George Adolphus Schott
Encyclopedia
George Adolphus Schott FRS (25 January 1868 – 15 July 1937) was a British
mathematician
. He is best known for developing the full theory of radiation from electrons travelling at close to the speed of light
.
Born in Bradford
to German
parents, he was educated at Bradford Grammar School
and later studied at Trinity College
, Cambridge
, receiving his Bachelor of Arts
in 1890. After obtaining his Doctor of Science
he became assistant lecturer to D.M. Lewis in the Department of Physics. After a years leave, in which he travelled to Germany, he became lecturer of Applied Mathematics at Aberystwyth University, where he would spend the rest of his career. In 1910 he became Chair of the Applied Mathematics department and finally vice-president of the college.
During Schott's early years at Aberystwyth he published his classical work on electromagnetic radiation
, which follows the work laid down by Alfred-Marie Liénard
. It was not until 1947 that the blue light observed near synchrotron particle accelerators, called 'synchrotron radiation
', was recognised as the radiation Schott predicted. In 1909 he was awarded the Adams Prize
and in 1922 became a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Schott remained one of the last respectable ‘anti-quantum’ scientists, opposing the quantum
formalism introduced by Nils Bohr. In 1933 he published the nonradiation condition
of a wobbling charged sphere.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
. He is best known for developing the full theory of radiation from electrons travelling at close to the speed of light
Speed of light
The speed of light in vacuum, usually denoted by c, is a physical constant important in many areas of physics. Its value is 299,792,458 metres per second, a figure that is exact since the length of the metre is defined from this constant and the international standard for time...
.
Born in Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
to German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
parents, he was educated at Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School
Bradford Grammar School is a co-educational, independent school in Frizinghall, Bradford, West Yorkshire. Headmaster, Stephen Davidson is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference . The school was founded in 1548 and granted its Charter by King Charles II in 1662...
and later studied at Trinity College
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, receiving his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1890. After obtaining his Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
he became assistant lecturer to D.M. Lewis in the Department of Physics. After a years leave, in which he travelled to Germany, he became lecturer of Applied Mathematics at Aberystwyth University, where he would spend the rest of his career. In 1910 he became Chair of the Applied Mathematics department and finally vice-president of the college.
During Schott's early years at Aberystwyth he published his classical work on electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space...
, which follows the work laid down by Alfred-Marie Liénard
Alfred-Marie Liénard
Alfred-Marie Liénard , was a French physicist and engineer. He is most well known for his invention of the Liénard–Wiechert potentials....
. It was not until 1947 that the blue light observed near synchrotron particle accelerators, called 'synchrotron radiation
Synchrotron radiation
The electromagnetic radiation emitted when charged particles are accelerated radially is called synchrotron radiation. It is produced in synchrotrons using bending magnets, undulators and/or wigglers...
', was recognised as the radiation Schott predicted. In 1909 he was awarded the Adams Prize
Adams Prize
The Adams Prize is awarded each year by the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and St John's College to a young, UK based mathematician for first-class international research in the Mathematical Sciences....
and in 1922 became a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Schott remained one of the last respectable ‘anti-quantum’ scientists, opposing the quantum
Old quantum theory
The old quantum theory was a collection of results from the years 1900–1925 which predate modern quantum mechanics. The theory was never complete or self-consistent, but was a collection of heuristic prescriptions which are now understood to be the first quantum corrections to classical mechanics...
formalism introduced by Nils Bohr. In 1933 he published the nonradiation condition
Nonradiation condition
Classical nonradiation conditions define the conditions according to classical electromagnetism under which a distribution of accelerating charges will not emit electromagnetic radiation. According to the Larmor formula in classical electromagnetism, a single point charge under acceleration will...
of a wobbling charged sphere.
Published works of note
- On the Reflexion and Refraction of Light (1894)
- Electromagnetic radiation: And the mechanical reactions arising from it (1912)