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Bretscher and
Feather showed theoretically feasible grounds that element 94 would be readily 'fissionable' by both slow and fast neutrons, and had the added advantage of being chemically different from uranium and therefore could easily be separated from it. This was confirmed independently in 1940
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from 1945 to 1975, then emeritus
Professor. He was active in nuclear physics research throughout his career, preferring small-scale, modest experiments, rather than the large experiments that became common after the war. Feather was noted for his active service to the University of Edinburgh and
348:
Feather assisted
Chadwick with his investigations leading to the discovery of the neutron. He then conducted some of the earliest investigations with the neutron. Feather obtained the first evidence that neutrons can produce nuclear disintegrations. The year 1932 would later be referred to as the
395:
to form the new isotope U-239. This nuclide rapidly emits an electron, decaying into an element with a mass of 239 and an atomic number of 93. This nuclide then emits another electron to become a new element still of mass 239, but with an atomic number 94 and a much greater half-life.
424:
for 94 by analogy with the outer planets
Neptune and Pluto beyond Uranus (uranium being element 92). The Americans fortuitously suggested the same names. The production and identification of the first sample of plutonium in 1941 is generally credited to
272:
and gaining a
Bachelor of Science degree (first class) in 1926. He was a Fellow of Trinity College from 1929 to 1933 then Fellow and Lecturer in Natural Sciences there from 1936 to 1945. Feather received his doctorate (PhD) at Cambridge in 1931 under
333:. Since polonium was difficult to obtain and expensive at the time, Feather acquired a large number of the discarded radon tubes. The expired radon was to be used as a source of alpha particles for experiments in Cambridge. Indeed, the radioactive
1099:
257:, Northern England. His father was headmaster of Pecket Well. When Feather was still an infant, his father became headmaster of Holme Primary School in Yorkshire, which Feather later attended.
1038:
387:, this new element should be able to sustain a nuclear chain reaction. A slow neutron reactor fueled with uranium would, in theory, produce substantial amounts of
1104:
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Beginning in 1936, Feather authored several monographs on nuclear physics and basic introductory physics, including a biography of
Rutherford in 1940.
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1084:
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1021:
Oral history interview transcript with Norman
Feather on 25 February 1971, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
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Oral history interview transcript with Norman
Feather on 5 November 1971, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
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462:
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Feather was the author of a series of noted introductory texts on the history, fundamental concepts, and meaning of physics.
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as a good account of the history of electricity and magnetism "with a perceptive discussion of the original experiments."
1089:
674:, rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Oct 2009, accessed 26 Jan 2013
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A study of certain corpuscular radiations of the active deposits of radium and thorium by the expansion chamber method
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project. They proposed that the 239 isotope of element 94 could be produced from the common isotope of
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206:(16 November 1904 – 14 August 1978), was an English nuclear physicist. Feather and
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774:. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library and Archives. 25 February 1971.
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970:. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library and Archives. 5 November 1971.
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Biographical Index of Former
Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002
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British
History Online/University of London: the Historical Record (1836-1926)
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N. Feather (1 June 1932). "The Collisions of Neutrons with Nitrogen Nuclei".
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at the Cavendish Laboratory, made a breakthrough in nuclear research for the
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People associated with the nuclear weapons programme of the United Kingdom
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461:) and was President of that Society from 1967 to 1970. Feather won the
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968:"Oral History interview transcript with Norman Feather, Session II"
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772:"Oral History interview transcript with Norman Feather, Session I"
696:. Vol. 27. The Royal Society of Edinburgh. pp. 254–282.
249:
Feather was born in 1904 to Samson and Lucy (Clayton) Feather in
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942:"Atop the Physics Wave: Rutherford Back in Cambridge, 1919–1937"
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in 1940, when they proposed that the 239 isotope of element 94 (
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583:(1981). "Norman Feather. 16 November 1904 – 14 August 1978".
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Feather died on 14 August 1978 at Christie Hospital in
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In 1932 Feather married Kathleen Grace Burke (d.1975).
453:(FRS) in 1945. From 1946 he was also a Fellow of the
586:
Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society
541:, Edinburgh University Press, 1968. ASIN B00KO6MLPM
520:, Cambridge University Press, 1952. ASIN B0007IW0BM
534:, Edinburgh University Press, 1963. ASIN B000FSNW0W
527:, Edinburgh University Press, 1962. ASIN B000XWAWI0
506:, Cambridge University Press, 1936. ASIN B00085IOJG
441:Feather was Professor of Natural Philosophy at the
353:" for nuclear physics in the Cavendish Laboratory.
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226:. This research, a breakthrough, was part of the
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651:. American Institute of Physics. 26 January 2015
465:of the Royal Society of Edinburgh for 1968–70.
690:Cochran, William; Devons, Samuel (July 2006).
539:Electricity and Matter: An introductory survey
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285:and focused on the problem of the long-range
1105:Presidents of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
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362:
345:in 1932 was derived from these radon tubes.
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513:, Blackie & Son, 1940. ASIN B0006APC66
305:In 1929, Feather took a year-long visit to
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244:
230:project, the secret British project during
948:. American Institute of Physics. 2011–2014
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313:, USA. During his visit, he learned that
91:by neutrons, important for nuclear weapons
1125:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
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416:of the Cambridge team proposed the names
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106:Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
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863:"Artificial Disintegration by Neutrons"
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1051:The Papers of Professor Norman Feather
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1135:People educated at Bridlington School
1115:Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge
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391:as a by-product, since U-238 absorbs
1080:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge
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222:) would be better able to sustain a
110:RSE Makdougall Brisbane Prize (1970)
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828:Proceedings of the Royal Society A
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504:An Introduction to Nuclear Physics
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268:, before taking a year in the
903:"Prof. Norman Feather, F.R.S."
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1:
912:(3962): 415. 6 October 1945.
861:N. Feather (13 August 1932).
649:"Norman Feather - Session II"
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548:, Penguin Books Ltd., 1970.
477:cited Feather's monograph on
410:Berkeley Radiation Laboratory
1120:Fellows of the Royal Society
1047:Eminent Cavendish Physicists
787:"The Existence of a Neutron"
624:"Norman Feather (1904–1978)"
7:
785:J. Chadwick (1 June 1932).
672:Feather, Norman (1904–1978)
451:Fellow of the Royal Society
420:for the new element 93 and
281:. His research employed a
101:Fellow of the Royal Society
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1090:English nuclear physicists
992:(3rd ed.). New York:
946:Rutherford's Nuclear World
629:. University of Notre Dame
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321:tubes in the treatment of
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262:Bridlington Grammar School
1055:Churchill Archives Centre
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449:Feather was appointed a
358:Discovery of the neutron
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307:Johns Hopkins University
301:Discovery of the Neutron
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245:Early life and education
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518:Nuclear Stability Rules
446:the city of Edinburgh.
443:University of Edinburgh
433:rather than a reactor.
145:University of Edinburgh
141:University of Cambridge
78:University of Cambridge
848:10.1098/rspa.1932.0113
812:10.1098/rspa.1932.0112
702:10.1098/rsbm.1981.0011
599:10.1098/rsbm.1981.0011
479:Electricity and Matter
437:Professor in Edinburgh
224:nuclear chain reaction
1033:Who Was Who 1971-1980
532:Vibrations and Waves
525:Mass Length and Time
367:In 1940 Feather and
343:discover the neutron
283:Wilson cloud chamber
270:University of London
212:Cavendish Laboratory
210:were working at the
982:Jackson, John David
918:1945Natur.156R.415.
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840:1932RSPSA.136..709F
803:1932RSPSA.136..692C
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1003:978-0-471-30932-1
546:Matter and Motion
402:Edwin M. McMillan
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593:: 254–282.
577:Cochran, W.
377:uranium-238
373:Tube Alloys
251:Pecket Well
234:to develop
228:Tube Alloys
45:Pecket Well
1064:Categories
1053:, held at
581:Devons, S.
560:References
491:Manchester
356:See also:
67:Manchester
37:1904-11-16
952:19 August
738:ignored (
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431:cyclotron
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418:Neptunium
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220:plutonium
216:Cambridge
89:plutonium
49:Yorkshire
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108:(1946)
103:(1945)
96:Awards
994:Wiley
716:S2CID
627:(PDF)
603:S2CID
497:Books
485:Death
385:U-235
319:radon
317:used
998:ISBN
954:2014
740:help
706:ISBN
657:2016
635:2014
550:ISBN
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277:and
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