Lucy Jago - The Northern Lights: The True Story of the Man Who Unlocked the Secrets of the Aurora Borealis

Table of Contents

For Lily

International acclaim for Lucy Jagos

The Nortern Lights

Provocative, entertaining.... Jago is a taut, imaginative writer. The Times Literary Supplement

An enlightening history [and] a nuanced portrait. Boston Herald

A superior example... of the marriage of popular science and human interest.... Jago brings to life not just the tragic, likeable figure of Birkeland, a manic-depressive genius, but also the romance of his scientific endeavor and its groundbreaking conclusions.... A wonderful true story. Vogue

A perfectly quaffable winter tale of ice and light. The Times (London)

A highly compelling story that keeps the reader interested, and also learning, as the tale unfolds.... Jago tells the tale with a well-judged balance between the scientific background to [Birkelands] life, the excitement of carrying out his projects and his experience of life as a human being. This book is a carefully crafted biography and a very good read. Physics World

Gripping. The Washington Post

Fascinating and well written.... The subtle achievement of an empathetic writer. The Guardian

Acknowledgments

THE GENEROSITY of many individuals in helping with the research for this book has been extraordinary. First and foremost, my thanks go to Truls Lynne Hansen at the Auroral Observatory in Troms, Northern Norway, who, as he put it, has been my Norwegian eyes and ears, helping me find and translate documents from all the major archives in Norway and many minor ones as well. He was a constant reference point when I was trying to understand some of the more complicated scientific elements in Birkelands work and has enabled me to enjoy many memorable sightings of the aurora. Concerning the science, I would also like to thank Stanley Cowley, professor of solar-planetary physics and head of the Radio and Space Plasma Group at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, and Dr. Robert H. Eather, author of MajesticLights: The Aurora in Science, History, and the Arts (1980), both of whom are eminent experts in the field of auroral physics and have kindly given their time and knowledge in offering suggestions for this book.

Many other people have also helped my research and I am grateful to them all. In Norway, in no particular order, they are se Lauritzen of Oslo University, who has written her thesis on Birkelands technology and has been very helpful in providing me with information about the Norsk Hydro period and in general research; Ketil Gjlme Andersen, who has written extensively on Norsk Hydro during Birkelands time; Professor Asgeir Brekke, with whom I shared a memorable skimobile journey up Haldde Mountain and who was generous in lending me books; Terje Brundtland, formerly of the Auroral Observatory and now at Oxford University and a leading expert in Birkelands terrella experiments; Solveig Berg, librarian at the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo; Professor Alv Egeland, formerly of the physics department of Oslo University; Professor Egil Leer of the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, for an inspirational discussion; Robert Marc Friedman, Institute of History, Oslo University, for his essay on Birkeland as a space pioneer; Mr. Sren Sem, formerly a director of Norsk Hydro, who very kindly allowed me access to Hydros archives and gave me a guided tour of the hydroelectric plants, factories, and museum at Notodden; Ragnar Moen who helped with research in the Notodden archives; Hans Thorleif Lundeby, grandnephew of Ida Birkeland, and his wife, Bjrg Lundeby, in Raade, who lent me photographs and provided important biographical detail; and Destinasjon Alta Tourism Group, which arranged for me to visit Birkelands observatory in midwinter. I would also like to thank the helpful staff at the Riksarkivet, Oslo (National Archives), Statsarkivet i Oslo (State Archives, Oslo), Statsarkiveti Troms (State Archives, Troms), Nasjonalbiblioteket i Oslo Hndskriftsamlingen (National Library of Norway Manuscript Department), the Astrophysics Institute Library, Norsk Teknisk Museum (Norwegian Technical Museum), the University Library of Troms, Bredriftshistorisksamling, Norsk Hydro, Notodden (Industry Museum), the Troms Auroral Observatory Library, and the departments of physics at the Universities of Troms and Oslo.

In England, Richard Dale, science executive producer at the BBC, offered me tremendous help and encouragement; the distinguished and lovely Professor Dungey; Dr. Peter Hingley from the Royal Astronomical Society in London, who helped in my search for information about Helwan Observatory in Egypt; Richard Wellm gave me extremely useful translations; staff at the Royal Society, the Institute of Electrical Engineers, the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory, the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Institution, and the British Library provided valuable assistance.

In Egypt, eminent botanist Loutfy Boulos kindly arranged a trip into the desert to search for the Zodiacal Light; Professor Galal, formerly of the Helwan Observatory, and Professor Essa Ali, its current director, helped me find Birkelands house in Helwan and provided access to the observatory; thank you also to Iman Sayed of the Old Cataract Hotel in Aswan for her kindness and help with finding archives; Peter Knox-Shaw, son of Harold Knox-Shaw, for his great generosity and trust in lending me precious photographic plates of his father, the observatory, and Helwan in Birkelands time. My uncle and aunt, Peter and Hoda Jago, kindly arranged for me to be looked after in Egypt; Nehad Abd Elsalam was my cheerful guide; Mr. Samir Hares and El Said M. Hassanin were extremely generous with their hospitality during my research. The members of the Greek community in Alexandria could not have been more helpful in searching through numerous archives and libraries for biographical details of Hella Spandonides.

In America, thanks go to Professor Alex Dessler of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, for interesting articles and debates about the suppression of Birkelands work by Chapman; and Professor Anthony Perratt at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico.

In Japan, Professor Fukushima drew attention to Teradas account of Birkelands final weeks and, in conjunction with Professor Brekke in Norway, provided a translation from Japanese. Professor Ryochi Fuiji of Nagoya gave helpful information about Japanese archives.

The Pasteur Institute in France gave historical advice.

In Greece, Angelos Vryonis found valuable information about Hella Spandonides.

Stephanie Cabot, agent extraordinaire at William Morris UK, and Owen Laster in New York have done great deals, ably supported by Eugenie Furniss and Rhiannon Williams.

My editor and publisher, Simon Prosser, has steered me through the process of writing my first book with tremendous tact and encouragement, shaping The Northern Lights into something I am proud of. It has been a great pleasure to work with the team at PenguinCharlie Greig, Joanna Prior, Carol Baker, John Bond, John Gray, Michele Hutchinson, Juliette Mitchell, the account managers, and the reps. Bela Cunha, the copy editor, corrected the manuscript with great skill. Robin Desser, editor for the American edition, has been hugely supportive and her assistant, Bonnie Schiff-Glenn, has made transatlantic communication enjoyable.