Victor Francis Hess (24 June 1883 – 17 December 1964) was an Austrian-American physicist known for his pioneering work in the field of cosmic rays.
Life and career
He was born on 24 June 1883, in Peggau, Austria. He pursued his education in the field of physics and mathematics. He studied at the University of Graz in Austria, where he engaged in rigorous academic training and research. He successfully completed his studies at the university and earned his doctorate in physics in 1910.
He began his career as an assistant to the physicist Ludwig Boltzmann and later joined the University of Vienna as a lecturer. In 1911, he conducted a series of groundbreaking experiments that would make him famous. Using specially designed instruments carried aboard a series of high-altitude balloons, Hess demonstrated that the Earth is constantly bombarded by radiation from space, which he called “cosmic rays.”
His discovery challenged the prevailing belief at the time that all radiation on Earth originated from terrestrial sources. Hess’s experiments provided crucial evidence that cosmic rays, consisting of highly energetic particles, including protons and atomic nuclei, originate from outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
Throughout his career, Hess continued to expand his knowledge through extensive research and collaborations with other scientists. His dedication to lifelong learning and his passion for pushing the boundaries of scientific understanding was instrumental in his numerous contributions to the field of physics.
He died on 17 December 1964, in New York, United States.
Award and Legacy
In 1936, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of cosmic rays.
Hess’s legacy extends beyond his own scientific achievements. His discovery paved the way for further research in the field of high-energy astrophysics and particle physics. Today, scientists continue to study cosmic rays to gain insights into the composition and origins of the universe.