Origins and early days of the Bristol school of cosmic-ray physics

Abstract

The founder of the Bristol School was Cecil Frank Powell, Nobel Laureate for Physics in 1950 for his discovery of the pi-meson and sometimes called the father of meson physics. The article describes first his early life and his many years of systematic work to perfect the nuclear emulsion technique. This is followed by a brief description of the circumstances of the discovery of the pi-meson and of the so-called 'strange particles'. An attempt is made to give a portrait of Powell and to explain his success in building up one of the first post-war international research teams, which paved the way for large international laboratories such as CERN. The account concludes with some personal memories of the award of the Nobel Prize and of the happy and creative atmosphere which Powell created around him at one of the most exciting times in the physics of cosmic rays since their discovery just after the beginning of the century.