Cecil Frank Powell Biography, Life, Interesting Facts

Cecil Frank Powell came to prominence as an all in one person when it came to the study of Physics. His immense discoveries and works made him garner a Nobel Prize for Physics in 1950.He invented the first pictorial plan that helps in the study of nuclear reactions. Not to mention he also discovered a subatomic particle called pion or pi-meson.

Hailing from a humble family, Cecil did anything to achieve incredible success in his career. He studied at important institutions all thanks to the scholarships that he attained. His practical approach towards education gave him a resounding job. This is what made him receive tons of recognition and awards. Read along.

Childhood And Early Life

On December 5th, 1903 Cecil Frank Powell was first seen in the world in Tonbridge, Kent, England. His protective father served as a trader. At 11 year old, he attained his first scholarship where he enrolled at Judd School in Tonbridge. He later joined Sidney Sussex College in Cambridge. It was after he received his First Class Honors that Carl went to serve at the Cavendish Laboratory in 1927.It was there that he worked on a study of the condensation of liquid phases. After the end of his studies, he received a Ph.D. in Physics.

Career

Cecil’s career began in the 1920s after the completion of his previous research. In 1928 he was appointed at Wills Physical Laboratory as a research assistant. He later went to the University of Bristol where he served as a lecturer.
In 1936, Cecil Frank Powell moved to West Indies to study planet-like bodies or as a seismologist. In 1948 he got a seat as the Professor of Physics. It was during this time that he worked on a project called Cockcroft acceleration. It was a generator that helped to increase the speed of deuterium atoms.

In 1938 Cecil Frank Powell worked on a study called cosmic radiation where he uncovered the photographic plates such as silver salts at a high altitude. This is what paved the way for his subatomic discovery called Pi-meson as well as K-mesons.

Awards And Achievements

In 1949 Cecil Frank Powell garnered Hughes Medal as well as a membership to the Royal Society. He followed it up with a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1950. In 1955 he teamed up with World Federation of Scientific Workers. In 1961 he received a Royal Medal as well as Lomonosov Gold Medal.

Personal Life And Legacy

In 1932 Cecil Frank Powell married Isobel Arthur with whom he had two daughters. He breathed his last on August 9, 1969, in Italy. In his honor, Powell Mathematics and Physics Prize were established in the Judd School. The European Physical Society was also named after him.