Person

Thompson, Arthur Melville (Mel) (1917 - 2009)

FAA

Born
4 January 1917
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Died
9 August 2009
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Physicist

Summary

Mel Thompson was a physicist who started work at the National Standards Laboratory in 1940 and retired in 1982 as Chief Research Scientist from the CSIRO Division of Applied Physics. Occasionally he was Acting Director of the Laboratory. Thompson's major contributions were in the precise measurement of physical quantities, particularly electrical. This work underpinned a revolution in accurate measurement globally. In 1956, Thompson and Douglas Lampard produced a new theorem in electrostatics which allowed the electrical capacitance of a four-cylinder system to be calculated in absolute terms from one measurement of length. The result was the Lampard-Thompson capacitor noted for its absolute accuracy of measurement.

Details

Chronology

1938
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc(Hons)), University of Adelaide
1940
Career event - Joined CSIR National Standards Laboratory
1944 - 1962
Career position - Research Officer, National Standards Laboratory, CSIR(O)
1962 - 1971
Career position - Chief Research Officer, National Standards Laboratory, CSIRO
1965
Award - Sperry Medal (jointly with D.G. Lampard), Instrument Society of America
1971 - 1974
Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Applied Physics
1972 - 2009
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
1974 - 1979
Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO National Measurement Laboratory
1977
Award - Morris E. Lee Award for outstanding advances in electrical measurements, particularly capacitance and resistance, Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
1979 - 1982
Career position - Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Applied Physics
1982 -
Career position - Honorary Senior Research Fellow, CSIRO
1982
Life event - Retired
2001
Award - Centenary Medal for service to an society and science

Published resources

Journal Articles

  • Anon, 'Mel Thompson', Australian Academy of Science newsletter, 77 (2009), 11. Details
  • Inglis, Barry D., 'Arthur Melville Thompson 1917-2009', Historical Records of Australian Science, 25 (2) (2014), 306-12, https://doi.org/10.1071/HR14020. Details

Resources

Resource Sections

Rosanne Walker and Helen Cohn

EOAS ID: biogs/P003619b.htm

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