Referee's report by William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, on a paper 'On certain dimensional properties of matter in the gaseous state. - Part I. Experimental researches on thermal transpiration of gases through porous plates and on the laws of transpiration and impulsion, including an experimental proof that gas is not a continuous plenum. - Part II. On an extension of the dynamical theory of gas, which includes the stresses, tangential and normal, caused by a varying condition of gas, and affords an explanation of the phenomena of transpiration and impulsion' by Osborne Reynolds
Reference number: RR/8/189
Date: 13 May 1879
Description
Recommended for publication in the 'Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society', with modifications. Considers some of the paper to be based on assumptions. Refers to work of Thomas Graham, Jean Léonard Marie Poiseuille, James Prescott Joule, James Clerk Maxwell, Rudolf Clausius, Schmidt [?], George Johnstone Stoney, Peter Guthrie Tait and James Dewar. Finds it hard to accept a paper submitted to the Royal Society that does not reference these scientists properly, but hopes the Council will see the advances to science the author has made. Does not consider the paper to add new observations or discoveries to the theory. Criticises the use of the term 'dimensional properties'. Provides lengthy extract from his own [William Thomson, Lord Kelvin's] Presidential address to the British Association, Edinburgh, 1870 and his paper in Nature for 1870. Has not had time to fully look through the mathematical part to know if it expresses anything further than in James Clerk Maxwell's work. The investigations of the radiometer are important and could be published in the Philosophical Transactions without issue. Despite the criticisms, finds the paper 'beautiful' and hopes his remarks will be taken on board by the author.
Subject: Physics and Chemistry
[Published in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, 1879]
- Reference number
- RR/8/189
- Earliest possible date
- 13 May 1879
- Physical description
- Letter on paper
- Page extent
- 23 pages
- Format
- Manuscript
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William Thomson, Referee's report by William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, on a paper 'On certain dimensional properties of matter in the gaseous state. - Part I. Experimental researches on thermal transpiration of gases through porous plates and on the laws of transpiration and impulsion, including an experimental proof that gas is not a continuous plenum. - Part II. On an extension of the dynamical theory of gas, which includes the stresses, tangential and normal, caused by a varying condition of gas, and affords an explanation of the phenomena of transpiration and impulsion' by Osborne Reynolds, 13 May 1879, RR/8/189, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/rr_8_189/referees-report-by-william-thomson-lord-kelvin-on-a-paper-on-certain-dimensional-properties-of-matter-in-the-gaseous-state-part-i-experimental-researches-on-thermal-transpiration-of-gases-through-porous-plates-and-on-the-laws-of-transpiration-and-impulsion-including-an-experimental-proof-that-gas-is-not-a-continuous-plenum-part-ii-on-an-extension-of-the-dynamical-theory-of-gas-which-includes-the-stresses-tangential-and-normal-caused-by-a-varying-condition-of-gas-and-affords-an-explanation-of-the-phenomena-of-transpiration-and-impulsion-by-osborne-reynolds, accessed on 24 April 2025
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Referees' reports on scientific papers submitted to the Royal Society for publication
1831- Reference number: RR -
Referees' reports: volume 8, peer reviews of scientific papers submitted to the Royal Society for publication
1877-1881 Reference number: RR/8
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William Thomson
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Osborne Reynolds
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Referee Reports
This collection contains reports on scientific papers submitted for publication to the Royal Society. Started in 1832 when the system was formalised, it is a record of the origins of peer review publishing in practice.
Dates: 1832 - 1954
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