James Atkinson (physicist)

On graduating from St John's College, Cambridge in 1938 he took a research post at the Air Ministry Research Establishment in Bawdsey ManorBatt, Reg, "The Radar Army: Winning the War of the Airwaves", Robert Hale Ltd. 1991 {{ISBN|0-7090-4508-5}} where he carried out research into ‘afterglow’ Cathode Ray Tubes, later taking on a special assignment to upgrade the Chain Home radar stations.{{Cite web |url=http://www.bawdseyradar.org.uk/audio/Austin%2012%20adventures-James%20Atkinson.wma |title=Bawdsey Radar audio archive – Jimmy Atkinson |access-date=1 July 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807130330/http://www.bawdseyradar.org.uk/audio/Austin%2012%20adventures-James%20Atkinson.wma |archive-date=7 August 2011 |url-status=dead }}

In 1940 he joined the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) where he worked on research into 10 cm, 3 cm and 1 cm wave radar later going on to work on research into super-refraction phenomena and infra red detectors for scope guided missile weapons.[http://www.purbeckradar.org.uk/penleyradararchives/documents/people.htm Purbeck Radar archive]

After the war he joined Glasgow University’s Natural Philosophy department under Professor Philip Dee and between 1945 and 1958 he worked on expansion, diffusion and bubble chambers investigating nuclear photodisintegration by gamma rays.{{Cite web |url=http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/particlephysicsexperiment/ourheritage/ |title=The Heritage of Particle Physics in Glasgow |access-date=1 July 2009 |archive-date=1 August 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801201456/http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/particlephysicsexperiment/ourheritage/ |url-status=dead }}

In 1958 he took up a post at UKAEA Dounreay where he took charge of the testing reactor.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110604200439/http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA397559&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf NASA Technical Memorandum X-884]

Moving on in 1966 he became Assistant Director at the British Ship Research Association working on research into ship architecture, vibration and noise.

In 1976 he joined the Institute of Offshore Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh where he pursued research into wave energy before retiring in 1979.

{{reflist|30em}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090130110650/http://bawdseymanor.co.uk/ Bawdsey Manor]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080305134154/http://www.bawdseyradargroup.co.uk/ Bawdsey Radar Group]
• [http://www.purbeckradar.org.uk/penleyradararchives/documents/people.htm Penley Radar Archives]
• [http://www.purbeckradar.org.uk/index.html Purbeck Radar]
• [https://archive.today/20120801201456/http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/particlephysicsexperiment/ourheritage/ The Heritage of Particle Physics in Glasgow]
• [http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/obituaries/display.var.2420619.0.james_atkinson.php The Herald Obituary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080823174208/http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/obituaries/display.var.2420619.0.James_Atkinson.php |date=23 August 2008 }}
• [https://archive.today/20080907072101/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article4242838.ece Times Online Obituary]

• J R Atkinson et al. 1938 [http://www.iop.org/EJ/search_author?query2=J%20R%20Atkinson&searchfield2=authors&journaltype=all&datetype=all&sort=date_cover&submit=1 The accuracy of rectifier-photoelectric cells]{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Proceedings of the. Physics. Society Vol. 50 No.6 p. 934-946
• J R Atkinson & A f Howartson 1951 [https://books.google.com/books?id=PuoNAQAAIAAJ&q=jr+atkinson+subject:%22physics%22&dq=jr+atkinson+subject:%22physics%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0|The Nuclear Scattering of Electrons and Positrons in Argon], Philosophical Magazine 42, p. 1136-45 (October 1951)
• J R Atkinson 1955 [https://books.google.com/books?id=Eqw4AAAAIAAJ&q=jr+atkinson+subject:%22physics%22&dq=jr+atkinson+subject:%22physics%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0|Uncharged Condensation Nuclei by U.V. Light], Geofisica pura e applicata 31, p. 54
• J R Atkinson & A J Barnard 1952 [http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v169/n4292/abs/169170a0.html The Diffusion Cloud Chamber], Nature 169, p. 170 - 173 (2 February 1952)
• J R Atkinson et al. 1956 [http://www.iop.org/EJ/search_author?query2=J%20R%20Atkinson&searchfield2=authors&journaltype=all&datetype=all&sort=date_cover&submit=1 The Photodisintegration of Nitrogen]{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Proceedings of the. Physics. Society Vol.A 69 No.2 p. 77-92
• J R Atkinson 1958 Education in the Atom Age III: Stepping Up the Output of Scientists and Technologists, The Scottish Educational Journal Vol. 41 p. 13-17 (3 January 1958)
• J R Atkinson et al. 1960 [http://www.iop.org/EJ/search_author?query2=J%20R%20Atkinson&searchfield2=authors&journaltype=all&datetype=all&sort=date_cover&submit=1 Scattering of Electrons and Positrons by Xenon and Mercury]{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Proceedings of the. Physics. Society Vol.75 No.3 p. 447-449
• J R Atkinson 1972 [https://www.jstor.org/pss/74064 An Integrated Approach to Design and Production], Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences Vol. 273 p. 99-118

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Category:1916 births

Category:2008 deaths

Category:English physicists

Category:Radar pioneers

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Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge

Category:People from Malvern, Worcestershire

Category:Academics of the University of Glasgow