PHYSICISTS A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z                    HOME ABOUT CATEGORIES SITE MAP COPYRIGHT ADVERTISE CONTACT entire Web this site Thomson, Joseph James (1856–1940) English physicist who succeeded James Clerk Maxwell as professor of experimental physics (1883-1919) at Cambridge. J. J. Thomson's discovery of the electron is regarded as the birth of particle physics. Thomson established that cathode rays consisted of a stream of particles. He went on to prove that the electron was negatively charged and that its mass was about 2,000 times smaller than the smallest atom (hydrogen). He was awarded the 1906 Nobel Prize for Physics for his investigations into the electrical conductivity of gases. Thomson and Francis Aston produced evidence of isotopes of neon. He transformed the Cavendish Laboratory into a major center for atomic research, attracting scientists of the caliber of Ernest Rutherford, who used Thomson's "currant-bun" model of the atom as a starting point for his own experimental investigations into the structure of the atom. Thomson served as president (1915-1920) of the Royal Society. Related entry    • history of electricity Related category    • PHYSICISTS Also on this site: Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living Encyclopedia of History Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site) BACK TO TOP