Crooks

English chemist and physicist. Born in London. At the age of 16, he entered the Royal College of Chemistry, which had just been established. In 1850, he was hired as an assistant to AW Hofmann at the same college, and under the influence of M. Faraday and others, he began to research physical experimental methods such as spectroscopes, photography, and vacuum technology. Four years later, he worked in the meteorological department of the Oxford University Observatory. The following year, he became a chemistry lecturer at Chester Teachers' College, and pursued the application of photography to scientific research. In 1856, he served as secretary of the Photographic Society for two years. In 1859, he also founded the chemistry journal Chemical News . In 1861, he discovered the presence of the known element tellurium in impure selenium that he had possessed for ten years, but was unable to isolate it. He investigated it in detail using spectroscopic analysis, and found a clear green line. He assumed that this line was based on a new element, and named the newly discovered element thallium, which means "sprout" in Greek. This new element was discovered independently by French chemist CA Lamy in 1862. Crookes was highly acclaimed for his discovery of thallium, and in 1863 he was made a member of the Royal Society. He also attracted the attention of the academic community by using a spectroscope to significantly improve the accuracy of experiments. He then investigated the effects of light in a highly evacuated vessel, and in 1876 invented the radiometer, which caused a great sensation. He also studied the phenomenon of discharge in rare gases, and observed that the cathode was surrounded by a dark space. This is the so-called Crookes dark space (cathode dark space). He also conducted important research on the cathodoluminescence of rare earth elements. In 1900, he isolated uranium X from uranium. He was knighted in 1897, and served as president of the Royal Society from 1913 to 1916. At one time he was obsessed with spiritualism and advocated "psychical science".

Source: Morikita Publishing "Chemical Dictionary (2nd Edition)" Information about the Chemical Dictionary 2nd Edition

イギリスの化学者，物理学者．ロンドンに生まれる．16歳のときに創立間もない王立化学カレッジに入学．1850年同校のA.W. Hofmann(ホフマン)の助手に採用され，M. Faraday(ファラデー)らの影響で，分光器・写真技術・真空技術など，物理的実験手段についての研究をはじめた．4年後オックスフォード大学の観測所の気象部門に勤務．翌年チェスター教員養成カレッジの化学講師となり，写真を科学研究に応用することを追求し，1856年写真協会の書記を2年間務めた．また，1859年には化学雑誌Chemical Newsを創刊．1861年に十年来所持していた不純なセレンから既知の元素テルルの存在を見つけたが，単離することができなかったので，分光分析法で詳しく調査したところ，鮮明な緑線を見いだし，この線は新元素にもとづくものとして，新発見の新元素にギリシア語の“新芽”を意味するタリウムと命名した．この新元素は，かれとは独立に1862年フランスの化学者C.A. Lamyが発見している．Crookesはタリウム発見により高い評価を得，1863年にはロイヤル・ソサエティ会員になった．また，分光器の使用で実験の精度をいちじるしく向上させたことでも学界の注目を引いた．その後，高度に排気した容器中での光の作用を検討し，1876年ラジオメーターを発明して大きな反響をよんだ．さらに，希薄気体中の放電現象を研究の対象とし，陰極が暗部に囲まれていることを観察した．これがいわゆるクルックス暗部(陰極暗部)である．また，希土類元素の陰極線ルミネセンスの重要な研究を行った．1900年にはウラン中よりウランXを分離した．1897年にはナイトの爵位を得，1913～1916年ロイヤル・ソサエティの会長を務めた．一時，心霊術に凝り，“心霊科学”を提唱した．

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