Biography of Famous Scientist Gustav Ludwig Hertz
Gustav Ludwig Hertz: A Detailed Biography
Early Life and Education:
Gustav Ludwig Hertz was born on July 22, 1887, in Hamburg, Germany, into a family with a strong academic background. His father, August Hertz, was a distinguished lawyer, and his uncle, Heinrich Rudolf Hertz, was a renowned physicist known for his work on electromagnetic waves. Gustav’s early exposure to the world of science influenced his educational path.
Hertz attended the Johanneum Gymnasium in Hamburg, where he excelled in his studies. He went on to study at the University of Göttingen, initially focusing on engineering. However, influenced by the lectures of Max Born and David Hilbert, he shifted his interest to theoretical physics.
Doctoral Studies and Research:
In 1911, Hertz completed his doctorate in physics under the supervision of Max Born at the University of Göttingen. His doctoral thesis dealt with the application of quantum theory to the Stark effect, a phenomenon related to the splitting of spectral lines in an electric field.
After obtaining his doctorate, Hertz worked as an assistant to physicist Heinrich Geiger at the Technical University of Berlin. During this time, he collaborated with James Franck on research related to collisions between electrons and atoms.
Franck-Hertz Experiment:
One of Gustav Hertz’s most significant contributions came in collaboration with James Franck, with whom he conducted the famous Franck-Hertz experiment in 1914. This experiment provided experimental verification of Niels Bohr’s model of the atom, supporting the quantization of energy levels.
The Franck-Hertz experiment involved passing electrons through mercury vapor and measuring the energy distribution of the electrons before and after collisions with mercury atoms. The observed quantized energy levels confirmed the discrete energy states predicted by Bohr’s model.
World War I and Postwar Career:
Gustav Hertz served in the German army during World War I. After the war, he resumed his scientific career. He held positions at various institutions, including the University of Halle and the Siemens Research Laboratory.
Nobel Prize in Physics:
In 1925, Gustav Hertz, along with James Franck, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for the Franck-Hertz experiment. The Nobel Committee acknowledged their “discovery of the laws governing the impact of an electron upon an atom.”
Later Career and Life:
Hertz continued to make contributions to physics, particularly in the fields of electron emission and photoelectric phenomena. In 1928, he became a professor at the Technische Hochschule in Berlin. However, the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany led to difficult times for Hertz due to his Jewish heritage. He faced professional restrictions and was eventually dismissed from his position in 1935.
Exile and Later Years:
Gustav Hertz, like many other Jewish scientists, left Germany due to the oppressive policies of the Nazi regime. He found refuge in the Soviet Union for a brief period before moving to the United States in 1940. In the U.S., he continued his research at various institutions.
Gustav Ludwig Hertz passed away on October 30, 1975, in East Berlin, Germany. His work, particularly the Franck-Hertz experiment, played a crucial role in the development of quantum mechanics and the understanding of atomic structure.