Jonathan Homer Lane
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Homer Lane was an American
astrophysicist and inventor.
His education was at the Phillips Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire
. He graduated from Yale University
in 1846. He worked for the U.S. Patent Office
, and became a principal examiner in 1851. In 1869 he joined the Office of Weights and Measures, a part of the Department of the Treasury
that later became the National Bureau of Standards.
Lane was particularly interested in astronomy
, and was the first to perform a mathematical analysis of the Sun
as a gaseous body. His investigations demonstrated the thermodynamic relations between pressure
, temperature
, and density
of the gas within the Sun, and formed the foundation of what would in the future become the theory of stellar evolution
(see Lane-Emden equation
).
Simon Newcomb
, in his memoirs, describes Lane as "an odd-looking and odd-mannered little man, rather intellectual in appearance, who listened attentively
to what others said, but who, so far as I noticed, never said a word himself." Newcomb recounts his own role in bringing Lane's work, in 1876, to the attention of
William Thomson
who further popularized the work. Newcomb notes, "it is very singular that a man of such acuteness never achieved anything else of significance."
The crater Lane
on the Moon
is named after him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
astrophysicist and inventor.
His education was at the Phillips Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
. He graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1846. He worked for the U.S. Patent Office
United States Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that issues patents to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property identification.The USPTO is based in Alexandria, Virginia,...
, and became a principal examiner in 1851. In 1869 he joined the Office of Weights and Measures, a part of the Department of the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
that later became the National Bureau of Standards.
Lane was particularly interested in astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
, and was the first to perform a mathematical analysis of the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
as a gaseous body. His investigations demonstrated the thermodynamic relations between pressure
Pressure
Pressure is the force per unit area applied in a direction perpendicular to the surface of an object. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure.- Definition :...
, temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
, and density
Density
The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
of the gas within the Sun, and formed the foundation of what would in the future become the theory of stellar evolution
Stellar evolution
Stellar evolution is the process by which a star undergoes a sequence of radical changes during its lifetime. Depending on the mass of the star, this lifetime ranges from only a few million years to trillions of years .Stellar evolution is not studied by observing the life of a single...
(see Lane-Emden equation
Lane-Emden equation
In astrophysics, the Lane–Emden equation is Poisson's equation for the gravitational potential of a self-gravitating, spherically symmetric polytropic fluid. It is named after the astrophysicists Jonathan Homer Lane and Robert Emden...
).
Simon Newcomb
Simon Newcomb
Simon Newcomb was a Canadian-American astronomer and mathematician. Though he had little conventional schooling, he made important contributions to timekeeping as well as writing on economics and statistics and authoring a science fiction novel.-Early life:Simon Newcomb was born in the town of...
, in his memoirs, describes Lane as "an odd-looking and odd-mannered little man, rather intellectual in appearance, who listened attentively
to what others said, but who, so far as I noticed, never said a word himself." Newcomb recounts his own role in bringing Lane's work, in 1876, to the attention of
William Thomson
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin
William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin OM, GCVO, PC, PRS, PRSE, was a mathematical physicist and engineer. At the University of Glasgow he did important work in the mathematical analysis of electricity and formulation of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and did much to unify the emerging...
who further popularized the work. Newcomb notes, "it is very singular that a man of such acuteness never achieved anything else of significance."
The crater Lane
Lane (crater)
Lane is a lunar impact crater. It lies on the far side of the Moon, just to the west of the crater Ten Bruggencate. To the west of Lane is Perepelkin, and to the northwest lies Love....
on the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named after him.