Microscope
date: label: date made
content: 1954
notes: label: Description
content: In the 1930s, the recognition that energetic electrically-charged particles could be detected photographically led to the development of special emulsions for this purpose. In the postwar period it led to the development of special microscopes for measuring the trails of tiny grains of silver that resulted upon developing a film through which charged particles had passed. The most notable of these microscopes was developed in the early 1950s by Koristka, a leading Italian microscope firm—working at the behest of Giuseppe Occhialini, the leading cosmic ray researcher on the continent.
label: Description
content: This example of Koristka’s first widely used model, the MS-2, was purchased in 1954, and used at the Naval Research Laboratory. New, it cost about $3,400. The maker’s plate reads: “Fratelli Koristka / Milano / mod. MS2 / No 103130* / Made in Italy.”
label: Description
content: This model features a movable stage that allows for extremely accurate movement in the x-direction. Instead of the usual sliding ways, it has a system of flexible steel bands that eliminates friction and deviations from straight-line movement. This stage was designed by Max Cosyns (1906-1998), a Belgian nuclear physicist and adventurer.
label: Description
content: We have binocular eyepiece mounts and Koristka goniometer and micrometer eyepieces and objectives as well as many other parts and accessories. Since the Koristka objectives were not of adequate quality for the NRL cosmic ray program, they were replaced by Leitz objectives.
label: Description
content: Ref: Pietro Redondi, et. al., <i>The Scientific Legacy of Beppo Occhialini</i> (Bologna, 2006), p. xxviii.
label: Description
content: M. Françon, et. al., eds., <i>Progress in Microscopy</i> (Pergamon, 1961), pp. 172-173.
label: Description
content: Koristka, “Pioneers in Nuclear Track Plate Microscopy.” “MS2 High Precision scattering microscope for work up to 100 BeV or more.” Ad in <i>Physics Today</i> 10 (June 1957): 62.
place: label: place made
content: Italy: Lombardy, Milan
topic: label: Subject
content: Science & Scientific Instruments
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Modern Physics
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content: Microscopes
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content: Science & Mathematics
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Naval Research Laboratory
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2002.0257.01
label: catalog number
content: 2002.0257.01
label: accession number
content: 2002.0257
objectType: label: Object Name
content: microscope
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall (estimated): 20 in x 20 in x 20 in; 50.8 cm x 50.8 cm x 50.8 cm