Einstein 1905

and the birth of modern physics

 Einstein Year

Einstein 1905

 Nature of Light
 Atomic Theory
 Special Theory of Relativity
 Early Years

 Born in Ulm (D) 1879

 Primary and secondary school (MUC)
 Family move to Milan 1894

 Aarau Gymnasium (SCH) 1895

 ETH (ZUR) 1896
 Student Years

 Not a model student

 Lack of interest
 Diploma in maths and physics 1900

 Unable to find University assistantship

 Temporary schoolteaching
 Bern 1901- 1905

 Tech expert in Swiss Patent Office (Bern)

 Swiss citizenship in 1901

 Daughter with Mileva Maric in 1902

 Adoption
 Married in 1903
 Son in 1904
 Bern 1901-1905

 Engineering problems (day)

 Fundamental physics problems (night)
 Olympia Academy of Philosophy

 Arrival of Micheal Besso

 Five scientific papers on thermodynamics
 Contemporary Physics

 Mechanics F = ma
Law of Gravity

 Electromagnetism Elec +Mag =EM

Light = electromagnetic wave

 Radiation Planck’s Law

 Radioactivity Energy mystery

 Einstein 1905

 The Nature of Light

(cornerstone of quantum theory)

 Atomic Theory
(reality of atoms)

 Special Theory of Relativity

(physics of relative motion)
 I Atomic Theory

 Greeks – matter composed of atoms

 Dalton – atoms of the chemical elements differ
 Avogadro –atoms and molecules

 Mendeleev – Periodic Table

 Maxwell – Kinetic theory of gases

No direct evidence
 Einstein and Atomic Theory

 Molecular dimensions in liquids

 Well received

 Statistics of molecular motion in liquids

 Fluctuations

 Effect on immersed particle - Brownian motion

 Mean free path calculation
 Einstein and Atomic Theory

 1906-08 Perrin’s Brownian Motion experiments

 1908 : Confirmation of Einstein predictions

Atomic theory = reality

 Role of probability and statistics in nature

 Einstein established
 Nobel Prize for Perrin
 II Problems with Light

 Radiation studies
 Ultraviolet Catastrophe
 Planck’s Radiation Law (1900)

“Radiation emitted/absorbed in chunks (quanta)”

 Mathematical artefact
 Applies only to oscillators
 Einstein and Light

 Einstein : inconsistency in Planck’s Law

 Einstein : new statistical approach (1905)

“Light itself behaving like particles (quanta)”

 Explained Planck’s law, Photoelectric Effect

 Conflict with wave theory of light

 Rejected for 17 years
 III Relativity

 Galileo: Principle of Relativity

 Laws of mechanics independent of uniform motion

 Impossible to detect motion internally

 No absolute frame of reference for motion

 Newton : absolute space

 Relativity and Electromagnetism

 Maxwell : electromagnetic theory

 Radiation = electromagnetic waves (speed 3x108 m/s)

light = em wave of speed 3x108 m/s

 Speed relative to ether ?

 Absolute frame of reference for light ?
 Experiments
 Einstein’s Relativity 1905

 Relativity applies to all laws of physics

(includes electromagnetism)

 Speed of light = universal constant

(general principle)

Implication: time and distance not absolute

 Implications of Special Relativity

 Length of a body L(v)  L0 1  v 2 / c 2

 Time interval
t (v )  t 0 / 1  v / c
2 2

 Mass of a body
m(v)  m0 / 1  v 2 / c 2
 Implications of SR

 Time is relative
 Time + space = spacetime

 Mass is a form of energy

E = mc2
 Response to relativity

 Controversy (1905-08)
 Kaufmann experiments (1908)
 Bucherer experiments (1909)

By 1911 Special Relativity accepted

 Career Progress

 1905 PhD (ETH)

 1908 Privatdozent (Univ Bern)
 1909 Assoc Prof (Univ Zurich)

 1911 Prof (Univ Prague)

 1912 Prof (ETH Zurich)
 1914 Prof (Univ Berlin), Director (FW Institute)
 1913 Separation
 Middle Years (1908-1916)

 Relativity and accelerated bodies (1908-15)

 Principle of Equivalence
 General Relativity (1915)

“Gravity = curvature of space-time”

 Bending of light by gravity

 Slowing of time by gravity
 Cosmological implications
 After the War

 1916 Photoelectric effect (Millikan)

 1919 Evidence for GR (Eddington)

1921 Nobel Prize (Photoelectric effect)

 1923 Compton Effect (light quanta)

 1925 Electron waves (quantum duality)

 Between Wars

 1919 Remarried
 1920s Anti-semitism in Germany
Einstein’s work attacked
 1930-33 Rise of Nazi Party

 1930-33 Visiting Prof at Caltech (US)

 1933 Hitler assumes power
 1933 Flight to Princeton (US)
 Princeton Years (1933-55)

 Hero’s Welcome
 American Icon
 Letter to Roosevelt (1939)
 Manhattan Project

 Regret at Hiroshima (1944)

 Nuclear disarmament (1940s)
 McCarthyism (1950s)
 Princeton Years (1933-55)

 Interpretation of quantum theory

 Relativity and electromagnetism

Unified Field Theory

 Evidence for relativity (1950s)

 New York Times
Iconic figure
 Einstein Today

Atomic Theory Reality of atoms

Stat. applications

Quantum Theory Wave/particle duality

Applications

Special Relativity Particle physics

Nuclear fission and fusion
 Einstein Today

General Relativity Underlies cosmology

Evolution of Universe

Unified Field Theory Still not solved

Holy grail of physics