Maxwell's law of velocity distribution shows that when the gas is in thermal equilibrium, the number of gas molecules is distributed according to velocity, which has a certain law. This law was theoretically deduced by J.C. Maxwell in 1859 with the method of mathematical statistics. But it was impossible to put the same gas molecule in a certain space for experimental verification. Many people have verified this law in the early stage, such as O.W. Richardson of Birmingham University in the UK and Ding in China. 1920 years later, due to the development of vacuum technology to a certain level, O. Stern, a famous German physicist, obtained the information that silver molecules have a certain velocity distribution by using the silver vapor molecular beam experiment, but failed to give quantitative results. In the next few years, many staff members [including E.E. Hall, I.F. Kartman, head of the Physics Department of the University of California, etc.]. ] has been improved, and the verification result is still not ideal. Ge Zhengquan went through hardships and was the first to obtain the accurate verification result of this law.
Ge Zhengquan, after completing his master's thesis on 1930, is bent on studying for a doctorate at Berkeley University. At that time, it was not easy for international students from China to enter famous American universities, because western scholars were biased against China people. Professor Rob, the examiner, told Ge Zhengquan that "China students can only learn but can't do things, so we don't welcome them" and listed six names of China students he didn't welcome. Ge Zhengquan retorted, "You are an expert on China. Is there no international student in China who can do it? " Professor Robb paused and admitted that an international student from China had received his doctorate at the same time. So he changed his attitude, took out two scientific books, German and French, and asked him to do some translation in English on the spot. Ge Zhengquan successfully passed the exam and won a scholarship. Since then, I have quit all my labor services and devoted myself to study and research. His thesis is entitled "Determination of decomposition heat of Bi2 by molecular beam method", which is divided into two parts. Based on the thermal measurement of Bi2 decomposition, it is hoped that Maxwell's law of rate distribution can be verified by the measured experimental data.
Berkeley University is well-equipped and has a large laboratory. At first, Ge Zhengquan cooperated with F.F.Coleman to carry out this research work by using the molecular beam velocity analyzer designed by Hall and developed by Kaitman. After nearly a year of hard work, the result is still not as good as before. During this period, his original collaborator, F·F· Coleman, left his job because he won a Rhodes scholarship. Professor Robb, the tutor, saw this situation and said to him sympathetically, "This problem is too difficult. No one has succeeded before." If you don't want to waste time, I can change the subject for you. Facing the difficulties, Ge Zhengquan did not lose heart, thinking: China people may not be unable to do what foreigners have not done. They have a solid physical foundation, extensive engineering knowledge, skilled turning, pliers, casting and other technologies, and believe that they can do it. He summed up his work in the past year and found that there was room for improvement in the experiment. After careful consideration, he thanked Professor Robb for his kindness, euphemistically rejected the suggestion of changing the subject and devoted himself to more intense and arduous research. He often buys enough bread, drills in the laboratory day and night, and stays in the laboratory all week, experimenting, observing, calculating, failing and summarizing. After correction, start again. During the hard climbing days and nights, stories about the ancients' hard work, such as hanging beams, stabbing stocks, catching fireflies and reflecting snow, often inspired and spurred him to make unremitting efforts. After repeated experiments, the key to the problem was gradually found out, and a series of improvements were started: modifying Kaitman's method or adopting some fundamentally different methods, and making careful, meticulous and ingenious arrangements in material selection, component modification and addition, experimental temperature control, motor speed and so on. After repeated experiments, the satisfactory and expected results were finally achieved in the third year: in the measurement of decomposition heat of Bi2, the negligence and mistakes of predecessors were corrected, and the results were much more accurate by using their carefully modified instruments and experimental methods; More importantly, Maxwell's velocity distribution law is verified quantitatively with measured data. Internationally recognized, he first proved the law with accurate experimental data, so he was awarded the golden key by american physical society and the Mathematical Society, and received a doctorate in philosophy.
Ge Zhengquan also analyzed the mistakes still existing in his paper, and thought that the verification of the distribution law achieved the expected purpose, but it was not ideal. Part of the difficulty lies in technology, which can be eliminated in the future; Another part of the difficulty is that there is another molecule Bi8 besides Bi and Bi2 in the molecular beam at low temperature, and when this method is used to verify the distribution law, a more accurate verification result can be obtained by using the monoatomic beam. In the following decades, people repeatedly verified the law of distribution in various ways, and Ge Zhengquan's experiment was regarded as a classic and recorded in the history of physics.
Ge Zhengquan's verification of Maxwell's law of velocity distribution was successfully reported by the press, which made him famous in Europe and America at that time, greatly changed the position of China scholars in the eyes of foreigners, and greatly influenced and inspired the overseas students in Europe, America and China at that time. 1953, when Professor Lu Hefu was teaching Maxwell's law of velocity distribution at Fudan University, he said that when he was studying in the United States, he was extremely excited and proud to see Ge Zhengquan's paper from China in the library.
After the success of Ge Zhengquan's experiment, his experiment has been constantly quoted by relevant professional books at home and abroad. Professor Robb of the United States cited his paper in the third chapter of 1934 Gas Dynamics. Ge Zhengquan and Kaitman are equally famous in the classic works of Jenkins' theory of gas molecular dynamics. The first chapter of The Development of Molecular Beam Experiments published in Britain describes his research in detail. More and more college physics textbooks at home and abroad cite his experimental methods. For example, "Universe-ty Physics" written by F.W. Schiers in the United States (Chinese translation is college physics, translated by Guo Taiyun, People's Education Press); General physics (People's Education Press, 4th edition, June1982); "Thermology" edited by Li Chun and others (trial textbook for colleges and universities, People's Education Press); Wait a minute. Some books have made a special narrative on the topic of "Ge Zhengquan's experiment".
Lay the foundation of China's oxygen industry.
193 1 Ge Zhengquan was studying in the United States at the time of the September 18th Incident. At that time, when foreigners were discussing the current situation in China, they always sarcastically said: China was so popular that it gave the three northeastern provinces to Japan in a week. Driven by strong national self-esteem, Ge Zhengquan declined the invitation of physics circles in some countries and immediately returned to China to realize his long-cherished wish of "saving the country through education" after his research work came to an end and obtained his doctorate. After returning to China, he was hired by Wuhan University 1933 as a professor of physics for five years. 1938, the war of Japanese invaders reached Hubei. After the Japanese plane bombed Wuchang, Ge Zhengquan saw the bloody limb splashed on the rubble with his own eyes, and his heart ached like burning. He deeply felt the great problem of national survival. Without the motherland, there would be no "education" and "saving the country"! So he resolutely joined the army and went to the front of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
At that time, Wu Hanyou had some Soviet air forces and our own planes. The tactical advantage in air combat lies in gaining higher air superiority. It is impossible for high-altitude pilots to give full play to their combat effectiveness in the absence of oxygen. At that time, China did not have its own oxygen-making industry, and the oxygen needed by the Air Force was either imported from far away places or temporarily supplied by two or three foreign-funded factories in China, sometimes the supply was not timely, which led to the frustration of our Air Force. Ge Zhengquan thought that China must have its own oxygen plant, so he took the initiative to put forward the task of making oxygen to the government. Qian Changzuo, who is in charge of machinery in the Aviation Committee, said: "You are very welcome to come to our place, but your salary is limited, only 180 yuan per month, which is much lower than that of your 300 yuan Dayang professor. Military work is hard and dangerous ... ". Before Qian Changzuo finished, Ge Zhengquan said firmly, "I came to War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, not for money. It is shameful for the country to only care about personal safety and comfort in the death battle! " So, he took off his suit and put on his military uniform, and became the director of the first gas station of the Aviation Commission. Because of the war, it is impossible to import oxygen-making equipment from abroad. In order to solve the urgent need, he bought all the equipment of the oxygen factory run by foreign businessmen in Hankou, transported it to Hengyang before the fall of Wuhan, transported it to Guilin by Gui Xiang Railway, and then transported it to Guiyang by truck. The hardships of long-distance transshipment are beyond words. The air strikes by Japanese planes put Ge Zhengquan in danger several times. The most dangerous one was the indiscriminate bombing of Guiyang city by Japanese planes, and the tiles and glass fragments of the house where he lived were shattered. He took his son and hid under a table and survived. Fortunately, a bomb dropped by a Japanese plane on the outer wall of the house was not detonated. Oxygen-making equipment was installed in Hulu Cave near Waisanqiao Town, Guiyang. 1May, 939, the production of oxygen officially started, which solved the problem of using oxygen for air force high-altitude operations. At that time, an outsider was willing to pay a large sum of money for oxygen, but he sternly refused. He then produced various military materials such as hydrogen and carbonic acid gas, and made military materials such as gasoline, diesel oil, caustic soda and aircraft paint, which were extremely scarce in the local area at that time. Just when he achieved great success in all aspects, he posted a pair of couplets written by himself on the wall of his home: "Don't talk about the length of people, how can you take credit?" His family lives frugally, and the dishes they usually eat are delicious with a little more oil. Ge Zhengquan is so conscientious, law-abiding, hardworking and simple. He lived and died with the people of the whole country, and made great contributions to the victory of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression at the critical moment of national survival. 1945 After the Japanese invaders surrendered unconditionally, he was ordered to send technicians to take over the oxygen plants left by the Japanese army all over the country. Guiyang Oxygen Plant moved back to Hankou and changed its name to Aviation Commission Oxygen Plant. Factories taken over by other places are called branch factories. Ge Zhengquan was appointed as the director of the General Factory.
Pioneer of radar research and application in China.
Shortly after Ge Zhengquan was appointed as the director of the Air Force Oxygen General Factory, he thought that War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression was over, so he might as well return to Wuhan University and submit his resignation to the Air Force Headquarters. It coincides with the addition of the sixth hall of the Ministry of National Defense, which is called the Ministry of National Defense Science Research and Development. Qian Changzuo, who was appointed as the director, invited him to be the first director of the Ministry to preside over the research and design of national defense science. Ge Zhengquan was very interested in some new weapons that appeared in World War II and accepted the invitation gladly. During his tenure as director of the design department, he was ordered to go to Shanghai, Qingdao and other places to take over the surplus military supplies of the US military. When some people were carried away by the victory of the Anti-Japanese War and were busy "robbing and collecting money", he was honest and law-abiding. He devoted himself to national defense research and took a fancy to more than 400 military radar vehicles and more than 3,000 tons of radar equipment left by the US military. With these devices and the short-wave knowledge he learned from the United States, he single-handedly broke through many obstacles and overcame various difficulties. First, a radar repair shop was established in Denglong Lane, Nanjing, and then the first radar research institute in China was established in Miaoershan, Nanjing, and the article "The Development of Radar and Its Role in the Second World War" was written. Soon, he was appointed as the director of the radar research institute. Since then, China has its own radar research and radar production industry.
During the period of 1948, primary surveillance radar exploration drill was conducted in Miaoer Mountain, and the display screen showed the distance, direction, height or scene of the detected object. Nanjing government officials thus felt the importance of radar in national defense. In order to control the research institute, they put some military agents among the deputy director and technicians. Ge Zhengquan realized that the situation was complicated, thought of the Kuomintang's past and some unpopular policies at that time, and lost confidence in the Kuomintang.
1949 When the Nanjing government fled Nanjing, the Ministry of National Defense ordered Ge Zhengquan to relocate the Radar Research Institute to Taiwan Province Province, and the relocation committee specially allocated 50 railway wagons and landing craft. He hated the Kuomintang's actions of waging civil war, corruption, soaring prices and putting people in danger. How can he send this vital national defense facility, which has permeated his hard work for many years, to this tiny place in Taiwan Province Province? After some efforts, on the eve of the People's Liberation Army crossing the river, in order to prevent the radar from being damaged by the war, 50 complete radar vehicles were transported to Hangzhou for temporary shelter via the Beijing-Hangzhou Highway. The Ministry of National Defense also used 30,000 silver dollars as bait to let him drive the radar car to Ningbo and sail to Taiwan Province. He didn't do anything for inducements. At this time, the spy placed in the institute instigated some employees in the institute to forcibly escort him to Hangzhou Gymnasium in an attempt to assassinate him. He united the staff of the research institute, exposed the secret agent's conspiracy, protected all radar equipment, and ushered in the liberation of Hangzhou. 1June, 949, the radar was moved back to Nanjing, and 180 radar technicians were trained, and the radar force of China People's Liberation Army was formally established. At the beginning of 1950, the troops were ordered to participate in the liberation of Zhoushan Islands. When passing through Shanghai, the radar made its first contribution to the safety of Shanghai. 1950 In May, he was ordered to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea, and deployed radar troops along the Shenyang-Yalu River to strictly observe the Yalu River Bridge.
Due to long-term tension, Ge Zhengquan broke down from overwork and needed treatment and long-term rest. Resigned as the director of the Radar Research Institute and went to the Affiliated Hospital of Shanghai Second Military Medical University for treatment. After recovering from illness, he was hired as a first-class professor and director of the teaching and research department of mathematics and physics in the Second Military Medical University. In his later years, he actively devoted himself to teaching and scientific research. He once edited the physics textbook of the military medical university of the whole army; Guide the development of the first brain wave DC amplifier in China, and observe the response wave of the human brain to things; The atomic arrangement of phthalocyanine can be directly observed by assembling a field emission electron microscope with a magnification of 500 thousand times with van der Graf high voltage generator. At the age of 85, he presided over the translation of the book Fundamentals of Modern Physics and Its Applications by American P.A. Tippler, which was published by Shanghai Science and Technology Publishing House on 198 1 year 1 month.
1984, Ge Zhengquan finally got his wish and joined the China * * * Production Party.
1On March 22nd, 988, Ge Zhengquan, who devoted himself to physics teaching and research for more than 60 years, died in Changhai Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Second Military Medical University due to illness.