Carl Ramsauer | |
|---|---|
 Ramsauer in 1928 | |
| Born | Carl Wilhelm Ramsauer (1879-02-06)6 February 1879 |
| Died | 24 December 1955(1955-12-24) (aged 76) |
| Alma mater | University of Kiel |
| Known for | Ramsauer–Townsend effect (1920) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions |
|
| Thesis | Über den Ricochetschuss (1903) |
| Academic advisors | Philipp Lenard |
| Notable students | Otto Scherzer |
Carl Wilhelm Ramsauer (German:[ˈʁamsaʊɐ]ⓘ; 6 February 1879 – 24 December 1955) was a Germanphysicist known for the discovery of theRamsauer–Townsend effect. He pioneered the field ofelectron andproton collisions with gas molecules.[1]
Ramsauer was born in Osternburg,Oldenburg. From 1897 to 1907, he studied at theMunich,Tübingen,Berlin,Kiel,London, andBreslau universities. He was awarded his doctorate atKiel University.[1][2]
From 1907 to 1909, Ramsauer was a teaching assistant toPhilipp Lenard in the physics department at theRuprecht Karl University of Heidelberg. It was here that he conducted research on the quantum effect of the transparency ofnoble gases to slow electrons, now known as theRamsauer–Townsend effect. Subsequently, he was a staff scientist at the Radiological Institute in Heidelberg. During World War I, he served as an artillery officer. From 1921, he was an ordinarius professor at theDanzigTechnische Hochschule.[1][2]
From 1928 to 1945, he was director of the research division of theAllgemeine Elektrizitäts-Gesellschaft (AEG), an electric combine with headquarters in Berlin andFrankfurt am Main.[3] During the period 1931 to 1945, in addition to his position at AEG, he was honorary professor atTechnische Hochschule Berlin (todayTechnische Universität Berlin); the title meant that he was authorized to teach at the facility, but not required. From 1945, he was ordinarius professor and director of the physics department at theTechnische Hochschule.[1][2][4]
From 1937, Ramsauer was chairman of the Berlin Section of theDeutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (DPG), and from 1940 to 1945 the general chairman, i.e., president of the entire DPG. As president, Ramsauer and his deputyWolfgang Finkelnburg took an independent course of action from the party line and againstDeutsche Physik, which wasanti-Semitic and had a bias againsttheoretical physics, especially includingquantum mechanics. In taking this stance, they were supported by others, includingMax Wien andLudwig Prandtl.[5][6][7]
Early in 1942, as chairman of the DPG, Ramsauer, with the support of Prandtl, submitted a petition to Reich MinisterBernhard Rust, at theReichserziehungsministerium (Reich Education Ministry). The petition, a letter and six attachments,[8] addressed the atrocious state of physics instruction in Germany, which Ramsauer concluded was the result of politicization of education.[9]
Ramsauer was editor of the journalsZeitschrift für technische Physik andPhysik in regelmässigen Berichten. The former journal, founded in 1919, was directed to industrial physicists and engineers, and it was a publication of the German Society of Technical Physics (Deutsche Gesellschaft für technische Physik). The latter journal, founded in 1933, was a supplement to theZeitschrift für technische Physik.[10]
Ramsauer retired in 1955 and died shortly thereafter.[1]
The following was published inKernphysikalische Forschungsberichte (Research Reports in Nuclear Physics), an internal publication of the GermanUranverein. Reports in this publication were classified Top Secret, they had very limited distribution, and the authors were not allowed to keep copies. The reports were confiscated under the AlliedOperation Alsos and sent to theUnited States Atomic Energy Commission for evaluation. In 1971, the reports were declassified and returned to Germany. The reports are available at theKarlsruhe Nuclear Research Center and theAmerican Institute of Physics.[11][12]
Sources
