Johannes Stark (15 April 1874 – 21 June 1957) was a German physicist who made significant contributions to the field of physics, particularly in the study of electricity and magnetism. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1919.
Life and Career
He was born on 15 April 1874, in Schickenhof, German Empire. He studied physics, mathematics, and chemistry at the University of Munich in Germany, where he earned his doctorate in physics. He then continued his studies at the University of Göttingen, where he worked with the physicist Woldemar Voigt and the mathematician David Hilbert. Stark’s doctoral thesis was on the topic of electricity and magnetism, and he continued to focus on this area of research throughout his career.
He is best known for his work on the Stark effect, which is the splitting of spectral lines in the presence of an electric field. In 1908, he discovered this effect while investigating the spectra of hydrogen and helium atoms, and he went on to develop a theory to explain it. This work was important in advancing the understanding of quantum mechanics and was a significant contribution to the field of spectroscopy.
He also made significant contributions to the development of the electron microscope, which uses a beam of electrons to create an image of a sample, and he helped to develop the technique of X-ray spectroscopy, which is used to analyze the chemical composition of materials. In addition, he conducted research on the behavior of charged particles in electromagnetic fields and on the structure of atoms and molecules.
During his career, he held a number of academic and research positions, including serving as a professor of physics at the University of Greifswald and the University of Würzburg.
He was also a member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden.
He died on 21 June 1957 in Traunstein, West Germany.
Award and Legacy
He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1919 for his discovery of the Stark effect. This was a significant recognition of his contributions to the field of physics, and it helped to establish his reputation as a leading physicist of his time.
His work on the Stark effect had a profound impact on the development of quantum mechanics and spectroscopy, and his contributions to the study of electricity and magnetism were also significant. In addition, his research on the electron microscope and X-ray spectroscopy helped to advance these fields and opened up new avenues for scientific investigation.