics colloquia
(mis-
and seminars, visits and conferences, January 1958
- May 1960 (continuation of A.1l).
dated 1957 by Skyrme)
Paginated 1-252 with index of individuals and topics at
front of book.
A few loose items are enclosed.
The colloquia etc are dated and the name of the speaker
and topic given but not usually the location which
probably indicates that most of the occasions took place
at Harwell.
Relations’
of Nuclear Matter'
'Parity Conservation in Strong Interactions'
There are also notes on the Physical Society Conference,
Cambridge, 10-11 April 1958 (pp53-68).
Speakers include A Salam on ‘Dispersion
F Weisskopf on 'Properties
(ppl9-21) and D
H Wilkinson on
(ppll-13),
V
19)
1960 and
(pp36-38).
The conferences are:
Paginated 1-200 with incomplete index of
Notebook used for records of conferences 1957,
LO6a%s
conferences at front.
Seventh Rochester Conference, 15-19 April 1957.
Participants include Alvarez, Bethe, Dalitz,
Feynman, Fowler, Hofstadter, Marshak and Oppenheimer.
The revised programme is enclosed at front of book.
continued...
Parity Conference, Harwell, 13 May and seminar on
"Neutrino Theory', 14 May 1957.
Rehovoth Conference, Israel,
Participants include Flowers and Wilkinson.
September 1957.
H
R Skyrme
T
NCUACS 10/3/89
Notebooks
Ai lA cont'd
Physical Society Meeting, Liverpool, 30-31
March 1960.
Participants include Flowers, P Matthews and
Merrison.
Physical Society Conference, Birmingham,
17-19 April 1961.
Manchester Rutherford Jubilee Conference,
4-8 September 1961.
Participants include Dalitz, Flowers and
Peierls.
Spiral notebook used for records of extended overseas
EL py oo.
Skyrme visited USA
including discussions with Feynman at Cal Tech);
(Canberra including C
Institute),
F Powell's lectures);
January - August 1959.
Australia
India (Tata
(East coast, Texas, Los Alamos, California
Speakers include A Salam on *Weak Interactions'
P Matthews on ‘Strong Interactions'
on ‘Bubble Chambers'
He also used the book for notes on 'Kiev Conference Reports',
Harwell theoretical physics colloquium 14 October 1959,
and visit to Birmingham 3 March 1960.
Notebook used for records of theoretical physics colloquia
etc., June 1960 - July 1961 (continuation of A.13).
Paginated 1-254 with index of indivicuals and topics at
front of book.
Participants include Dalitz, Gell-Mann, Kibble and Peierls.
Spiral notebook used for record of Department of Mathematical
Physics seminars, Birmingham, October 1964 - January 1967.
Conference on Elementary Particles |); September 1965.
Includes notes on 'Oxford Conference! [International
(pp93-95) and C
C Butler
(ppl17-118).
(pp75-79),
H
R Skyrme
T
NcuACS 10/3/89
Notebooks
Spiral notebook used for record of Department of
Mathematical Physics postgraduate courses, Birmingham,
1964-65, 1966-67.
Staff assignment, books, topics, notes on elementary
notes
particle theory and group theory for 1964-65;
on 'Phenomenology (NMQ)'
for 1966-67.
T
H
R Skyrme
NCUACS 10/3/89
SECTION B
NOTES AND DRAFTS
Section B comprises manuscript and typescript notes and
the whole of Skyrme's scientific career from
drafts covering (almost)
undergraduate notes at Trinity College Cambridge to records of his work
at Birmingham at the end of his life.
notes from his research fellowship years at Birmingham 1946-48 (B.3)
and his Visiting Professorship at the University of Pennsylvania 1958
(B.28, B.28A, B.30),
(B.21, B.22)
the section is principally an assemblage of unpublished research
and a few drafts for published work
Although it includes some lecture
material.
The notes and drafts are presented in two sequences,
dated and undated, and where possible titles and pagination are given.
R
Bose Belo, B25 and,
C2aik
Bole Be 2
Dated Notes and Drafts
This material is
to be found at B.8,
B.9,
Vole 3,No-z12. C988), 2743.
SKYRME, Tony Hilton Royle v2
Published: 20 November, 2023 Author: admin