Arnold Sommerfeld was a German theoretical physicist who extended Niels Bohr's early model of the atom, in which electrons were assumed to travel only in simple circular orbits around the nucleus, to allow for elliptical orbits and to incorporate the effects of Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity. This extended model, developed around 1916, explained certain fine details in the light emitted by atoms, called fine structure, that the original Bohr model could not account for, and in the course of this work Sommerfeld introduced the fine-structure constant, a fundamental dimensionless number that continues to play a central role in quantum physics. Sommerfeld later applied quantum theory to explain the behavior of electrons within metals, helping lay groundwork for the modern quantum theory of solids. Although Sommerfeld himself never received a Nobel Prize despite decades of nominations, he was an exceptionally influential teacher at the University of Munich, and a remarkable number of his doctoral and postdoctoral students went on to become major twentieth century physicists and win Nobel Prizes of their own, including Werner Heisenberg and Wolfgang Pauli.
Facts
Birth YearSourced to the subject's own account Birth DateSourced to the subject's own account Death DateSourced to the subject's own account Death YearSourced to the subject's own account FieldSourced to the subject's own accountAtomic physics, quantum physics 1 Death PlaceSourced to the subject's own accountMunich, Bavaria, West Germany 1 NationalitySourced to the subject's own account Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own accountThe Bohr-Sommerfeld model, the Sommerfeld-Kossel displacement law, the free electron model, fine structure and the fine-structure constant 1 BirthplaceSourced to the subject's own accountKönigsberg, Province of Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia 1 Connections
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Germany, nationality there.
Sources
1. Arnold Sommerfeld (Wikipedia)
Wikipedialead sentence (birth date)
Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld (German: [ˈaʁnɔlt ˈzɔmɐˌfɛlt]; 5 December 1868-26 April 1951) was a German theoretical physicist who pioneered developments in both atomic and quantum physics, and also educated and mentored many students for the new era of theoretical physics.
lead sentence (birth year)
Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld (German: [ˈaʁnɔlt ˈzɔmɐˌfɛlt]; 5 December 1868-26 April 1951) was a German theoretical physicist who pioneered developments in both atomic and quantum physics, and also educated and mentored many students for the new era of theoretical physics.
lead sentence (death date)
Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld (German: [ˈaʁnɔlt ˈzɔmɐˌfɛlt]; 5 December 1868-26 April 1951) was a German theoretical physicist who pioneered developments in both atomic and quantum physics, and also educated and mentored many students for the new era of theoretical physics.
lead sentence (death year)
Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld (German: [ˈaʁnɔlt ˈzɔmɐˌfɛlt]; 5 December 1868-26 April 1951) was a German theoretical physicist who pioneered developments in both atomic and quantum physics, and also educated and mentored many students for the new era of theoretical physics.
lead sentence (nationality)
Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld (German: [ˈaʁnɔlt ˈzɔmɐˌfɛlt]; 5 December 1868-26 April 1951) was a German theoretical physicist who pioneered developments in both atomic and quantum physics, and also educated and mentored many students for the new era of theoretical physics.
infobox: birth_place
birth_place = [[Königsberg]], [[Province of Prussia]], [[Kingdom of Prussia]]
infobox: death_place
death_place = [[Munich]], [[Bavaria]], [[West Germany]]
infobox: field
fields = {{Plain list|
* [[Atomic physics]]
* [[Quantum mechanics|Quantum physics]]
}}
infobox: known_for
known_for = {{Plain list|
* [[Bohr-Sommerfeld model]]
* [[Sommerfeld-Kossel displacement law]]
* [[Free electron model]]
* [[Fine structure]]
* [[Fine-structure constant]]
* [[Quantum number]]
* [[Azimuthal quantum number]]
}}
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