| 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 |