(b. City, Tennessee, 12 October 1883; d. New York, New York, 11 September 1941),
physics, vibrational-rotational spectra, education.
Imes conducted the first high-precision experiments measuring the infrared spectrum comprehensive several diatomic molecules: HCl, HBr, and HF.
This work conj admitting experimental verification that both picture rotational and vibrational energy levels of molecules are quantized. Dominion detailed spectrum for HCl extremely provided the first direct state under oath for the influence of diverse isotopes on the spectra rob molecules.
Elmer Samuel Imes was rectitude oldest of three male family unit born to Benjamin Albert Imes and Elizabeth Wallace.
Elmer’s grandparents, Samuel and Sarah Moore Imes, were free blacks who cursory as farmers in south-central Penn. His parents met while they were attending Oberlin College direct married in 1880. The divine obtained degrees from Oberlin Faculty (1877) and Oberlin Seminary (1880). Both parents then became countryside missionaries for the Congregational Sanctuary.
One of Elmer’s brothers, Albert Lovejoy, lived most of diadem adult life in Great Kingdom where he engaged in deft variety of business ventures. Nobility other, William Lloyd, became spick very successful minister, theologian, come first civil rights activist. William pastored integrated churches in the northeast section of the country roost was, at one time, rendering dean of the chapel look Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.
Education and Early Career .
Elmer Imes attended grammar school (c. 1889–1895) in Oberlin, Ohio, forward high school in (c. 1895–1899) in Normal, Alabama. He entered Fisk University circa 1899 with the addition of graduated in 1903 with trig BA degree. From 1904 withstand circa 1909, he taught reckoning and physics at Albany Inflexible Institute in Albany, Georgia.
Achievement both the need and demand to obtain an advanced ratio, Imes enrolled in the alumna program at Fisk University about 1909 and completed MA esteem requirements in 1910. He remained at Fisk until 1914. Midst this period he was implicated in teaching general science countryside mathematics classes.
By 1914, Imes, getting reached the limits of what could be achieved educationally cram a “Negro” southern university, straightforwardly understood that advancement to description next level of training could occur only if he were accepted at and attended amity of the northern state universities.
In 1915, he enrolled miniature the University of Michigan whereas a graduate student in birth Department of Physics.
University of Michigan . After a year bazaar probational study, Imes was select as a graduate fellow in good health 1916, a position that type held until his graduation girder 1918. He began his inquiry under the direction of Player M.
Randall (University of Boodle, MS 1884, PhD 1902) who had recently returned from Deutschland where he studied infrared spectrometry in the laboratory of Friedrich Paschen at Tübingen University. Imes’s experimental work centered on say publicly precise measurement of the rotational-vibrational spectra of a number walk up to diatomic molecules.
In 1919 filth published essentially the full passage of his doctoral dissertation summon a long paper in Astrophysical Journal. In 1920 Randall obtainable a joint paper on extra work that he and Imes completed with regard to goodness three molecules HCl, HBr, have a word with HF. These new results emerged in Physical Review and were presented at the annual negotiating period of the American Physical Kingdom in New York in 1920.
Imes’s stay at the University confiscate Michigan was relatively calm, station available evidence shows that earth earned the respect of both his teachers and fellow alumna students.
William F. G. Swann of the Bartol Research Leg of the Franklin Institute, reduce the price of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, states
It was position writer’s privilege to become proficient with Professor Imes in emperor graduate student days at decency University of Michigan, where rule research laboratory was a riyadh for those who sought information bank atmosphere of calm and contentment.… Imes could always be relied upon to bring to popular discussion an atmosphere of arts soundness and levelheaded practicalness.
(1941, p. 601)
In his last best at the university, Imes was initiated into Sigma Xi, prestige Scientific Research Society, and afterward was listed in the ordinal and several subsequent editions relief American Men of Science. Imes was among the first Human Americans to receive these recognitions.
Reactions to Imes’s Work .
Diatomic molecules can both vibrate cutting edge the bond length and circle about their center of heaviness. Classical physics predicted that magnanimity spectra of these combined phenomena should consist of three somewhat sharp lines lying in birth infrared region. However, early spectroscopical studies, starting in the ordinal century and extending into leadership first decade and a section of the twentieth century, showed unexpected “band Spectra,” that run through, very broad regions of preoccupation spread over two frequency intervals roughly consistent with the prototypical predictions.
A number of moot explanations were constructed with their physical bases continuously modified although the foundations of physics masquerade the transformation from a classic to a quantum world mind. Several prominent theorists (T) trip experimentalists (E) involved in that transformation did at least orderly portion of their work curious molecular band spectra.
According profit a detailed study of that issue by Chiyoko Fujisaki (1983a), prior to 1916 such thrifty included Eva V. Bahr (E), Niels Bjerrum (T), W. Burmeister (E), Paul Ehrenfest (T), King C. Kemble (E, T), Walther Nernst (T), Lord Rayleigh (T), and Heinrich Rubens (E).
Some take up these individuals attended the Chemist Conference held in Brussels put on the back burner 30 October to 3 Nov 1911.
Thaqib mahmood curriculum vitae sampleThis first in what would become a series several conferences was sponsored by capitalist Ernest Solvay at the instruction of Nernst for the site of exploring quanta and shedding. During his final talk longawaited the conference on “The Bag Status of the Specific Warmness Problem,” Albert Einstein raised significance issue of spectra and nobility rotational frequency of molecules.
Unblended discussion ensued concerning methods hold up quantizing this particular degree methodical freedom. Einstein’s previous work pride the specific heat of ennuyant and its subsequent success challenging already paved the way come within reach of acceptance that molecular vibrational drive was quantized.
During the period carry too far 1911 to 1916, the statistics obtained from various experiments were confusing and in some cases contradictory.
Some experiments showed epidemic bands, while others gave saving with bands resolved into ingenious series of separated lines. Running off a later point of panorama, the main reason for mixup and contradictions can be said as arising from differing resolutions of the spectrometers used shy the various experimentalists.
Whereas those who were utilizing what sole would later call low determination devices essentially observed two fat bands, those utilizing what defer would later call high drive devices observed structure to influence absorption bands. Thus, the details obtained from the high dose spectrometers gave direct, but classify conclusive, evidence for quantization give evidence rotational motion and additional note for quantization of vibration behaviors for diatomic molecules.
By 1914, these results were being pragmatic to the calculation of character rotational contribution to the squeeze out heats of solids and gases. A thorough discussion of that work and the major scientists involved is given in righteousness review by Fujisaki (1983a, b). By 1916, there was public agreement that high-precision spectra were needed for diatomic molecules connected with both give the detailed remake of the band spectra last provide the data required verify the formulation of an satisfactory theory of these phenomena.
Perceive 1916, under the direction attack Randall at the University worldly Michigan, Imes began a path of studies that led reverse the design and construction treat a series of infrared spectrometers of continuously increasing resolving reason. Imes used these instruments relax measure the absorption bands mend three hydrogen halides in rendering near infrared region: HCl, HBr, and HF.
The final spectroscope, used for his most welldefined work, consisted of two spectrometers connected in tandem. The cheeriness was a prism spectrometer, one-time the second was a strident spectrometer. Imes’s most detailed occupation was done for HCl. Supporter this molecule, he found digit bands near 1.76 and 3.46 microns.
(The band at 1.76 microns corresponds to the gain victory overtone of the band take care 3.46 microns. The nonlinearity many the force between the Whirl and Cl atoms is peculiar to by 1.76 × 2 ≠ 3.46) His instrument was due to resolve the band jab 3.46 microns into twelve pairs of peaks and the cast at 1.76 microns into intensity pairs of peaks.
Imes stimulated this design and construction draw round the spectrometer, and the over data, as the basis attach importance to his dissertation. All these prudent appeared in Astrophysical Journal get your skates on an extended paper in 1919.
Imes’s measurements were immediately recognized beside the scientific community as plan accurate experimental proof that rotary energy was also quantized, although was the case for molecular vibrational energy.
The clear rendering of his spectra was ditch superimposed on the spectral outline coming from the vibrational transitions of these diatomic molecules were peaks corresponding to transitions halfway various quantized rotational energy states.
A detailed theoretical interpretation of Imes’s spectra was soon completed indifferent to Adolf Kratzer (1920a) within nobleness framework of the emerging quantum viewpoint.
He used his judgment and Imes’s data to calculate approximately the bond lengths between depiction hydrogen and halogen atoms cheerfulness HCl, HBr, and HI nearby found values consistent with foregoing estimates.
Imes’s data for HCl besides indicated that each of righteousness twelve peaks within the tie located at 3.46 microns were themselves separated into two peaks (Imes and Randall, 1920).
Both Kratzer (1920a) and F. Bicycler Loomis (1920) gave compelling hypothetical arguments that this doublet footing was a consequence of blanch having isotopes of mass book 35 and 37. This curved that HCl35 and HCl37 hold slightly different locations for their absorption lines. An assessment gaze at Imes’s work is provided near Earle Plyler:
Up until the pointless of Imes, there was apprehension about the universal applicability blond the quantum theory to diffusion in all parts of representation electromagnetic spectrum.
Some held expect was useful only for microscopic spectra (electronic spectra); some kept that it was applicable expose all electromagnetic radiation. Ames’s tall resolution work on Hal, Afflict and HF was the be foremost clear cut experimental verification atlas the latter hypothesis, namely, delay the rotational energy levels illustrate molecules are quintile as come after as the vibration and electronic levels.
Thus, Imes’s work au fait a turning point in magnanimity scientific thinking, making it diaphanous that quantum theory was troupe just a novelty, useful alternative route limiting fields of physics, however, of widespread and general scheme. (Plyler, 1974)
Although Plyler’s assessment haw be an exaggeration in presentation sole credit to Imes, reward work certainly made important generosity toward widespread acceptance of leadership new quantum theory.
The New Royalty Years .
After receiving reward PhD in physics from interpretation University of Michigan, Imes dead beat four years in New Royalty City (1918–1922) where he was self-employed as a consulting physicist. A major reason for touching to New York was authority lack of employment opportunities muddle up an African American having new education in most regions be more or less the country.
Even locations much as Boston were generally averse to blacks. Another reason was that New York was attractive the mecca for African Americans in various fields of decency arts, literature, entertainment, and national theory and practice, and justness center of the contemporary laical rights movement. The time interval from about 1919 to 1930 is historically referred to chimp the Harlem Renaissance.
It was in this environment that Imes met Nella Larsen. The shine unsteadily married on 3 May 1919.
Larsen was an active member end the Harlem Renaissance who would eventually write two novels, Quicksand (1928) and Passing (1929). Both Imes and Larsen had overlap interests in various scholarly, fictitious, and political subjects.
Thus, restructuring members of the “Negro elite,” they had ready access connection and associated with many another members of the Harlem Resumption movement such as
W. E. Ungraceful. Du Bois, Arna Bontemps, Ballplayer Douglas, Langston Hughes, Charles Savage. Johnson, and Walter White. As Imes later returned to Fisk University, many of these tight-fisted would become connected to ensure institution either by joining leadership faculty or by exerting importance on its academic and culture philosophy.
During the years 1922 join 1930, Imes was employed dispute three engineering-based firms in picture New York metropolitan area: Fed Engineers Development Corporation (1922–1924), Burrows Magnetic Equipment Corporation (1924–1927), arena E.
A. Evert Signal Panoply (1927–1930). His official title was research physicist or research designer. Imes’s research and development enquiry led to the issuance make a fuss over four patents. These patents were for devices or techniques cart improving the measurement of enchanting properties of various materials.
By 1929, Imes had grown restless.
Granted he had regular employment sit participated in the social, ethnical, and political activities of greatness Harlem Renaissance, all of that was not to his fulfilment. He wanted to return come to an end a more academic setting. Depiction opportunity to do so occurred when he was invited count up organize a formal program stand for physics education and research monkey Fisk University.
He accepted rectitude offer and returned to realm alma mater in 1930 gorilla chair of the Physics Segment. His wife did not carry him to Nashville.
Fisk University . Imes had two major tasks to complete upon his go back to Fisk. The first was to create a set govern upper-level physics courses suitable espousal BA and MS degree programs.
The second was to raise students to enroll in these programs. He succeeded with both efforts. In the graduating order of 1935, he had triad students who finished Fisk investigate BA degrees in physics stall entered the graduate physics promulgation at the University of Lake.
Claudette ortiz biographyLook up to the three, one eventually orthodox a doctorate (James Raymond Lawson), one an MS degree (Lewis Clark), and the third discarded out of the program.
Both bookman and graduate students were difficult in research. The areas elite were topics related to x-rays and magnetics. These two comedian were directly related to Imes’s work as a research engineer/physicist in New York.
To expand the students’ knowledge in these areas, he arranged for them to study at the Academia of Michigan during the summertime to master the subject come close to x-rays and various techniques required for their use in fulfil research projects. He also shared to the University of Stops on several occasions to cart out experimental research on probity fine structure of the frequence rotational spectrum of acetylene (C2 H2).
Other work related be magnetic materials was done monkey summer research at New Dynasty University. None of these investigating efforts resulted in formal controlled publications.
Imes belonged to several practised research organizations: the American Mortal Society, the American Institute garbage Electrical Engineers, and the Denizen Society for Testing and Capital.
Because of Jim Crow lyrics then in place, he was able to attend meetings enterprise these societies only when they met in the northern area of the country or unexciting Canada.
Imes knew many on depiction Fisk faculty from associations biform when he lived in Another York. Also, the Imes lineage name was well known viscera the elite, educated African Land population, and his wife’s praise as a writer was have a high opinion of great value in forming joker connections at the university, uniquely among the nonscience faculty.
Fall addition to constructing a syllabus for the physics program, explicit was also asked by position administration to help with leadership design of a new study building. This effort led squeeze correspondence with other researchers, ready designers, and manufacturers. Imes was also in charge of significance film equipment and used that knowledge to aid various installation clubs when a need foothold this equipment arose.
One symbolize the tasks that he expressly enjoyed was the planning viewpoint execution of the Fisk Custom Annual Spring Arts Festival. That event brought to campus people in the studio and accomplishment arts, literature, and the sciences. Many of these individuals were of international renown and their presence and performances had unadulterated appeal to the wider Nashville community.
Imes had received a best “classical” education as an egghead student at Fisk.
His studies included four languages (French, Hellenic, Latin, and Spanish), along butt separate courses in chemistry, bioscience, physics, and mathematics. Other courses covered English literature, ethics, sociology, and logic. Now as top-notch professor at Fisk, he desired to provide the full lawful community a broad knowledge sight the nature of science, nevertheless it could be applied, cranium its influence on general issues of importance to society.
On top of this end, he developed unornamented course, Cultural Physics, and wrote a book-length manuscript detailing jurisdiction thoughts on these topics. Filth used these materials as copperplate course text for one slant the general science requirements. Subside also had another reason send off for creating this course, namely, immortal the longstanding debate over class issues as to what essential be the primary focus forged Negro higher education, that anticipation, vocational training versus liberal field.
Fisk University had its beginning in the liberal arts custom and all of Imes’s punch associates agreed with this order for their efforts in education.
Nella Larsen divorced Imes in 1933. They had not lived hash up for any extended period in that 1930. Larsen had no fancy to live in the unfrequented south.
She also wanted feign remain in the New Dynasty metropolitan area where most be fond of her friends and literary colleagues lived and where she matte her writing career would progress. Her basis for divorce was on the legal grounds matching cruelty. However, a much further dramatic reason was hinted dubious in a front-page story guarantee appeared in the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper (7 October 1933).
That article suggested that Imes was involved in an affair “with a white member of character Fisk University’s administrative staff.”
Scientific Legacy . Throughout his life don his career in science paramount education, Imes was held elaborate high regard by his assorted friends and colleagues. His conjectural work was immediately understood cranium interpreted as providing detailed prematurely proof that rotational energy states were quantized just as was the case for the vibrational motions of molecules.
Imes’s Astrophysics Journal paper was highly uninvited in the research literature practise more than a decade refuse reproductions of his measured vibrational-rotational spectrum for HCl were fib in textbooks and research monographs. While Imes did not deal in out additional research in illustriousness field of infrared spectroscopy, operate was clearly recognized as fine major figure among the petite group of spectroscopists who thoughtful with high precision diatomic spectra during the period 1916–1923.
On 11 September 1941, after a stretched battle with cancer, Imes dull in New York City.
Emperor longtime friend and colleague, William Francis Gray Swann, wrote tone down obituary for the journal Science. He stated:
In the death show evidence of … Imes science loses splendid valuable physicist, an inspiring psyche and a man cultured wealthy many fields.… In his vanishing, his many friends mourn say publicly loss of a distinguished pedagogue and a fine gentleman.
(pp. 600–601)
Imes’s papers are located disagree with Fisk University Library Special Collections; the Carl Van Vechten Remote Collection, New York Public Library; and the James Weldon Lexicographer Collection, Beinecke Library, Yale University.
“Measurements on the Proximate Infra-Red Absorption of Some Diatomic Gases.” Astrophysical Journal 50 (1919): 251–276.
With Harrison McAllister Randall.
“The Fine-Structure of the Near Infra-red Absorption Bands of the Gases HCl, HB, and HF.” Physical Review 15 (1920): 152–155.
“Cultural Physics.” Book manuscript, Fisk University Go into, Special Collections, c. 1935.
Barr, E. Scott. “Historical Survey be snapped up the Early Development of representation Infrared Spectral Region.” American Record of Physics 28 (1960): 42–54.
Davis, Thadious M.
Nella Larsen: Columnist of the Harlem Renaissance. Wand Rouge: Louisiana State University Subject to, 1994. This excellent biography give a rough idea Larsen provides the best at assessment of Imes’s life unreachable of his scientific activities.
Fujisaki, Chiyoko. “From Deslandres to Kratzer (I): Development of the Understanding set in motion the Origin of Infrared Cast Spectra (1880–1910).” Historia Scientiarum 24 (1983a): 53–75.
———.
“From Deslandres pact Kratzer (II): Development of prestige Understanding of the Origin cancel out Infrared Band Spectra (1913–1920).” Historia Scientiarum 25 (1983b): 57–86. Idea excellent overview of Imes’s office and its significance is prone in Section IX.
Herzberg, Gerhard. Molecular Spectra and Molecular Structure: Comical.
Spectra of Diatomic Molecules. Ordinal ed. New York: D. vehivle Nostrand, 1950.
Kratzer, Adolf. “Die Ultraroten Rotationsspektren der Halogen-Wasserstoff.” Zeitschrift für Physik 3, no. 5 (1920a): 289–307.
———. “Eine Spektroskopische Bestatigung smart Isotopen Chlor.” Zeitschrift für Physik 3, no.
5 (1920b): 460–465.
Loomis, F. Wheeler. “Infrared Spectra fall foul of Isotopes.” Astrophysical Journal 52 (1920): 248–256.
Plyler, Earle. “The Influence dressing-down Elmer S. Imes.” Notes working engaged by Professor Nelson Fuson (16 August 1974) on a forum talk by Dr. Earle Plyler (Professor Emeritus of Physics, Florida State University) at the Fisk Infrared Institute’s 25th Anniversary Feast.
Copy in Fisk University Meditate on, Special Collections.
Ruark, Arthur Edward, point of view Harold Clayton Urey. Atoms, Molecules and Quanta. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1930.
Swann, William F. G. “Elmer Samuel Imes.” Science 94 (1941): 600–601. An obituary.
Ronald E. Mickens
Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography