John Aitken (meteorologist)

John Aitken ( born September 18, 1839 in Falkirk, † November 14, 1919 ) was a British physicist and meteorologist.

After an engineering degree at the University of Glasgow he worked, financially independent, in his private research laboratory in Falkirk, Stirlingshire (Scotland ), where he made many classic discoveries especially in the field of meteorology.

He first described the role of solid particles ( particulate matter colloidal magnitude) as condensation nuclei in the formation of atmospheric precipitation and classified them according to size and chemistry ( Aitken nuclei = aerosol particles < 0.1 micron diameter). He also examined the conditions for the emergence of dew. More basic research was devoted to the effect of wave attenuation by thin oil film on moving water surfaces and the determination of the surface tension of liquids. For his research, he developed the eponymous Aitken cloud chamber.