The basic improbability of nuclear physics

Three remarkable and unexpected phenomena which made nuclear physics possible under Rutherford are described. The first was his use of zinc sulphide to which had been added one part in ten thousand of copper. This was very efficient in the way it transformed the energy of an incident alpha particle into a flash of light. This enabled Rutherford to prove unambiguously that matter consists of a sort of planetary system having a nucleus at the middle and clouds of electrons surrounding it. The second was that, working with Rutherford, was C.T.R. Wilson who used his observations of cloud formations on mountains (he was a keen climber) to make a cloud chamber which allowed alpha particle tracks to be visible. The third was the introduction of valve amplifiers at the critical time. Wynn-Williams found that the DEV valve made by the Marconi Company to produce radio frequency amplifiers could be used as an amplifier in particle detection. (UK)