Modelos atômicos no início do século XX: da física clássica à introdução da teoria quântica

Abstract

The present research examines the history of atomic models in the early twentieth century dealing with the contributions of Joseph John Thomson, Hantaro Nagaoka, Ernest Rutherford, John William Nicholson and Niels Bohr and his contemporaries. It emphasizes the explanations from the classical physics till the introduction of the Quantum Theory. This thesis presents an introduction and eight chapters. Chapter 1 presents the investigations which took place before the proposition of the models pointed out in the first paragraph. This chapter emphasizes the classical science, without diving into the quantum explanations. The next six chapters present a chronological sequence of biographies, ideas and publications and discuss the atomic models proposed by the quoted scientists. The publication of the papers on the quantized atom models had great impact and caused many debates, which led us to produce a specific chapter dealing with such subject. . In conclusion, the chapter eight presents some considerations about the integration of the investigative trails that led to the publication of the atomic models discussed, the work on investigative borders fields, the intricate dynamics of power between fields, scientists and publications, and the assertion of new fields