Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-04-04
Observing the Dcon Grating Through
Spectroscope the University of Chicago.

out lines peculiar to itselfi fourthly, II
the light Of an inoandescent solid or
liquid passes through a gaseous body,
certain Of its rays are absorbed and black
lines In the spectrum indicate the nature
of the substance which absorbed the
ray, fifthly, each element, when gaseous
and incandescent, ernits bright rays iden-
tical In color and position in the spectrum
with those which Il absorbs from light
transmitted through It.
The spectrum of sodium, for instance,
shows two bright lines which correspond
In position with the double black line at
ID (the sodium line.) Now. applying these
principles TO the solar spectrum. investi-
gators found, from the nature and po-
sition of the rays absorbed, that Its light
passes through hydrogen. potassium.
zinc, iron, chromium, cobalt, nickel,
copper and manganese, all In a state of
gas and constituting part OF the solar en-
velope, whence they conclude that these
bodies are present in the substance or
the sun itslf from which they have been
volatilized by heat.
The incandescent vapor OF each ele-
mentary substance has a characteristic
spectrum consisting of fixed lines. which
never changes. Spectrum analysis, as
this Is called. furnishes the chemist with
an exquisitely delicate test to enable him
to detect the presence of minute guam
Titles of elementary bodies. For instance.
by heating any substance until It becomes
gaseous and incandescent, he is able by
means OF the lines TO read of from the
spectrum the various elements present
in the vapor. By this means several new
elements have been discovered.
Photography has been of very great
assistance to the spectroscopist by the
means 1t has given him of not only max
ing rapid and correct representation OF
the spectrum lines, but also in showing
him a number of lines of very great Inn
portanoe situated in the ultraviolet parts
OF the spectrum, and which are totally
invisible to the eye.
Professor Nicholson has long been
known as one Of the most distinguished
of American scientists. In 1907 he re
ceived the Nobel science prize, a sum OF
$400 900. for his researches into the nature
of light. This is generally regarded a.
the highest international honor paid to
scientists at the present time. II has
been given to such men as Professor
Roentgen, the discoverer of the Roentgen
rays, and to Alexis Carrel, for his
achievement in keeping animal tissues
alive when separated from the body.
Few American scientists are more
highly esteemed in Europe than Michel
son. He has received a long list o!
honors from foreign scientific bodies, in
Guiding the coveted Copley Medal of the
Royal Society of London.
He was born in 1862, entered th'
United States Navy in 1879 and served
as an officer. He became an instruoto
in physics at the Naval Academy in 1876
Since then he has held many universit!
positions. and he has been head of tn
department of physics at the Universit!
of Chicago since 1899.
A very interesting personal fact abou
Professor Nicholson is that In spite o
his siXty-thTee years and his tremendou
scientific labors he is a very fine athlete
Indeed, he bots that he would no
have been g. DO his scientific worl
so efficiently Al he had not kept in cor
slant physical training.
He Is particularly good tennis playe
and comparatively few of the younge
men at the university can beat him a
that game.