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Session T10: History of Physics II

3:30 PM–5:06 PM, Monday, May 2, 2011
Room: Garden 1

Sponsoring Unit: FHP
Chair: Gloria Lubkin, Physics Today, Retired

Abstract ID: BAPS.2011.APR.T10.4

Abstract: T10.00004 : X-Ray Astronomy Discovery Experiments, III*

4:42 PM–5:06 PM

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Author:

  P.C. Fisher
    (Ruffner Associates, LTD)

The first paper established the existence of concurrent discovery experiments by Riccardo Giacconi and myself at the start of x-ray astronomy.\footnote{R. Giacconi \textit{et al., }Phys. Rev. Lett.\textbf{ 9}, 439 (1962).}$^{,}$\footnote{P. C. Fisher \textit{et al., Quasars and High Energy Astronomy including Proceedings of the 2}$^{nd}$\textit{ Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics 15 - 19 December 1964 }(K. N. Douglas \textit{et. al.,} eds.) Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, New York, p. 253 (1969).}$^{,}$\footnote{P. C. Fisher, BAPS \textbf{53} No. 2, 165 (2008).} Paper II \footnote{P.C. Fisher, http://www.aps.org/units/fhp/index.cfm plus FHP link to April 2009 presentation H14.00006.} described some acts by some individuals/institutions over four decades that may have caused the illusion that I had not made a discovery. Some additional data about this illusion, and the first possible measurement of x-ray emission from a black hole, will be presented. This paper's primary goal is for the American Physical Society to have Giacconi comment on several questions of a historical nature. \\[4pt] *Work supported by NASA contracts NAS5-1174 and NASw-909, the Lockheed Independent Research Program, and Ruffner Associates.

To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2011.APR.T10.4