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Show DiCoblentz Explains Invention I For Measuring f leat From Stars I T TII.EIAM VY. COBLRNT& "nU recently re-cently a comparatively unknown ' asslsta.it tn 111. physics laboratory of the Bureau of Standards In Washington, who little more than a decade ago accepted a UPmblc job with thj Oovcrnrnent In this im- laboratory following the qompletlon of hlf university and undergraduate work, suddenlv has become famous as one of perhaps per-haps four men In the world regarded a.i the greatest authorities .in a particular scientific scien-tific subject. For Inventions and discoveries of methods for dot. emitting and accurately measuring the radian 1 heat reaching the earth from the stars and other heavenly bodies Dr. Coblentz has been awarded the Janssen tn-d.-il by the Trench Academy of Sciences. This means that Dr. Coblentz has become a commanding figure In the scientific world. The award of this medal is a distinction coveted by many scientists, though won by few. tt Is regarded as one of the highest recognitions within the gift of those authorized author-ized to confer scientific honors. It was won by Dr. Coblentz not In any contest with others, nor In any test with set rules, quall-Pcatlons quall-Pcatlons and so on. but Is a wholly unsought ihlng. growing out of the fact that the work done by him has. In the opinion of those who make the award, placed him within the high circle 'of men whose names stand first In scientific annals. Dr. Coblentz was entirely unawaro that he was being considered for such recognition recogni-tion until ho with other readers of newspapers news-papers saw In a cabled despatch frSVi Paris that the award had been made. "Naturally I am highly gratified." said Dr. Coblentz. who got his title from tho fact that ho took a doctor's degree in science sci-ence In Cornell University In 1903 "Put I don't knew what mor there is to say about It. I never was any hand to talk about myself, my-self, and this makes me less Inclined to do so than ever." Messages of congratulation havo poured Into the physics laboratory from every quarter quar-ter of the globo, ard here hns been a constant con-stant stream of jJKrs In person or messages mes-sages by telephone or telegraph for days. Ti es., evidences of firm have had the effect of embarrnsslng tho person to whom they nre directed almost beyond the power of speech, a fact tl.at was very apparent to tho Interviewer. Invention Is for the Purpose of ' Measuring Heat Received from Stars To relieve the s nation somewhat It was 1 suggested that he describe his Invention. "It relates to the -ensltlvlty of stellar-bolometers stellar-bolometers and 0' liar thermocouples, the 1 measurements of total radiation, not only t as to the emlsslvlty of blue as compared 1 with red stars, but other phases of astro- 1 radiometric research, the differentiation of I selenium nnd photoelectric cells." he bejran t with a rush. 1 No layman could grasp that mouthful, t but the change in the conversation away from his personal hr .ors and to the subject 1 uhlch ho has devoted his entire thought, 1 at one put him ease. 1 "All right. I will try and put it Into news- 1 paper English." he said with a smile. N ! Without nttemptln; to reproduce his ex- 1 act wordj, which frequently were inter spersed with difficult scientific '.eiuia. In spite of b.s evident deslro tu avoid them fur the soke of giving u popular understanding understand-ing of the subject, here is whit the invention inven-tion Is First of all. It enables a scientist to measure meas-ure the amount of heat received fr.'ir the 1 ' 1 b an operation as simple to him as n assuring hoatd with an odlnary rule is to i carpenter all of tl e he t. to be aire, for there are various obstructions that enter Into the r alter, such us atmospheric Interference, cross curtents of electricity, the difficulty of securing o perfect aouum In which to work a- J the matter of several millions or billions of miles Intervening between be-tween the star under observation and the earth, which prevent compute nccuracy and likewise complete simplicity. But ii Is simple sim-ple to a scientist. The instrument bv which this Is done i a "thermocouple ' To the Invman It looks I'ke a pipe made of glass The bowl of fh pipe Is Oat however with a circle In 'he centre that Is transparent Looking through UllH circle. whlc:i Is about the size ot a do"ar. one sees four tiny dots about the size of a pinhead. arranged in the form of n square Tiny, almost Invisible wires, one made of platinum and the other of bismuth, meet at each of these dots, forming a geometric. .1 flrnre suggesting a spider's web These do's and the spider's web are probably the most Important features of the discovery made by Dr Coblentz nnd are the work of his own hands done In his laboratory. Process of Measuring Stars With Flash of Light From Star Connected with these wires are other wires which In turn are connected with a scale, spaced at Intervals, as a carpenter's rule Is spaced, und murkod with numerals which record the measurement to be made Beforo It will function this entire Instrument Instru-ment Is placed In the harrel of an astronomical astronomi-cal telescope, between the small lens next to the eye of the observer and the arue convex lens nearest the 6tar or other heavenly body to he observed Tho process of mer.surln? the heat begins when the light from the star flashes from the heavens through the telescope, passing through the "bowl of the pipe." or. to be mere scientific, passes through the wires of the "thermocouple" nnd the four black dots. In accordance with scientific laws the passage pass-age of this light from the star Into the telescope tele-scope and through the wires of thc "thermo ?ouplc" generates electricity. Tho current set In motion energizes the larger wires connected with the scale and causes a point of light to pass along the ' scale to a certain point, whero It comes to rest. The numerals nnd spaces revealed by ' lh light are the "Indicators" of the amount ' rf heat from the star, or at least the ncen- 1 rote basis for determining that heat through ' nathomatlcal computations simple as A U C ' - to scientists like Dr. Coblentz. "There are many other features connected vlth the Instrument '.hat ror popular under-"nndlng under-"nndlng It Is perhaps unnecessary to ex- 1 laln." said Dr. Coblentz. "For Instance. vhat you call the 'end of the pipe' Is a glass .Ube containing n vacuum, or a space freed 1 is wholly as possible from air because the 1 sresonce of air Interferes with accurate neasurements of heat from the alars. t "The materials used are of tho smallest vorlwiMe dimensions In order to reduce the lent capacity. Tn fact, tho high radiation t isnalvtty attained waa found to depend more s ipon low heat capnclty and low heat con- I lUCtlvtty than upon a high thermo-electric c lower of the attachment used." r The experiments In measuring star heat I were carried on at the Lick Observatory at If jH Mount Hamilton. California, lilted wiin a J ill JH CrcejolOy reflector. The reflector Is situated f-i'iil at an altitude of about 1 000 feet. ' lil "Wha i the value of your invention to 'i'lal science?" Dr Coblentz was asked. He re- '. .liH plied that ihr. discovery Is too new" for 'lil science to estimate Its Importance. Nl tl Dr. S. W. Str.ition. director ot the Bureau M of Standards, exprersr-d the belief thai the ' ll principles of Dr Coolentz's discovery will iH U . nme of groat Importance In the cofemer- H cial world In industries where the measure. jH ment of high temperature is a factor He ' tH Miggested for Instance, that In glass fat- lH lories. In blast furnaces. In steel plants nnd ' similar places wnere high temperatures must ll be carefully observed am! measured to iiro- ' vl riuce the best results the use of the "tl.er- J1 1 fH muiouple' may become of tremendous itn- rH In some of the Intermediate developments jH which ld to the final discovery of the iher- jH DlOCOUpla by Dr Cobentz there was a num- H her of devices which proved of vast practl- 1 iH COl use In the war 1 jH Before the Invention of the thermocouple ; iH Dr Coblentz developed lbs "thermopile." iH This device in appearance not unlike the thermocouple, also reacts to the waves of H In at. or. as they refer to It In the tabora- jH tory. to "radiant" heul as distinct from "ro- T fleeted" heat. '1 For Instance, if the thermopile were in , the hands of a man In the trenches on one H side of "No Man s Land" In the vicinity of iH the enemy's lines It would record the pres- jH ence ot a hidden foo even 011 the darkest night The heat from the foe's body would register on the thermopile, which also would 'H net as a compass by the same electric reac- tion. and thus the foe could be detected Tno thermopile. It may be said, is a small affair that one could slip Into the vest pocket, and j the heat from outside generates an electric ;H current, the remainder of the "detection" of the presence of nn nrmy being completed dH b, simple apparatus. It was of equal value In detecting tho lH presence of submarines or of battleships, likewise of airplanes at night, locating them with fir greater accuracy than could be dune by the sound waves. '1 By another principle which Is applied In the use of the thermocouple one g enabled H to slgnol In the dark over long distances, using the Morse code in much the same marnrr as It Is used In sunlight by the heliograph. J Going back for a moment to the rank Dr. I Coblentz takes among scientists. Dr. Stint-ton Stint-ton says of him that there are but three, or possibly four, other men In tho world who know as much about his subject. atro-physics atro-physics Most of his research work has tiecn performed during tho years he haa -.eon working In the Bureau of Standarda. beginning In 1905 The Modest Discoverer Is a Bachelor From Ohio Dr. Coblentz Is 47 years old. a bachelor, SUJ born In Ohio In 1S73 and began life on 1 farm. He always minlfosted a deep Inter-st Inter-st In mechanics, electricity and similar subjects in their simpler forms. It was not intti 1896. however, that he undertook to btaln a collego education and, as he says f himself, "I began rather late and so was ilovv In arriving " That he has "arrived" and will remain at ho top is manifest. His scientific interest ind devotion to the work in his laboratory H lave several times prevented him from ac- opting flattering commercial offers com- H nnndlng much better remuneration than Is H Horded by the meagre Government salary. H |
