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PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger. Erwin Schrödinger. PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger. Born August 12, 1887 in Vienna to Rudolf and Georgine Schrödinger Rudolf was a trade chemist (cloth and linoleum industry) and passionate botanist
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PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger Erwin Schrödinger
PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger • Born August 12, 1887 in Vienna to Rudolf and Georgine Schrödinger • Rudolf was a trade chemist (cloth and linoleum industry) and passionate botanist • Grandfather, Alexander Bauer, was a professor of Chemistry • Raised in a comfortable lower aristocratic household • Schrödinger was homeschooled until the age of 11 when he entered Akademisches Gymnasium • Schrödinger was innately logical and curious as a child • Excelling in his studies, Schrödinger loved mathematics, sciences and classical language and literature above all else. • Generally abhorred learning from books and wrote memorization. • TonioRella, childhood friend; LotteRella, his first love Early Life
PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger Early Life
PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger • Was to study under Boltzman; however, Boltzman committed suicide only a few months prior to his enrollment • Studied primarily under Fritz Hasenöhrl • Hasenöhrl was a brilliant and engaging lecturer • Solidified Schrödinger’s commitment to mathematical physics • Schrödinger’s closed friend through University was a botanist, Franz Frimmel. • The two enjoyed philosophic and scientific discussion at length • Continued Schrödinger’s interest in Darwinism and theories on the structure of life and genetics. University of Vienna
PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger • Schrödinger’s first papers made mostly small contributions to the field of Physics • The outbreak of the First World War inturrupted his Professor Assistantship at the University of Vienna • Served as an artillery officer on the Italian-Austrian front • Received a commendation for services rendered • Eventually moved back to Vienna to instruct Meteorology • The post war period left Schrödinger and his family in great financial distress • Schrödinger suffered the death of his father, mother and grandfather along with financial ruin within the span of two years. • Wed AnnamarieBertel in 1920 First World War
PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger • Schrödinger moved from junior professor positions at Jena (under Max Wein), Stuttgart, and Breslau. • During this time he published his three papers on color theory • Moved to Zürich in 1921, offered a Full Professor position • Probably the most productive period in Schrödinger’s life. • When he arrived his health was in decline • During a respite at Arosa he wrote two papers, the second notes the suggestion of a relationship between orbital period and quantized energy University of Zürich
PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger • Schrödinger investigated deBrolgie’s radical paper at the suggestion of Einstein • Likely, along with Einstein, was one of the few physicists to initially take the suggestion seriously • Was not so much derived as ‘discovered’ through mathematical exploration • Started with a non-relativistic differential equation of a wave distribution • Eventually worked in deBroligie’s hypothesis and relativistic energies • Eventually published four papers on the ‘Quantization of the Eigenvalue problem’ • Received great praise from Einstein and Plank The Wave Equation
PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger The Wave Equation The first iteration of the wave equation from Schrödinger’s notebook
PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger • Upon the completion of greatest work, Schrödinger moved to Berlin • With his rise to prominance through his four papers, he was offered to suceed Max Plank as Department Chair of Theoretical Physics at the University of Berlin in 1927. • Continued work on perfecting the theory behind the wave equation • Fled to Oxford in 1933 • Held increasing disapproval of the Nazi regime. • Was offered a professor position by Frederick Lindemann • Later that year, Schrödinger traveled to Stockholm to receive the Nobel Prize along with Dirac. • Moved to Graz, Austria, to Dublin and finally back to Vienna Berlin, Oxford & Dublin
PHY 240: Modern Physics – Erwin Schrödinger • Color Theory • Before developing the Wave Equation • Became known as an expert in pigment and color theory • Biology and Genetics • While in Dublin he published What is Life?, a dialogue on the relationship between living matter and physics • In this work he suggests the existence of a complex molecule containing inherited information of biological structure • James Watson notes this as one of his primary influences in the discovery of DNA • Philosophy • Wrote a significant volume of work on his personal philosophies and Hinduism • Schrödinger’s Cat Other Notable Contributions