Werner Heisenberg
Werner Heisenberg | |
|---|---|
Heisenberg in 1933 | |
| Born | Werner Karl Heisenberg 5 December 1901 Würzburg, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire |
| Died | 1 February 1976 (aged 74) |
| Resting place | Munich Waldfriedhof |
| Alma mater | University of Munich University of Göttingen |
| Known for | See list
|
| Spouse |
Elisabeth Schumacher
(m. 1937) |
| Children | 7, including Jochen and Martin |
| Awards |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Theoretical physics |
| Institutions |
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| Thesis | Über Stabilität und Turbulenz von Flüssigkeitsströmen (On stability and turbulence of liquid flows) (1923) |
| Doctoral advisor | Arnold Sommerfeld |
| Other academic advisors | Niels Bohr Max Born |
| Doctoral students |
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| Other notable students |
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| Signature | |
Werner Karl Heisenberg (/ˈhaɪzənbɜːrɡ/;[2] German: [ˈvɛʁnɐ ˈhaɪzn̩bɛʁk] ⓘ; 5 December 1901 – 1 February 1976)[3] was a German theoretical physicist, one of the main pioneers of the theory of quantum mechanics and a principal scientist in the German nuclear program during World War II.
He published his Umdeutung paper in 1925, a major reinterpretation of old quantum theory. In the subsequent series of papers with Max Born and Pascual Jordan, during the same year, his matrix formulation of quantum mechanics was substantially elaborated. He is known for the uncertainty principle, which he published in 1927. Heisenberg was awarded the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physics "for the creation of quantum mechanics".[4][a]
Heisenberg also made contributions to the theories of the hydrodynamics of turbulent flows, the atomic nucleus, ferromagnetism, cosmic rays, and subatomic particles. He introduced the concept of a wave function collapse. He was also instrumental in planning the first West German nuclear reactor at Karlsruhe, together with a research reactor in Munich, in 1957.
Following World War II, he was appointed director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics, which soon thereafter was renamed the Max Planck Institute for Physics. He was director of the institute until it was moved to Munich in 1958. He then became director of the Max Planck Institute for Physics and Astrophysics from 1960 to 1970.
Heisenberg was also president of the German Research Council,[5] chairman of the Commission for Atomic Physics, chairman of the Nuclear Physics Working Group, and president of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.[1]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
formemrswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Heisenberg". Collins English Dictionary.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Biographywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Werner Heisenberg on Nobelprize.org This source explains that Heisenberg actually received his Nobel Prize for 1932 one year later, in 1933.
- ^ "Reviving German Science". American Institute of Physics.
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