Karl Heinrich Wiederkehr: Photoeffekte, Einsteins
Lichtquanten und die Geschichte ihrer Akzeptanz
Zum 125 jhrigen Geburtstag Albert Einsteins
It is generally supposed, that the discovery of the
efficacy-quantum by Planck was the impetus to EinsteinÕs hypothesis of lightquanta. With its
help Einstein could explain the external
light-electrical effect. But even years before Einstein had worked at the photoeffect and
already made experiments on it. For that reason the article gives a short
survey about the history of the lightelectric effects. LenardÕs basical work about the release of
the photoelectrons is dealt with in detail, without which Einstein would scarcely have found his
lightquanta. Furthermore it is shown how difficult it was for the physicists to
give up – at least partially – the traditional view of the
undulation-nature of light, and how they searched to explain the great energies
of the photoelectrons. On the other side it is set forth how EinsteinÕs formula of lightquanta was
gradually confirmed. The tragical development of EinsteinÕs personal relations with Johannes Stark and Philipp Lenard are briefly described. Stark was one of the few who supported EinsteinÕs ideas at the beginning. Only with
the Compton-effect, which could only be
quantitatively interpreted by means of lightquanta and the special theory of
relativity 1923, the way was free for the general acceptance of the
lightquanta. Einstein did not agree to the obtained dualism of undulation and corpuscle; he
had a different solution in mind about the fusion of the two forms of
appearance of light.
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