Alan Cook (physicist)

Alan Hugh Cook, FRS (2 December 1922 – 23 July 2004) was a British physicist known for his contributions to geophysics, atomic physics, and metrology.

Cook's early research focused on radio astronomy at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge, where he worked on techniques for measuring the positions of radio sources. He later transitioned to the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) where he made significant contributions to the accurate determination of the gravitational constant (G). His work involved developing innovative experimental techniques to minimize systematic errors in these delicate measurements. He also made contributions to the establishment of time standards and the properties of water.

He was appointed Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge in 1972, a position he held until his retirement in 1990. His research interests broadened to include the study of the Earth's rotation and its relationship to geophysical phenomena. He applied techniques from atomic physics to refine measurements of the Earth's rotation rate and polar motion.

Cook was a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and received numerous awards for his work, including the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1994. His publications include the book "Gravity and Gravitation," which is a comprehensive account of the history and modern understanding of gravitation. He is remembered as a meticulous experimentalist and a clear expositor of complex scientific concepts.