Cambridge Encyclopedia :: Cambridge Encyclopedia Vol. 7

Arnold (Johannes Wilhelm) Sommerfeld

Physicist, born in Königsberg, Prussia (now Kaliningrad, Russia). He studied at Königsberg and became professor of mathematics at Clausthal (1897), and professor of physics at Aachen (1900) and Munich (1906). With Felix Klein he developed the theory of the gyroscope. He researched into a variety of problems, including X-ray and electron diffraction, and radio waves. He is best known for his work on the Bohr atomic model, and the notion of elliptical rather than circular electron orbits.

Arnold Sommerfeld

Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld
Born December 5, 1868
Königsberg, East Prussia
Died April 26, 1951
Munich, Germany
Residence Germany
Nationality German
Field Physics
Institution University of Gottingen
Technische Universität Clausthal
University of Aachen
University of Munich
Alma Mater University of Königsberg
Doctoral Advisor Ferdinand von Lindemann
Doctoral Students Werner Heisenberg
Wolfgang Pauli
Hans Bethe
Peter Debye
Paul Peter Ewald
Georg Wentzel
Alfred Landé
Herbert Froehlich
Known for Fine-structure constant
Notable Prizes Matteucci Medal (1924)
Max Planck Medal (1931)
Lorentz Medal (1939)

Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld (December 5, 1868 in Königsberg, East Prussia – April 26, 1951 in Munich, Germany) was a German physicist who introduced the fine-structure constant in 1919.

Arnold Sommerfeld studied mathematics and physical sciences at University of Königsberg.

Sommerfeld was a great theoretician, and besides his invaluable contributions to the quantum theory, he worked in other fields of physics, such as the classical theory of electromagnetism.

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