Chien-Shiung Wu

The famed Chinese-American experimental physicist was Stan Ruby’s graduate school thesis advisor. Her role in the Rustad-Ruby affair is a focus of this research.

Selected Image Date Publication Author(s) Citation title Comments
* 1945 Columbia University Library C.S. (Chien-Shiung) Wu Papers, 1945-1994 bulk 1960-1979
March 1, 1946 C. S. Wu, L. J. Rainwater, and W. W. Havens, Jr. Neutron Scattering in Ortho- and Parahydrogen and the Range of Nuclear Forces

Unclassified paper by Wu, Rainwater and Havens from their Manhattan Project work.

* October 1, 1948 Physical Review R. D. Albert and C. S. Wu The Beta-Spectrum of S35

Representative of many beta spectrum studies Wu did with collaborators throughout this period

* January 15, 1949 Physical Review C. S. Wu and R. D. Albert The Beta-Ray Spectra of Cu64

Thin source obtained with soap bubble process obtains result expected by Fermi theory, clearing away earlier experimental confusion caused by thick sources. 

* January 1, 1950 Physical Review P. Macklin, L. Feldman, L. Lidofsky, and C. S. Wu The Beta-Spectrum of Ca45
 
* October 1950 Reviews of Modern Physics Chien-Shiung Wu Recent Investigation of the Shapes of Beta-Ray Spectra

Invited paper at APS New York 1950 summarized Wu's beta-decay experimental work.

 
* September 15, 1952 Physical Review C. S. Wu, B. M. Rustad, V. Perez-Mendez, and L. Lidofsky The Beta-Spectrum of He6

Used Columbia spectrometer to calculate revised comparative lifetime of He6

 
* December 1, 1952 Physica C. S. Wu BETA DISINTEGRATION, ALLOWED AND FORBIDDEN DECAY

Wu overiew of the coupling constant problem. 
Covers recalculation of He6 endpoint. 
Cites prepublication R-R work via private communication.

 
* September 15, 1956 Physical Review A. Schwarzschild, B. M. Rustad, and C. S. Wu Decay of A41

Note the three authors
. Rustad remained in the fold before and after the reversal of the Rustad-Ruby experiment. Schwarzchild would later collaborate with Wu on the Critical Examination report.

 
* February 15, 1957 Physical Review C. S. Wu, E. Ambler, R. W. Hayward, D. D. Hoppes, and R. P. Hudson Experimental Test of Parity Conservation in Beta Decay

Wu’s famous experiment that confirmed the Lee-Yang suggestion that left-right symmetry is not conserved in weak interactions. Another concurrently published experiment by Garwin and Lederman confirmed the theory in meson decays.

 
* June 15, 1957 Physical Review E. AMBLER, R. W. HAYWARD, D. D. HOPPE, R. P. HUDSON, AND C. S. WU Further Experiments on β Decay of Polarized Nuclei

These results were reported at the New York Meeting of the American Physical Society of February 2, 1957 (C. S. Wu, post-deadline paper).
Positive R-R citation

 
* April 21, 1958 Unpublished C. S. Wu and A. Schwarzschild A Critical Examination of the He6 Recoil Experiment of Rustad and Ruby

Wu repudiates Rustad-Ruby experiment in unpublished CU-173 Columbia University report. Franklin says letter from Wu to Cavanaugh suggests reexamination was done in November.

* July 1, 1959 Reviews of Modern Physics C. S. Wu Parity Experiments in Beta Decays

Wu evaluates the history of “classical” (pre-parity) beta-decay experiments in this 1959 review.

* 1960 M. Fierz and V. F. Weisskopf, editors Theoretical Physics in the Twentieth Century. A Memorial Volume to Wolfgang Pauli

Wu's chapter "The Neutrino," summarizing the history of classical recoil experiments, is cited here.

 
* 1960 C. S. Wu The Neutrino

Chapter in Wolfgang Pauli memorial volume edited by Fierz and Weisskopf shows Wu's summary of recoil experiment history in 1960, citing her CU-172 report.

* April 1, 1964 Reviews of Modern Physics C. S. Wu The Universal Fermi Interaction and the Conserved Vector Current in Beta Decay
* April 1, 1976 Physics Today C. S. Wu The state of US physics—1976

Wu was President of the American Physical Society in 1975-76. This is her state of the profession.

 
* 1996 Monographs and Texts in Physics and Astronomy C.S. Wu and S.A. Moszkowski Beta Decay

Wu's readable textbook about Beta Decay includes a historical review, including a more distant review of the He6 events

Selected Image Date Publication Author Citation title Comments
Proceedings of the Rehovot Conference on Nuclear Structure Experimental Evidence for Non-Conservation of Parity and Charge Conjugation in Beta Decay

Wu obliquely refers to classic experiments but focuses on post-parity work

 
* Physics Today The Mössbauer effect: A conference report

Stan presented paper at the first big Mössbauer conference. He encountered Wu in Urbana for first time since 1958. Conference organized by Frauenfelder and Swerdlow. Lipkin was a key participant. 

 
* Physics Today Double Beta Decay Appears To Confirm Existing Theory
Physical Review Identi6cation of Two Radioactive Xenons from Uranium Fission

Wu's first solo publication

Physical Review Some Fission Products of Uranium

Wu's first APS publication

 
* 1945 Chien-Shiung Wu C.S. (Chien-Shiung) Wu Papers, 1945-1994 bulk 1960-1979
 
September 18, 1954 Nature Bellamy and Moorhouse Report by Bellamy and Moorhouse on Nuclear and Meson Physics International Conference in Glasgow

Report by Bellamy and Moorhouse on Nuclear and Meson Physics International Conference in Glasgow includes summary of Wu’s talk on the interaction in beta decay

 
* September 15, 1956 Physical Review A. Schwarzschild, Brice M. Rustad, Chien-Shiung Wu Decay of A41

Note the three authors
. Rustad remained in the fold before and after the reversal of the Rustad-Ruby experiment. Schwarzchild would later collaborate with Wu on the Critical Examination report.

 
* September 15, 1956 Physical Review A. Schwarzschild, Brice M. Rustad, Chien-Shiung Wu Decay of A41

Note the three authors
. Rustad remained in the fold before and after the reversal of the Rustad-Ruby experiment. Schwarzchild would later collaborate with Wu on the Critical Examination report.

 
* September 15, 1956 Physical Review A. Schwarzschild, Brice M. Rustad, Chien-Shiung Wu Decay of A41

Note the three authors
. Rustad remained in the fold before and after the reversal of the Rustad-Ruby experiment. Schwarzchild would later collaborate with Wu on the Critical Examination report.

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