Edward W. Morley

Edward W. Morley was an American chemist and physicist best known for his work on the nature of light and atomic structure. He is famous for the Morley-Miller experiment, which tested the existence of the "luminiferous aether," a substance once thought necessary for the propagation of light. Although the experiment did not find evidence for this aether, it contributed to the development of modern physics. Morley's research also touched on hyperfine structure, which explores the tiny energy differences in atomic energy levels, revealing insights into how atoms interact and emit light, pivotal for advancing physical optics.