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James JeansEnglish mathematician, physicist and astronomer.
Date of Birth: 11.09.1877
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
- Biography of James Jeans
- Scientific Contributions
- Popular Science and Philosophy
- Recognition and Legacy
- James Jeans passed away on September 16, 1946, in Dorking.
Biography of James Jeans
James Jeans was an English mathematician, physicist, and astronomer, known for his contributions to the theory of the origin of the Solar System. He was born on September 11, 1877, in Ormskirk, Lancashire. Jeans completed his studies at Trinity College, Cambridge University in 1900. He later taught mathematics at Cambridge from 1901 to 1905 and 1910 to 1912, and was a professor at Princeton University from 1905 to 1909. From 1923 to 1944, he worked at the Mount Wilson Observatory in the United States and was a professor of astronomy at the Royal Institution in London from 1935 to 1946.
Scientific Contributions
During the early years of his scientific career, Jeans focused on the kinetic theory of gases and the theory of thermal radiation. In 1905, he independently derived the law of energy distribution in the long-wavelength part of the spectrum of blackbody radiation, alongside J. J. R. Raleight. In the mid-1910s, Jeans shifted his interests towards astrophysics. He studied the equilibrium of rotating liquid masses and analyzed the evolution of rapidly rotating liquid bodies. One of Jeans' conclusions was that a planetary system could form from a rotating and compressing mass of gas. According to his theory, the Solar System might have been formed from material torn away from the Sun by the gravitational attraction of a passing star (the tidal theory). This theory gained popularity in the 1920s and 1930s but was later proven to be inadequate.
In 1916, Jeans presented the theory of atmospheric dissipation for planets, which was caused by the Maxwellian distribution of velocities. He derived the formula for the dissipation flow resulting from gas evaporation in a planet's atmosphere (Jeans' formula). By applying the kinetic theory of gases to an ensemble of stars, he demonstrated that the distribution of stars' velocities should, over time, approach the Maxwellian distribution due to their gravitational interaction. He used this idea to estimate the age of star systems. Jeans also made significant contributions to the theory of the internal structure and evolution of stars. Some of his notable scientific works include "Dynamical Theory of Gases" (1904), "Problems of Cosmogony and Stellar Evolution" (1919), and "Astronomy and Cosmogony" (1928).
Popular Science and Philosophy
Around 1928, Jeans began popularizing science. Among his most well-known popular science books are "The Mysterious Universe" (1930), in which he concluded that God is a pure mathematician, "The Stars in Their Courses" (1931), and "Eos, or the Wider Aspects of Cosmogony" (1929). Later, he turned to philosophy and wrote "The New Background of Science" (1933) and "Physics and Philosophy" (1942).
Recognition and Legacy
In 1906, Jeans was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London and served as its Honorary Secretary from 1919 to 1929. He was the President of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1923 to 1924. Jeans received numerous medals and awards, including the Franklin Medal in 1931 and the Adams Prize from Cambridge University.
