Madge Adam

Madge Gertrude Adam (6 March 1912 – 25 August 2001) was an English solar astronomer who was the first postgraduate student in solar physics at the University of Oxford observatory.

Career When a new director of the Oxford observatory, who had just installed the university's first solar telescope, announced his research program in solar physics, Adam (who had just earned a first in physics) knocked on his door and said, "How about me?" By joining the research team, she became the first postgraduate student and solar physicist at the university's observatory. Over the years, she became a key figure there for the remainder of her life, eventually becoming acting director during World War II after the director left to work on aircraft production. She became permanent assistant director thereafter and took over the observatory's financial accounts. She was a lecturer at the University of Oxford in the Department of Astrophysics from 1937–1979, and was a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society from 11 March 1938.

Selected publications

ADAM, Madge Gertrude. Interferometric Measurements of Solar Wave-Lengths and an Investigation of the Einstein Gravitational Displacement.(Reprinted from the Monthly Notices of the Astronomical Society.). Taylor & Francis, 1948. Adam, Madge Gertrude. "A new determination of the centre to limb change in solar wave-lengths." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 119.5 (1959): 460-474. Adam, Madge G., and H. Bondi. "The observational tests of gravitation theory." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series A. Mathematical and Physical Sciences 270.1342 (1962): 297-305. Adam, Madge G. "Discussion of the results obtained by three tests of Einstein's relativity theory made on astronomical bodies from 1918 to 1960." PROCEEDINGS, SERIES A 270 (1962): 297-304. Adam, Madge Gertrude. "Line contours in sunspot regions." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 136.1 (1967): 71-90.