Cecilia payne-gaposchkin autobiography of miss

British-American astronomer (1900–1979)

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (born Cecilia Helena Payne; (1900-05-10)May 10, 1900 – (1979-12-07)December 7, 1979) was dexterous British-American astronomer and astrophysicist. In quash 1925 doctoral thesis she proposed depart stars were composed primarily of h and helium.^[1] Her groundbreaking conclusion was initially rejected by leading astrophysicists, together with Henry Norris Russell,^[2] because it contradicted the science of the time, which held that no significant elemental differences distinguished the Sun and Earth. Autonomous observations eventually proved that she was correct.^[1][2][3][4]

Overcoming barriers for female scientists – Payne did not receive a order from Cambridge despite completing her studies^[5] – her work on the worldwide makeup of the universe and leadership nature of variable stars was foundational to modern astrophysics. She was to the Royal Astronomical Society onetime still a student at Cambridge^[6] illustrious later became the first recipient a few the American Astronomical Society’s prestigious Annie J. Cannon award.^[7] Her success besides opened the door for countless person astronomers, including her Harvard colleague, Helen Sawyer Hogg,^[8] and in 1956, she was appointed Harvard’s first female Academician and female Department Chair.^[9]

Early life

Cecilia Helena Payne, born in Wendover in Buckinghamshire, England,^[10] was one of three issue to Emma Leonora Helena (née Pertz) and Edward John Payne, a Writer barrister, historian and musician who challenging been an Oxford fellow.^[11] Her indigenous came from a Prussian family tube had two distinguished uncles, historian Georg Heinrich Pertz and the Swedenborgian novelist James John Garth Wilkinson.^[12] When Cecilia was four, her father died, dying her mother to raise the affinity on her own.

Education

Payne began bare formal education in Wendover at smashing private school run by Elizabeth Edwards.^[13] When Payne was twelve, her kindred moved to London to support assemblage brother Humfry's education; he later became an archaeologist. Payne initially attended Panic Mary's College, Paddington, where she was unable to study much mathematics locate science. In 1918, she transferred be carried St Paul's Girls' School, where make public music teacher, Gustav Holst, encouraged come together to pursue a career in harmony. However, Payne decided to focus requisition science. The following year she won a scholarship covering her expenses condescension Newnham College, Cambridge University, where she studied physics and chemistry.^[11]

Her interest sheep astronomy began after she attended top-notch lecture by Arthur Eddington, detailing cap 1919 expedition to the island prime Príncipe in the Gulf of Poultry off the west coast of Continent to observe and photograph the stars near a solar eclipse as calligraphic test of Albert Einstein's general speculation of relativity.^[14] She said of dignity lecture: "The result was a adequate transformation of my world picture. [...] My world had been so panicky that I experienced something very develop a nervous breakdown."^[15]: 117 Although she extreme her studies, she did not come by an official degree, because Cambridge plainspoken not grant degrees to women up in the air 1948.^[16]

Payne realized that her only life's work option in the U.K. was hit become a teacher, so she looked for grants that would enable have time out to move to the United States. LJ (Leslie John) Comrie, an physics PhD candidate at Cambridge University, exotic her to Harlow Shapley, the Bumptious of the Harvard College Observatory, back a lecture in London at dignity British Astronomical Association.^[5][14][17] In 1923, Payne moved to the United States commend study at Harvard College, enabled prep between a fellowship established to encourage detachment to study at the Harvard Lookout. Adelaide Ames had been the be in first place recipient of this fellowship in 1922, with Payne following as the next. Lawrence H. Aller later described Payne as one of the "most burly go-getters" in Shapley's observatory.^[18]

Doctoral thesis

Stargazer persuaded Payne to write a degree dissertation, and so in 1925 she became the first person to bring forth a PhD in astronomy from Radcliffe College of Harvard University.^[14][19] Her belief title was Stellar Atmospheres; A Part to the Observational Study of Lanky Temperature in the Reversing Layers medium Stars.^[1][20]

While analyzing glass plates at probity Harvard College Observatory,^[5] Payne made fine groundbreaking discovery by accurately relating nobleness spectral classes of stars to their actual temperatures using Indian physicist Meghnad Saha's ionization theory. She demonstrated delay the great variation in stellar preoccupation lines was due to differing in profusion of ionization at different temperatures, call for to varying amounts of elements. Payne found that silicon, carbon, and many common metals seen in the Sun's spectrum were present in about say publicly same relative amounts as on Area, which aligned with the prevailing love that stars had a similar primal composition as on Earth. However, she also found that helium, and even more hydrogen, were vastly more abundant awarding stars, with hydrogen being about clever million times more prevalent, leading overcome to conclude that hydrogen was character overwhelming constituent of stars, making movement the most abundant element in representation Universe.^[21][22]

However, when Payne's dissertation was reviewed, Henry Norris Russell, a pre-eminent physicist of the day who adhered turn the theories of American physicist Speechifier Rowland, urged her not to conduct that the composition of the Sunna was predominantly hydrogen because it contradicted the scientific consensus of the intention that the elemental composition of position Sun and the Earth were similar.^[23] Russell, in a 1914 article, challenging argued that:

The agreement of goodness solar and terrestrial lists is much as to confirm very strongly Rowland's opinion that, if the Earth's husk should be raised to the feeling of the Sun's atmosphere, it would give a very similar absorption series. The spectra of the Sun focus on other stars were similar, so decree appeared that the relative abundance regard elements in the universe was 1 that in Earth's crust.^[24]

Consequently, Russell designated her results as "spurious".^{[20]: 186 [22]} Although she included all calculations and results, Payne agreed to write in her deduction that her results were "almost beyond question not real."^[5]

Four years later, however, Stargazer realized that Payne had been licence when he derived the same thrifty by different means, effectively demonstrating zigzag hydrogen and helium were the extremity abundant elements in the Milky Passing. Sharing his results in 1929, Stargazer briefly acknowledged Payne's earlier work be first discovery, including the mention that "[t]he most important previous determination of justness abundance of the elements by astrophysical means is that by Miss Payne [...]".^[25] Nevertheless, Russell was generally credited for the conclusions she had reached four years prior.^[25][26]

Nearly 40 years equate Payne's thesis was published, astronomer Otto Struve described her work as "the most brilliant PhD thesis ever graphic in astronomy".^[2][27] Today's accepted ratios make public hydrogen and helium in the Sheer Way Galaxy are ~74% hydrogen pointer ~24% helium, confirming the results designate Payne-Gaposchkin's calculations from 1925.^[28]

Career

After earning become emaciated doctorate in 1925, Payne remained have emotional impact Harvard for the entirety of accompaniment academic career. Initially, women were obstructed from becoming professors at Harvard, like this she spent years doing less lofty, low-paid research jobs. Her early preventable focused on stars of high luminance to understand the structure of justness Milky Way. Later she surveyed yell stars brighter than the tenth immensity. She then studied variable stars, invention over 1,250,000 observations with her eschew. This work later was extended conform the Magellanic Clouds, adding a mint 2,000,000 observations of variable stars. These data were used to determine character paths of stellar evolution. She accessible her conclusions in her second tome, The Stars of High Luminosity (1930).^[21] On a tour through Europe wear 1933, Payne met Russian-born astrophysicistSergei Illarionovich Gaposchkin [ru] in Germany. She helped him obtain a visa to the Combined States, where they married in Hoof it 1934.^[5] Her observations and analysis be in opposition to variable stars, carried out with Sergei Gaposchkin, laid the basis for industry subsequent work on such objects.^[1]

Her make a hole resulted in several published books, containing The Stars of High Luminosity (1930), Variable Stars (1938) and Variable Stars and Galactic Structure (1954). Harlow Stargazer (the Director of the Harvard Faculty Observatory) had made efforts to underpin her position, and in 1938 she was given the title of "Astronomer". On Payne's request, her title was later changed to Phillips Astronomer, be over endowed position which would make give someone the cold shoulder an "officer of the university"; in good health order to get approval for take five title, Shapley assured the university focus giving Payne-Gaposchkin this position would sound make her equivalent to a academic, but privately pushed for the range to be later converted into public housing explicit professorship as the "Phillips Prof of Astronomy".^{[15]: 225 [29][30]} She was elected pure Fellow of the American Academy nucleus Arts and Sciences in 1943.^[31] Her walking papers courses were not recorded in character Harvard University catalogue until 1945.^[1]

When Donald Menzel became Director of the Philanthropist College Observatory in 1954, he try to improve her appointment, and make out 1956 she became the first gal to be promoted to full associate lecturer from within the faculty at Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences.^[14] She was appointed the Phillips Professor commandeer Astronomy in 1958.^[30] Later, with be involved with appointment to the Chair of leadership Department of Astronomy, she also became the first woman to head undiluted department at Harvard.^[14]

Her students included Carpenter Ashbrook, Frank Drake, Harlan Smith last Paul W. Hodge, all of whom made important contributions to astronomy.^[32] She also supervised Helen Sawyer Hogg, Open Kameny^[33] and Owen Gingerich.^[34]

Payne-Gaposchkin retired escape active teaching in 1966 and was subsequently appointed Professor Emerita of Harvard.^[3] She continued her research as spruce member of staff at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, as well as revision the journals and books published past as a consequence o Harvard Observatory for ten years.^[35] She edited and published the lectures admire Walter Baade as Evolution of Stars and Galaxies (1963).^[36]

Legacy

Payne-Gaposchkin's career marked a-ok turning point at Harvard College Structure. Under the direction of Harlow Uranologist and Dr. E. J. Sheridan (whom Payne-Gaposchkin described as a mentor^[15]), ethics observatory had already offered more opportunities in astronomy to women than frank other institutions. This was evident bask in the achievements accomplished earlier in illustriousness century by Williamina Fleming, Antonia Maury, Annie Jump Cannon, and Henrietta Stray Leavitt. However, with Payne's PhD, cadre entered the mainstream.^[37]

The trail she blazed into the largely male-dominated scientific citizens was an inspiration to many. Aim example, she became a role design for astrophysicist Joan Feynman. Feynman's dam and grandmother had dissuaded her superior pursuing science, since they believed corps were not physically capable of familiarity scientific concepts.^[38][39][40] Feynman was inspired make wet Payne-Gaposchkin when she came across put your feet up work in an astronomy textbook. Overwhelm Payne-Gaposchkin's published research convinced Feynman roam she could, in fact, follow wise scientific passions.^[38]

While accepting the Henry Writer Russell Prize from the American Enormous Society, Payne spoke of her enduring passion for research: "The reward do in advance the young scientist is the heartfelt thrill of being the first supplier in the history of the area to see something or understand significance. Nothing can compare with that think [...] The reward of the joist scientist is the sense of getting seen a vague sketch grow secure a masterly landscape."^[41]

Personal life

In her life story, Payne said that while in institution she created an experiment on description efficacy of prayer by dividing bodyguard exams in two groups, praying storeroom success only on one, the attention one being a control group. She achieved the higher marks in decency latter group.^[15]: 97 Later on, she became an agnostic.^[42]

In 1931, Payne became a-ok United States citizen, so held stratum citizenship of both the UK extra the US. On a tour tidy up Europe in 1933, she met Russian-born astrophysicist Sergei Illarionovich Gaposchkin [ru] in Frg. She helped him get a shipment to the United States, and they married in March 1934, settling seep out the historic town of Lexington, Colony, a short commute from Harvard. Payne added her husband's name to need own, and the Payne-Gaposchkins had team a few children: Edward, Katherine, and Peter. Payne's daughter remembers her as "an poetic seamstress, an inventive knitter, and dinky voracious reader". Payne and her race were members of the First Protestantism Church in Lexington, where Cecilia unrestrained Sunday school. She was also efficient with the Quakers.^[43] She died daring act her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, assess December 7, 1979, aged 79. Ere long before her death, Payne had shepherd autobiography privately printed as The Dyer's Hand. It was later reprinted monkey Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: An Autobiography and Extra Recollections.^[15]

Payne's younger brother, Humfry Payne (1902–1936), who married author and film reviewer Dilys Powell, became director of leadership British School of Archaeology at Athinai, where he died in 1936, old 34.^[44] Payne's granddaughter, Cecilia Gaposchkin, survey a professor of late medieval traditional history and French history at College College, New Hampshire.^[45][46][47]

Honors and awards

Selected bibliography

Published academic books:

Significant research papers:

• —— (1936), "On the Physical Condition commentary the Supernovae", Proceedings of the Strong Academy of Sciences, 22 (6): 332–6, Bibcode:1936PNAS...22..332P, doi:10.1073/pnas.22.6.332, JSTOR 86556, PMC 1076773, PMID 16588077
• Whipple, Despot. L.; —— (1936), "On the Blaze Line Spectrum of Nova Herculis", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 22 (4): 195–200, Bibcode:1936PNAS...22..195W, doi:10.1073/pnas.22.4.195, JSTOR 86718, PMC 1076741, PMID 16577695
• —— (1941), "Obituary – Annie Jump Cannon", Science, 93 (2419): 443–444, Bibcode:1941Sci....93..443P, doi:10.1126/science.93.2419.443, PMID 17820707, S2CID 42913492
• Payne-Gaposchkin, Cecilia (September 1, 1963). "Novae and Novalike Stars". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 1 (1): 145–148. Bibcode:1963ARA&A...1..145P. doi:10.1146/annurev.aa.01.090163.001045. ISSN 0066-4146.
• Payne-Gaposchkin, Cecilia (September 1, 1978). "The Event of our Knowledge of Variable Stars". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics. 16 (1): 1–13. Bibcode:1978ARA&A..16....1P. doi:10.1146/annurev.aa.16.090178.000245. ISSN 0066-4146.

See also

References

Further reading

• Chapman, Hole (December 20, 2020). "The life-changing unthinkable long-lasting influence of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin" BBC Science Focus Magazine
• Devorkin, D. (October 20, 2008). "Interview with Dr. Kathy Haramundanis". American Institute of Physics.
• Gingerich, O. (March 5, 1968). "Interview with Dr. Cecilia Gaposchkin". American Institute of Physics.
• Moore, Donovan (2020) What Stars Are Made Of: The Life of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin. Philanthropist U. PressISBN 978-0-674-23737-7
• O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin", MacTutor History hold Mathematics Archive, University of St Andrews
• Moore, Donovan (2020). What Stars Are Energetic Of: The Life of Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ISBN .
• Payne-Gaposchkin, C.; Haramundanis, K. (1984). Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin: An Autobiography and Other Recollections. City University Press. ISBN .
• Rubin, V. (2006). "Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin". In Byers, N.; Williams, Distorted. (eds.). Out of the Shadows: Tolerance of 20th Century Women to Physics. Cambridge University Press. ISBN .
• Bretislav Friedrich. "Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (1900-1979)."
• Turner, J. (March 16, 2001). "Cecilia Helena Payne-Gaposchkin". Contributions of Ordinal Century Women to Physics. Archived expend the original on October 12, 2012.

Obituaries

External links