A few days later, the electron diffraction tube, which had been re-blown and reinforced in some fragile parts, was returned to the laboratory.
Chen Muwu and De Broglie carefully installed various equipment into the diffraction tube, took sealing measures, and connected the vacuum pump.
After the machine started working, we were stuck in a waiting process for four to five hours.
Of course, this time the experiment was carried out completely in an orderly manner, and no unexpected situations occurred.
After a long waiting time, the vacuum in the entire system finally dropped to a low enough value.
Chen Muwu adjusted the preheated electron gun to the preset position, then started the accelerating electrode, and then removed the aluminum plate in front of the photosensitive film, allowing the collimated, accelerated and diffracted electrons to shoot toward On the photographic film that had been prepared a long time ago.
Then immediately cut off the power supply to the electron gun, then disassemble the instrument, take out the film, send it to the darkroom, and use developer to develop the film.
Several hours of preparation work, just to take such a photographic film.
Of course, as long as the results he wants can be shown on the film, the time spent will be well worth it.
However, how satisfied Chen Muwu was before entering the darkroom, and how doubtful he was about life after walking out of the darkroom.
The pattern shown on the negative was completely different from what he expected.
The concentric rings of light and dark did not appear, but a solid circle with evenly distributed items appeared. The color was darker only in a certain position. That was the angle of incidence of the electron beam, because some electrons did not interact with the gold elemental film. Diffraction occurs, but directly penetrates the gold foil.
If Chen Muwu did not know the results that should occur in the experiment, then he could only declare that the experiment failed and his theory was wrong.
But precisely because he knew the results of the experiment, he fell into deep self-doubt when faced with the diffraction pattern that did not reveal his true identity.
It can't be because I have traveled to a world with physical rules and laws that are completely different from those in my previous life!
De Broglie was very optimistic. If only one experiment could be performed and satisfactory results could be obtained, then physics should be a very easy subject.
Unwilling to give up, Chen Muwu decided to try again. He replaced the instrument with a new photographic film, and then waited for several long hours.
Unfortunately, the result this time is still the same, another black solid circle.
Two experiments took two people a whole day.
When the second time ended, it was already past the six o'clock closing time stipulated by the Cavendish Laboratory.
But because their experiment could not be interrupted once it started, no one urged them to call it a day and go home.
Chen Muwu returned to Mrs. Brown's house very depressed. He carefully checked the experimental data on the paper several times. Whether it was the accelerating voltage or the thickness of the gold foil, there should be no problem.
But he just couldn't find where the two experiments failed.
Although Dirac was not good at words and had a somewhat withdrawn personality, it did not mean that he could not observe what was happening.
Seeing his roommate's rare low-pressure moment, Dirac knocked on the door of Chen Muwu's room, walked up to him and asked, "Chen, what's wrong with you today?"
Chen Muwu welcomed Dirac into the room and briefly explained to him the problems encountered in today's experiment, together with his own calculations.
He didn't expect Dirac to give any solutions. He just kept it in his heart and found someone to talk to.
But unexpectedly, after listening to the words, Dirac also frowned, took the piece of paper with the process written on it, got up and walked to the bed to think.
After a long time, he gave a layman's answer: "Chen, although I don't know if the electron is a wave, but if it is really a wave, I looked at your calculation steps and there is no problem with it. So. Now that you can't get the experimental phenomenon you want, I think there are only two reasons. The first is that it proves that electrons are not a wave, and the second is, is it possible that there is something wrong with your photographic film. "
Chen Muwu directly eliminated the first reason mentioned by Dirac without even thinking about it.
But photographic film? What could go wrong with him? Was it exposed in advance?
Unlikely, because the entire experiment was conducted under light-proof conditions.
yes!
Chen Muwu suddenly had a flash of inspiration and seemed to have figured out where the problem was.
Because glass is also a medium, the diffracted electrons still have to pass through a layer of glass before hitting the photosensitive material.
Could it be that the thickness of the glass, which he ignored, caused a certain scattering of electrons, leading to this phenomenon?
The more Chen Muwu thought about it, the more it made sense. He would try it in the laboratory tomorrow and find out.
It is true that the authorities are blind to the beholder. It only took Dirac a stick of incense to notice something he had never noticed before.
The next day, Chen Muwu found another thin glass plate and applied photosensitive material on it.
Put it into the diffraction tube and repeat the experiment again. Although the experimental result is still a solid circle, some traces of diffraction fringes seem to be vaguely visible.
It seems that we have found the right direction this time.
Seeing the progress of the experiment, de Broglie couldn't help but praise: "Chen, you are really a genius. After only one night, you can come up with ways to improve it."
Chen Muwu was a little embarrassed by his praise: "It's not me. After I went back yesterday, I told Dirac about the difficulties encountered in the experiment, and these were all the inspirations he gave me."
Although the Frenchman next to him was a little dissatisfied with his roommate, he always wanted to tell the truth.
De Broglie was still prejudiced against this person: "I didn't expect that telegraph poles also have the ability to think about problems."
After chatting for a while, the two people continued to improve the experiment. The thickness of the glass plate became thinner and thinner, and the pattern formed after development became more and more like a diffraction pattern.
In fact, once the experiment reaches this point, it can be proved that electrons are a wave.
But Chen Muwu and de Broglie were still not satisfied, so they simply ordered a thinner glass plate. Anyway, the French aristocrat had a lot of money, just to capture the clearest electron diffraction pattern to prove the wave nature of electrons. correct.
Finally, Huangtian paid off, and after more than half a month, they finally succeeded.
Chen Muwu was afraid that this thin glass plate would be broken accidentally, so after the diffraction pattern gradually appeared in the developer, he did not take the photo to announce the good news, but simply sent it to his mentor Luther Fu Gei called into the laboratory.
From Chen Muwu proposing this theory a few months ago, to Bohr campaigning for the new theory, to the photo in front of him finally showing the same pattern as the diffraction of X-rays in a crystal.
This finally convinced Rutherford that electrons were indeed waves.
The teacher praised Chen Muwu a few words, and then called Chen Muwu out of the laboratory alone. The meaning was obvious, and he had something to say with him.
But Chen Muwu also felt that it was useless for Rutherford to call him out, because his voice was so loud, and there should be no difference between being separated by a thin wooden door and not being separated.
"Director, is there anything else?"
"Um, Chen, do you have a visa to go to France?"
Because when he came to Europe from China, the terminal of the ship was Marseille Port, so Chen Muwu briefly had a visa for France and its colonies.
But now more than a year has passed, and his temporary visa has long expired.
Although he didn't know what Rutherford meant by suddenly asking this, Chen Muwu answered the question honestly and gave a negative answer.
"Anyway, now that the experimental results have been obtained, you should leave the laboratory in the next few days and go to the consulates of the two countries in London to get the visas for these two countries. In April, you are going to Europe with me Let’s go to the mainland and attend the Solvay Conference.”
Why is it the Solvay Conference again?
Chen Muwu asked doubtfully: "Director, why should I go too? Didn't you say that the issue at this meeting is about metal conductivity? I don't have any ideas in this regard."
"This time they invited you not to read papers or speak. It's just that you have become too famous recently. Professor Lorenz sent a special invitation letter to me and wrote to me saying that European Your colleagues also want to meet you. I think it wouldn't do you any harm to meet them.
Moreover, it has been a year since you came to the UK. You have only traveled around London and Cambridge, and you have not been anywhere else even during the holidays. This is not good, doesn't Kapitsa say every day, "Those who don't know how to rest can't work?" Taking this opportunity, I will take you to Europe for a vacation. "
In fact, what Rutherford did not say is that the Solvay International Institute of Physics and Chemistry from the victorious country Belgium, as the organizer of the conference, has no Consider inviting any German scientist to participate in the conference. German physicists account for half of the current physics community, which has led to a sharp decrease in the number of participants.
As he spoke, Rutherford took out an envelope from his suit pocket and handed it to Chen Muwu: "Here, this is your invitation letter. Take it. Maybe you need it to apply for a visa."
What a strange reason is this!
Obviously before the last time, Rutherford asked him if he was going. If he wanted to go, he would bring Chen Muwu there in the name of bringing a graduate student there.
But more than a month later, I got an invitation with his name on it.
Is the discovery of a new planet so powerful?
But Chen Muwu thought of another thing, that is, Solvay seems to be Belgian, and the address of the Solvay meeting should also be in Belgium.
"Director, do I still need to apply for a Belgian visa?"
"Chen, there is no need. Belgium has no additional visa requirements for foreigners entering from France. Please hurry up and don't delay this matter."
Rutherford took a few steps forward and suddenly stopped again. He turned around and told him: "By the way, since you have successfully completed your diffraction experiment, don't forget to write a newsletter to Nature magazine first. , and publish the preliminary results first.”
"Yes, Director."
This was the first time Rutherford reminded Chen Muwu to do this, probably because this experiment was of great significance in his eyes and he must not be published first by others.
Regarding this Solvay Conference, since the invitation letters have been sent, Chen Muwu felt that it was a trip at public expense anyway, so it was just a trip.
He returned to the laboratory and said hello to Debroglie, saying that he was going to London to apply for a visa, so he would be away for a day or two tomorrow.
"You mean, the Solvay Conference?"
The reason why de Broglie transferred his interest from history to physics was because his eldest brother had attended the first Solvay Conference in 1911 and brought home a lot of conference materials. .
When he was young, he gradually became interested in physics because of reading those conference materials.
Now that I heard that the new Solvay Conference is about to start again, de Broglie also wants to go to the site in person to gain a long experience.
"That's right," Chen Muwu raised the invitation letter with his name written on it in his hand, "it says it starts on April 24 this year."
De Broglie sighed: "Oh, Chen, I really envy you. To be honest, I want to go too, but no one invited me at all."
"Director Rutherford once told me that he could bring a few graduate students to attend this conference. I think you might as well write a letter to your teacher Langevin? Maybe he can bring you there. Attend the meeting.”
After Lorenz's death, Langevin took over as chairman of the Solvay Conference and organized two conferences.
And as one of the top physicists in France today, he should have no problem arranging for de Broglie to join him.
"Okay, then I will write a letter to the teacher and give it a try." De Broglie was very happy, "Oh, by the way, Chen, I just heard through the door of the laboratory that Sir Rutherford asked you to go to France. Visa? When are you planning to leave? I'll send my servant to accompany you, maybe I can be of some help."
Chen Muwu felt that it might not be necessary, but since the other party insisted on it, it would be disrespectful to shirk it.
Chen Muwu took a complete set of information and took a train to the French Embassy in London.
He still underestimated the power of the French aristocracy. De Broglie's servant just showed his identity, and the visa staff quickly sent him the completed visa.
He didn't even check any of Chen Muwu's documents, and he seemed to have even forgotten to collect the six shillings for the production fee.
(End of chapter)
