Record

Authorised form of name	Whelan; Michael John; physicist
Nationality	British
Place of birth	Leeds, Yorkshire, England
Date of birth	02 November 1931
Place of death	Oxford, England
Date of death	30 November 2024
Occupation	Physicist
Research field	Microscopy
	Physics
	Electron microscopy
Activity	Education: Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Career: Research posts at the University of Cambrdige (1966); joined the Department of Materials, Univeristy of Oxford (1966); Emeritus Professor, Department of Materials, Univeristy of Oxford (2011-2024). Awards/Medals: C.V. Boyes Prize, Institute of Physics 1965 Distinguished Scientist Award, Microscope Society of America 1998 Gjønnes Medal in Electron Crystallography, with Archibald Howie 2011 Memberships: Fellow of the Japanese Society of Microscopy 2003 Microscopy Society of America 2009
Membership category	Fellow
Date of election	18/03/1976
Age at election	44
RSActivity	Medals and prizes: Hughes Medal 1988
Relationships	Parents: William Whelan and Ellen Whelan
OtherInfo	Conducted pioneering work to develop the transmission electron microscopy technique for the study of defects in crystals. He was responsible both for establishing many of the basic experimental techniques, and for the theories of image contrast essential for the detailed interpretation of the micrographs. His treatment of image contrast from a stacking fault based on the dynamical theory of electron diffraction forms the basis of all subsequent work on image contrast from defects. Together with Archie Howie, he was responsible for developing the theory of image contrast from dislocations, and he has also made important contributions to the understanding of absorption and inelastic scattering of electrons in crystals. He pioneered the development of a combined electron microscope and energy analyser for carrying out microanalysis on a very fine scale. His electron microscope study of dislocation reactions in face-centred cubic metals established and extended an important aspect of dislocation theory. He also developed the first direct method for measuring stacking fault energy (from the curvature of dislocations at nodes).
Source	The Royal Society Fellows Directory, Professor Michael Whelan FRS, [URL: https://royalsociety.org/people/michael-whelan-12516/; last accessed: 02/04/2025] Department of Minerals, University of Oxford, Professor Mike Whelan, [URL: https://www.materials.ox.ac.uk/article/professor-mike-whelan; last accessed: 02/04/2025]
Code	NA2094

Archives associated with this Fellow

RefNo	Title	Date
EC/1976/38	Whelan, Michael John: certificate of election to the Royal Society	1969
IM/GA/JGRS/7970	Whelan, Michael John	1977

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