Thomas Cowling facts for kids

Thomas George Cowling (born June 17, 1906, died June 16, 1990) was a brilliant English astronomer. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Society, which is a very high honor for scientists.

Early Life and Learning

Thomas Cowling was born in Hackney, London, England. He was one of four sons. He went to Sir George Monoux Grammar School in Walthamstow. After that, he studied mathematics at Brasenose College, Oxford, from 1924 to 1930.

From 1928 to 1930, he worked with a famous scientist named Edward Arthur Milne. One day, Milne ran out of new problems for Thomas to solve! So, he asked another scientist, Sydney Chapman, for ideas. Chapman suggested they work on a paper about the Sun's magnetic field.

Thomas found a mistake in Chapman's work. This mistake meant Chapman's original ideas were not quite right. After Thomas earned his doctorate degree, Chapman was so impressed that he asked Thomas to work with him.

Amazing Discoveries in Space

In 1933, Thomas Cowling wrote an important paper called The magnetic field of sunspots. Before him, a scientist named Joseph Larmor thought that sunspots could create their own magnetic fields. This idea was called the dynamo effect. But Thomas showed that Larmor's idea was wrong. This paper made Thomas very well-known in the field of astrophysics, which is the study of how stars and planets work.

During the 1930s, Thomas also studied how stars are built inside. He looked at how heat and light move through stars. He worked on this at the same time as another scientist, Ludwig Biermann, but they worked separately. Thomas created a special model of a star. This model showed a hot, moving core and a calmer outer layer. Another famous scientist, Chandrasekhar, even named it the "Cowling model."

Thomas also explored the magnetic fields inside stars. He helped figure out how stars wobble and vibrate. This work laid the groundwork for a field called helioseismology. This science uses star vibrations to learn about their insides, much like how scientists use earthquakes to study Earth's inside.

Teaching and Research Career

Thomas Cowling started his teaching career in 1933. He became an Assistant Lecturer at the University College of Swansea. Later, he taught at the University of Dundee (1937–38) and the University of Manchester (1938–45).

In 1945, he became a Professor of Mathematics at the University College of North Wales. Then, in 1948, he moved to the University of Leeds. There, he became a Professor of Applied Mathematics. He took over from Professor Selig Brodetsky. Thomas retired from his job at Leeds in 1970. He was given the title of Emeritus Professor, which means he was still honored for his work.

Awards and Recognition

Thomas Cowling received many important awards for his work. In March 1947, he was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists in the UK.

In 1956, he won the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society. Later, in 1985, he received the Bruce Medal from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. He was also the president of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1965 to 1967. Just two days before he passed away, he was given the Hughes Medal.

Family Life

Thomas Cowling married Doris Marjorie Moffatt in 1935. They had three children together: one son and two daughters.

His Final Years

Thomas Cowling passed away in Leeds on June 16, 1990. He was almost 84 years old, just one day before his birthday. His wife and children were still alive when he passed.