A few days later, the re-blown electron diffraction tubes, which had been re-reinforced in some fragile areas, were returned to the lab.

Chen Muwu and de Broglie carefully packed all kinds of equipment into the diffraction tube, sealed them, and connected the vacuum pump.

Once the machine was up and running, it was another four or five hours of waiting.

Of course, this time the experiment was carried out in a completely orderly manner, and there were no further surprises.

The long waiting time finally brought the vacuum level in the entire system to a low enough value.

Chen Muwu adjusted the preheated electron gun to the preset position, then activated the acceleration electrode, and then removed the aluminum plate in front of the photosensitive negative, so that the electrons after collimation, acceleration and diffraction were shot to the photographic film that had been prepared long ago.

Immediately after that, the power supply of the electron gun was immediately cut off, and then the instrument was disassembled, the negatives were removed, and they were sent to the darkroom to develop the negatives with a developer.

Hours of preparation, just to shoot such a photonegative.

Of course, as long as he can show the results he wants on the negatives, then the time spent will be worth it.

However, before entering the dark room, Chen Muwu was so complacent, and after he walked out of the dark room, how doubtful he was about life.

The pattern shown on the negative was completely different from what he had expected.

The light and dark concentric circles do not appear, but a solid circle with a uniform distribution, in which the color is darker only in one place, which is the angle of incidence of the electron beam, because some of the electrons do not diffract with the gold elemental film, but directly penetrate the gold leaf.

If Chen Muwu did not know the results that should appear in the experiment, then he could only declare the experiment a failure, and his theory was wrong.

But because he knew the results of the experiment, he fell into deep self-doubt when faced with the diffraction pattern that did not reveal his true body.

It can't be because I have crossed into a world with physical rules and laws, which is completely different from my previous life!

De Broglie was very optimistic, and if he could get satisfactory results after only one experiment, then physics would be a very easy subject.

Chen Muwu decided to try again, and he replaced the instrument with a new photographic negative, and then it was a long wait of hours.

Unfortunately, this time the result is still the same, again a black solid circle.

Two experiments, it has taken two people a whole day.

By the end of the second time, it had already exceeded the six-o'clock closing time set by Cavendish Labs.

But because they couldn't stop this experiment as soon as it began, no one urged them to call it a day and go home this time.

Chen Muwu returned to Mrs. Brown's house very depressed, and he carefully checked the experimental data on the paper several times, whether it was the accelerating voltage or the thickness of the gold leaf, there should be no problem.

But he just couldn't find out where these two experiments failed.

Although Dirac is not good at words and has a somewhat withdrawn personality, it does not mean that he cannot read words and feelings.

Seeing that his roommate had a rare low air pressure, Dirac knocked on the door of Chen Muwu's room and stepped forward to talk: "Chen, what's wrong with you today?" ”

Chen Muwu welcomed Dirac into the room, and in a hurry, he briefly told him about the problems encountered in today's experiment, along with his own calculations.

He didn't expect Dirac to come up with any solution, he just held back in his heart and didn't vomit unpleasantly, and found someone to talk to.

But he didn't expect to listen to the words, Dirac also frowned, took the piece of paper full of process, got up and walked to the bed to think.

After a long time, he gave a layman-like answer: "Chen, although I don't know if the electron is a wave, but if it is really a wave, I have read your calculation steps, and there is no problem with it." So now that you can't get the phenomenon you want to experiment, I think there may be only two reasons, the first is to prove that the electron is not a wave, and the second is to say that it is possible that there is a problem with your photographic negative. ”

The first reason that Dirac said, Chen Muwu didn't even think about it, so he directly ruled it out for him.

But photographic negatives? What could go wrong with him? Was it exposed in advance?

No, because the entire experiment was carried out in the absence of light.

That's right!

Chen Muwu suddenly had a flash of inspiration, as if he had thought of where the problem was.

Because glass is also a medium, the diffracted electrons still have to pass through a layer of glass before hitting the photosensitive material.

Could it be that it is because of the thickness of the glass, which he ignored, that causes a certain amount of scattering of electrons, which causes this phenomenon?

The more Chen Muwu thought about it, the more he felt that it made sense, and he would try it in the laboratory tomorrow.

This is really a fascination of the authorities, and Dirac only took a stick of incense to notice something he had never noticed before.

The next day, Chen Muwu found a relatively thin glass plate and smeared photosensitive materials on it.

Put it in a diffraction tube and repeat the experiment again, although the experimental results are still solid circles, it seems that some traces of diffraction fringes can be faintly seen.

It seems that this time it should be considered the right direction.

Seeing the progress of the experiment, de Broglie couldn't help but praise: "Chen, you are really a genius, it has only been one night, and you can come up with ways to improve." ”

Chen Muwu was a little embarrassed by his praise like this: "It's not me, it's me who talked to Dirac about the difficulties encountered in the experiment after I went back yesterday, and then these are the inspirations he gave." ”

Although the Frenchman next to him was a little dissatisfied with his roommate, he always wanted to tell the truth.

De Broglie was still prejudiced against this man: "I didn't expect that the telephone pole also has the ability to think about problems. ”

After chatting for a few words, the two continued to improve the experiment, and the thickness of the glass plate became thinner and thinner, and the pattern formed after development became more and more diffractive pattern.

In fact, the experiment has been able to prove that the electron is a kind of wave.

But Chen Muwu and de Broglie were still not satisfied, so they simply ordered a thinner glass plate - the French aristocrat had money anyway, just to be able to photograph the clearest electron diffraction pattern to prove the electron fluctuation correctly.

Finally, it can be regarded as the emperor's wish, and it took more than half a month for them to finally succeed.

Chen Muwu was afraid that this thin glass plate would be broken due to carelessness, so after the diffraction pattern gradually appeared in the developer, he did not take the photo to report the good news, but simply called his mentor Rutherford to the laboratory.

From Chen Muwu's proposal of this theory a few months ago, to Bohr's campaign for a new theory, to the fact that the same pattern appears on the photograph in front of him, just like the one obtained by X-ray diffraction in the crystal.

This finally convinced Rutherford that electrons were indeed a wave.

The teacher praised Chen Muwu a few words, and then called Chen Muwu out of the laboratory alone, the meaning could not be more obvious, he had something to say to him.

But Chen Muwu felt that it was purely useless for Rutherford to call him out, because his voice was so loud, and it was separated by a thin wooden door, which should be no different from not being separated.

"Director, is there anything else?"

"Well, Chen, do you have a visa to go to France?"

Because the ship came to Europe from China and the terminal of the ship was the port of Marseille, Chen Muwu briefly had a visa for France and its colonies.

But now more than a year has passed, and his temporary visa has long since expired.

Although he didn't know what Rutherford meant by suddenly asking about this, Chen Muwu still answered the question honestly and gave a negative answer.

"Anyway, now that the results of the experiment have been made, then you should leave the laboratory in the next few days, go to the consulates of the two countries in London, and get the visas of these two countries. In April, you're going to come with me to the European continent, and we're going to the Solvay Conference. ”

Why is it the Solvay Conference again?

Chen Muwu asked suspiciously, "Director, why am I going?" Didn't you say that the question of this conference was about metal conductivity? I don't have any ideas about this yet. ”

"This time they invited you, not to let you read papers or speak, but you have been so famous lately, Professor Lorenz sent me a special invitation letter and wrote to me that my European colleagues also want to meet you. I don't think it hurts you to meet them.

Moreover, it's been a year since you've been in the UK, and you've only been around London and Cambridge, and you've never been anywhere else, even on holiday. That's not good, doesn't Kapitsa also say every day that 'those who don't rest don't work', and I will take this opportunity to take you to Europe for a vacation. ”

In fact, what Rutherford did not say was that the Solvay International Institute of Physical Chemistry from Belgium, the victorious country, as the organizer of the conference, did not consider inviting any German scientists to participate in the conference, whether it was the third Solvay Conference the year before or the fourth this year, and German physicists can account for half of the current physics community, which has led to a sharp drop in the number of participants.

As he spoke, Rutherford took out an envelope from his suit pocket and handed it to Chen Muwu: "Well, this is your invitation letter, if you take it, maybe you need it for a visa." ”

What a strange reason for this!

Obviously, before the last time, Rutherford asked him if he wanted to go, and if he wanted to go, he would bring Chen Muwu over in the name of bringing graduate students over.

But more than a month later, he got an invitation with his name on it.

Is the discovery of a new planet so powerful?

However, Chen Muwu thought of another thing, that is, Solvay seems to be Belgian, and the address of the Solvay meeting should also be in Belgium.

"Director, do I need a visa for Belgium?"

"Chen, there is no need for this, Belgium does not have additional visa requirements for foreigners entering the country from France. Hurry up and don't delay this. ”

Rutherford had not taken a few steps forward, then suddenly stopped, turned back and told him, "By the way, since your diffraction experiment has been successful, don't forget to write a newsletter to the journal Nature first, and publish the preliminary results on it first." ”

"Yes, Director."

This is the first time Rutherford reminded Chen Muwu to do this, probably because this experiment is of great significance in his eyes, and it must not be published by others.

Regarding this Solvay meeting, since people have already sent all the invitation letters, Chen Muwu feels that it is a publicly-funded tourism anyway, and he will go as soon as he goes.

He went back to the lab and said hello to de Broglie, saying that he was going to London to get a visa, so he would be away for a day or two tomorrow.

"You mean, the Solvay Conference?"

De Broglie shifted his interest from history to physics because his eldest brother had attended the first Solvay Conference in 1911 and had brought home a lot of conference materials.

When he was young, it was because he looked through the conference materials that he gradually became interested in physics.

Now that he heard that the new Solvay conference was about to begin, De Broglie wanted to go there for a long time.

"That's right," Chen Muwu raised the invitation letter with his name written on it in his hand, "It says that it will start on April 24 this year." ”

De Broglie sighed: "Alas, Chen, I really envy you, to be honest, I want to go too, but no one invited me at all." ”

"Director Rutherford once told me that he could bring a few graduate students with him to the conference. I thought, why don't you write a letter to your teacher, Lang Evin? Maybe he'll be able to take you to the conference. ”

After Lorenz's death, Langevin took over as president of the Solvay Conference and organized two meetings.

And as one of the top physicists in France today, he should have no problem arranging for de Broglie to enter.

"Okay, then I'll write a letter to the teacher and give it a try." De Broglie was delighted, "Oh yes, Chen, I just heard through the door of the laboratory that Sir Rutherford wants you to go to France for a visa?" When are you going to leave? I have sent my servants with you, and I may be able to help you in some way. ”

Chen Muwu felt that it might not be necessary, but since the other party insisted on doing so, it would be a little disrespectful to shirk it.

Chen Muwu took a full set of materials and took the train to the French Embassy in London in the United Kingdom.

He still underestimated the power of the French aristocracy, and the servant of de Broglie only showed his identity, and the visa staff quickly sent the completed visa.

He didn't even check any of Chen Muwu's documents, and even seemed to have forgotten to collect the cost of six shillings.

(End of chapter)