The Cavendish Computors: The women working in scientific computing for Radio Astronomy

TL;DR

This paper explores the history of scientific computing in Radio Astronomy at Cambridge, highlighting women's contributions to technological and scientific advances from the post-WWII era to the development of key algorithms.

Contribution

It uncovers the significant yet often overlooked role of women in the development of computing technology and scientific discoveries in Radio Astronomy at Cambridge.

Findings

Women contributed to diagram drawing and scientific publications.

Women played key roles in programming and operating early computers.

The group made crucial scientific advances challenging the Steady State Hypothesis.

Abstract

A discussion of the history of scientific computing for Radio Astronomy in the Cavendish Laboratory of the University of Cambridge in the decades after the Second World War. This covers the development of the aperture synthesis technique for Radio Astronomy and how that required using the new computing technology developed by the University's Mathematical Laboratory: the EDSAC, EDSAC 2 and TITAN computers. It looks at the scientific advances made by the Radio Astronomy group, particularly the assembling of evidence which contradicted the Steady State Hypothesis. It also examines the software advances that allowed bigger telescopes to be built: the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and the degridding algorithm. Throughout, the contribution of women is uncovered, from the diagrams they drew for scientific publications, through programming and operating computers, to writing scientific papers.