Ernest Rutherford: centennial commemoration of the discovery of the atomic nucleus

8 August 2011
University of Manchester

The 100th anniversary of Ernest Rutherford's discovery of the atomic nucleus was commemorated at the opening ceremony of the Rutherford Centennial Conference on 8th August 2011. The international conference on nuclear physics was held at the University of Manchester to celebrate the centenary of the publication of his paper describing the discovery of the atomic nucleus. 

Rutherford, described as the father of nuclear physics, presented his research in 1911 to the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, which - for the first time - described a "planetary structure" of atoms, one that we still recognise today.   

Professor David Phillips, RSC President, presented the blue Chemical Landmark plaque to Professor Sean Freeman, from the Nuclear Physics Research Group School at the University of Manchester, during the Rutherford Centennial Conference. 

Professor Sean Freeman said: "It is a real pleasure for the Royal Society of Chemistry to be involved in the celebrations of the centenary of Rutherford's discovery of the atomic nucleus. 

"His genius uncovered the structure of the atom and effectively initiated the whole area of nuclear physics. It is particularly nice for the RSC to join us in the opening ceremony of the conference as Rutherford won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry 'for his investigations into the disintegration of the elements and the chemistry of radioactive substances'. 

"The University is particularly proud to receive a Chemical Landmark plaque to mark this anniversary."