Charles Glover Barkla was born on 7 June 1877 inWidnes, England, the son of John Martin Barkla, originally fromWendron,Cornwall,[3] a secretary for the Atlas Chemical Company, and Sarah Glover. He studied at theLiverpool Institute, and then proceeded toUniversity College Liverpool with a County Council Scholarship and a Bibby Scholarship. He initially studied mathematics, but later specialised in physics underOliver Lodge. During the absence of Lodge due to ill health, Barkla replaced him in lectures.[4] In 1898, he graduated withFirst Class Honours in Physics, and received hismaster's degree the following year.[5]
In 1903, Barkla studied secondaryX-rays from gases radiated by other X-rays, developing a new experimental setup.[8] This topic was relevant to the question of whether X-rays were indeed a type ofelectromagnetic radiation as many physicists suspected, becauseLionel Wilberforce proposed to use these secondary rays to generate tertiary ones and prove the existence of polarization by rotating the detecting part of his experimental apparatus. Tertiary radiation was too feeble to measure, so he assembled a slightly different setup. Using his new setup, he was able to prove that X-rays can indeed be polarized and are therefore electromagnetic.[9] He published a brief summary of his findings inNature in March 1904[10] and a more detailed account in thePhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in 1905.[11]
Barkla made significant progress in developing and refining the laws ofX-ray scattering,X-ray spectroscopy, the principles governing the transmission of X-rays through matter, and especially the principles of the excitation of secondary X-rays.
Barkla proposed the J-phenomenon as a hypothetical form of X-ray behaviour similar toX-ray fluorescence. However, other scientists were not persuaded that this was a different mechanism from other known effects such asCompton scattering, so the theory was not successful.[12][13]
Aplaque was placed on Hermitage of Braid to commemorate Barkla's 16-year stay there. A plaque has also been installed in the vicinity of the Canongate, near the Faculty of Education Buildings at theUniversity of Edinburgh. Additionally, a lecture theatre at theUniversity of Liverpool's Physics department, as well as a Biophysics Laboratory in the Biological Science Department,[20] are named after him. In 2012, agritter in Barkla's hometown ofWidnes was named in his honour, following a competition run by the local newspaper.[21] In Widnes, they have a retirement housing complex named the Barkla Fields.
^Brigham Narins (2001),Notable Scientists from 1900 to the Present, vol. A–C, Gale, p. 129,ISBN0787617520,Barkla had an excellent voice (said to be either baritone or bass according to various biographers) which drew crowds for his solo performances.
