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Research Opens New Wave Lengths to Radio
Neil Hooker Williams
The Michigan Alumnus 494
The Michigan Alumnus 494
His Research Opens New Wave Lengths To Radio
NEIL H. WILLIAMS , '93e, M.S. '95, Ph.D.'12, is giving much attention these days to the produc tion and study of extremely short radio waves.
After Professor Denni son, a theoretical phsyicist in the University Physics Department, had found that ammonia gas was unique among the gases because of its mole cular structure and should absorb radiations of 1.3 cm. length, much as other gases absorb light, Professor Williams went to work on this prob lem. Dr. C. E. Cleeton, preparing his Doctor's dissertation, worked with him and they produced waves as short as one centimeter and found the absorption as it had been predicted. Last summer they attempted to reach the limit of wavelength pos sible by means of vacuum tubes and pushed it down to 0.64 cm.
Even to the layman, who may know that the shortest wavelengths used in the broadcast band are about 200 meters, it becomes apparent that the field of usefulness of radio tubes is being ex- tended considerably when waves about one-thirty-thousandth of this length are likely to be harnessed for use in communication.
Dr. Williams taught at Rose Polytechnic Institute for six years before he came to Mich igan. He is co-author with Professors Randall and Colby of a physics textbook and is reading proof on its revision.
One of his sons is Donald H. Williams, '30e, '32e, g'31-'32, and the other, Howard R. Williams, '32, graduated this June from the Univer sity Medical School.
When on vaca tion Professor Williams enjoys boating and fishing and nearly always spends a few weeks on Michigan's Northern Peninsula.