ADA LOVELACE DAY BLOG: STAR ACHIEVER - the following story taken from cpsu-csiro.org.au/20ST12/05/29 Retold in YL newsletter #15 Sept. 2013: About he life story of visionary physicist, Ruby Violet Payne-Scott. Born 1912, she graduated in 1933 with first-class honours in physics and mathematics, the third female physics graduate in Sydney University’s history. In 1939 she abandoned teaching and joined electrical manufacturer Australian Wireless Amalgamated (AWA) as a librarian-cum-radio engineer. However it was in 1941 that Payne-Scott won her big break, as a research scientist in the newly established Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (then CSIR) in the division of radio physics. Her research played a pivotal role in the development of World War II radar. However it was in the later development of radio astronomy that Payne-Scott left her enduring mark. The group used the principle of a sea-cliff interferometer in which an antenna (actually a WWII radar) observed the sun at sunrise while measuring the interference arising from the direct radiation from the sun and the reflected radiation from the sea. They were able to demonstrate that sunspots emit strong radio waves and Payne-Scott herself was credited with the discovery of Type I and III solar bursts. The development of radio interferometry significantly improved the resolution of single radio telescopes. Another important discovery was the surface temperature of the sun – previously thought to be only 6,000 degrees. Pawsey, McCready and Payne-Scott were able to determine that the temperature of the Sun’s corona was well over a million degrees centigrade. Ruby Payne-Scott was a fearless advocate for equal pay and the rights of women in the workplace. Today, Ruby’s legacy is remembered in CSIRO by the Payne-Scott awards that bear her name. Importantly, the awards are designed to support the careers of women researchers who take extended leave to care for their newborn children following birth. Ruby’s centenary did not pass unnoticed. Internet behemoth Google paid tribute to Payne-Scott with special artwork – a Google Doodle – celebrating her likeness.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 07:53:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015