RUTHERFORD, Ernest, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson (1871-1937). “Collision of α particles with Light Atoms.” In: The London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine, Sixth Series, Vol. 27, No. 222, pp. 537-587. London: Taylor and Francis, June 1919.

8vo. (Title and a few leaves reinforced in gutter.) Modern blue cloth. Provenance: Morningside College Library (bookplate).

FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SPLITTING OF THE ATOM, journal issue. "In 1911, as a result of bombarding goldfoil with alpha particles, Rutherford formulated the hypothesis of the nuclear construction of the atom which is the basis of all subsequent work in atomic physics and chemistry. Most of the alpha particles passed straight through the foil, but some bounced back from it. Rutherford interpreted the bouncing in terms of his theory. Those that went through were simply passing through the planetary systems of electrons, while those that bounced back had hit, or interacted with, a nucleus. Eight years later, as reported in the paper cited, he found that alpha particles in collision with nitrogen atoms liberated from them nuclei of hydrogen atoms. Thus artificial transmutation was induced: in other words, the atom had been split" (PMM). Norman 1873; PMM 411.

RUTHERFORD, Ernest, 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson (1871-1937). “Collision of α particles with Light Atoms.” In: The London, Edinburgh and Dublin Philosophical Magazine, Sixth Series, Vol. 27, No. 222, pp. 537-587. London: Taylor and Francis, June 1919.