Events in UK
Douglas MacGregor reported on events being held in the UK to celebrate the
centenary of the publication of Rutherford’s seminal paper which marked the
beginning of nuclear physics as a discipline.
House of Commons Reception on 29th March 2011
The New Zealand High Commission, the Institute of Physics, and the UK STFC
Research Council jointly organized a reception on the terraces of the House
of Commons on 29th March 2011 to celebrate the centenary of the Rutherford
paper on the nucleus. The reception was hosted by Ed Vaizey, the
constituency MP for the Rutherford Lab, and the guests included Rutherford’s
granddaughter, Mary Fowler, New Zealand and Australian diplomats, a number
of invited scientists and politicians from both Houses of Parliament with an
interest in Science. Speakers included Ed Vaizey MP, Beth Taylor for the
IOP, Derek Leask, the New Zealand High commissioner and Brian Cox.
http://www.stfc.ac.uk/News+and+Events/24667.aspx
Institute of Physics Nuclear and Particle Physics Divisional Conference
4th-7th April 2011
The Institute of Physics organized a large Divisional conference covering
nuclear physics particle physics, astroparticle physics, gravitational
physics, astronomy, and accelerator physics in Glasgow from 4th to 7th
April. The aim of this multidisciplinary conference is to foster
relationships between related physics areas and to encourage the sharing of
ideas between different areas. At this conference Jim Al-Khalili gave a
public lecture on “Nuclear Physics since Rutherford”.
https://www.eventsforce.net/iop/frontend/reg/thome.csp?pageID=48357&eventID=
143&eventID=143
Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory Schools Afternoon 19th May 2011
The Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire, which takes its name from
Lord Ernest Rutherford is planning an open day for schools to celebrate
Ernest Rutherford’s iconic experiment which proved the existence of the
atomic nucleus. The event is timed to 100 years after Rutherford published
his groundbreaking scientific paper in May 1911. This event will commemorate
not only the achievements of the man generally regarded as the father of
modern physics, but also highlight how his work has served as the
springboard for many of the key scientific achievements of the last century.
Jim Al-Khalili will give a public lecture for schools which will be recorded
and distributed to schools on DVD.
http://www.stfc.ac.uk/News+and+Events/34764.aspx
Rutherford Centennial Conference, Manchester 8th – 12th August 2011
The main event in the UK to celebrate the work of Ernest Rutherford is a
week-long conference in Manchester devoted to Rutherford and the very wide
field of nuclear physics which has developed following his work. The
conference will mark one hundred years of the atomic nucleus with talks by
leading international speakers addressing the wide range of topics including
nuclear structure and astrophysics, hadron structure and spectroscopy, weak
interactions and relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The deadline for
submission of contributed talks comes up at the end of April and all
Division members are asked to advertise this conference to their
communities.
https://www.eventsforce.net/iop/frontend/reg/thome.csp?pageID=50353&eventID=
149&eventID=149
Blue Plaque to commemorate Ernest Rutherford
There is a blue plaque on the Museum building, Oxford Road, Manchester
University to mark the work of Ernest Rutherford.
http://www.manchester2002-uk.com/buildings/blue-plaques.html
Rutherford Fellowships
The STFC research council announced on 19th March 2011 the creation of the
Ernest Rutherford Fellowship Scheme. The scheme is to support early-career
researchers with “clear leadership potential” who wish to carry out research
in the UK. 12 Fellows will be appointed each year and each fellowship will
run for five years. Successful applicants will “receive support for their
salary” and will also be able to bid for research funding.
http://www.stfc.ac.uk/News+and+Events/24667.aspx
Nuclear Physics News
Jim Al-Khalili has written a News and Views article for Nuclear Physics News
based on Rutherford’s work.
Expected to be published in Nuclear Physics News volume 21 issue 2.
http://www.nupecc.org/npn/