Vacuum Science World

Siegbahn was a Swedish physicist who won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1924 for his discoveries and research in the field of X-ray spectroscopy. He was responsible for the development of the Siegbahn Pump.

Torricelli was a student Galileo and developed the first mercury filled glass tube known as the ‘Barometer’. He is also known for writing ‘Torricelli’s Law’ which centred on speed of a fluid flowing out of an opening.

Pirani developed the first automatically reading gauge known as the ‘Pirani gauge’. He also worked on optical vacuum measurements of high temperatures.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Wolfgang Gaede discovered several innovative vacuum principles while inventing vacuum pumps that are still common today: the rotary vane pump, the diffusion pump, the gas ballast, and the molecular pump.

French scientist Holweck made a significant impact on a range of activities such as x-rays, the gravimetric pendulum, electrons and the Holweck molecular vacuum pump which achieved vacuum levels of 10^-6 mbar.

Clausing worked on a range of activities relating to vacuum physics such as the diffuse reflection of molecules from surfaces and the ‘beaming’ effect associated with molecules exiting tubes.

Wycliffe worked with Edwards for 44 years and is best known for patenting the dry pump. Find out how this came about in this exclusive conversation.