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Work in aerodynamic research; with Ludwig Prandtl (Universität Göttingen) on supersonic speeds. Work on wing and turbine blade designs in Dresden, mid-1930s; discovers critical features of steady flow shock waves; builds "Busemann biplane" and presents it at the Volta Conference in Italy in 1935 (other presentations at Conference are discussed); Richard Whitcomb's airplane model. Early work on magneto-hydrodynamics, early 1920s, as well as his work on cylindrical focusing of shock waves and non-steady gas dynamics. Brought to England, 1946-1947; works in U.S. with NASA until 1964. Lifetime professorship at University of Colorado from 1964. Also prominently mentioned are: Wernher von Braun, Theodore von Kármán; Nazism.
Appointment to Universität Tübingen by Friederich Paschen; not well-received due to growth of Nazism. Visits to Ohio State University turn into permanent appointment in 1930. Other physicists who moved away from political unrest in Germany; Llewellyn H. Thomas, Louer, Max Born. Transition to work in United States; comparison of academic and social atmosphere in United States and Germany; teaching.
The interview ranges from Inglis’ youth and family origins to his current (1977) activities. Topics include his student days (Amherst College 1924-28, Ann Arbor 1928-31), contact with European physicists and rising Nazism (1932-13), the physics departments at Ohio State, University of Pittsburgh, Princeton, and Johns Hopkins in the 1930’s, and the last of these in the 1940’s; atomic spectroscopy, ferromagnetism, uses of the vector model, shift from atomic to nuclear spectroscopy, the Thomas precession and spin-orbit coupling in nuclei, shell and droplet models for nuclei, intermediate coupling model for light nuclei, the earth’s magnetic field, wind-dynamos and nuclear reactors; Los Alamos during World War II, Argonne Laboratory in the 1950’s and 60’s; expression of social concern, especially in relation to the nuclear arms race, in the 1950’s through the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the political victimization of Donald Flanders, the Federation of American Scientists, congressional testimony concerning Lewis Strauss’ (nominee for Sec. of Commerce) experiences at Pugwash Conferences, obstacles to slowing or reversing the arms race.
The interview ranges from Inglis’ youth and family origins to his current (1977) activities. Topics include his student days (Amherst College 1924-28, Ann Arbor 1928-31), contact with European physicists and rising Nazism (1932-13), the physics departments at Ohio State, University of Pittsburgh, Princeton, and Johns Hopkins in the 1930’s, and the last of these in the 1940’s; atomic spectroscopy, ferromagnetism, uses of the vector model, shift from atomic to nuclear spectroscopy, the Thomas precession and spin-orbit coupling in nuclei, shell and droplet models for nuclei, intermediate coupling model for light nuclei, the earth’s magnetic field, wind-dynamos and nuclear reactors; Los Alamos during World War II, Argonne Laboratory in the 1950’s and 60’s; expression of social concern, especially in relation to the nuclear arms race, in the 1950’s through the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the political victimization of Donald Flanders, the Federation of American Scientists, congressional testimony concerning Lewis Strauss’ (nominee for Sec. of Commerce) experiences at Pugwash Conferences, obstacles to slowing or reversing the arms race.
Work with the Auer Society on rare earths, luminescence, and radiation; an "invitation" to go to Russia in 1945 and work on uranium metal production. Otto Hahn's discovery of nuclear fission; the reactions of German physicists to this discovery. Great care taken while working with radiation. National Socialism and science in Germany; competition within the German uranium project, Werner Heisenberg; the interests of the Auer Society during the war; Riehl as one of the instigators of nuclear power in Germany; on the technique of smoking cigars. Riehl at the Munich Technical University as of 1955 and work with Heinz Maier-Leibnitz on a "swimming-pool" reactor. Also prominently mentioned are: Barwich, Adolf Hitler, Philipp Hörnes, Lise Meitner, Timofejew-Ressowsky, and Zimmer.
Work with the Auer Society on rare earths, luminescence, and radiation; an "invitation" to go to Russia in 1945 and work on uranium metal production. Otto Hahn's discovery of nuclear fission; the reactions of German physicists to this discovery. Great care taken while working with radiation. National Socialism and science in Germany; competition within the German uranium project, Werner Heisenberg; the interests of the Auer Society during the war; Riehl as one of the instigators of nuclear power in Germany; on the technique of smoking cigars. Riehl at the Munich Technical University as of 1955 and work with Heinz Maier-Leibnitz on a "swimming-pool" reactor. Also prominently mentioned are: Barwich, Adolf Hitler, Philipp Hörnes, Lise Meitner, Timofejew-Ressowsky, and Zimmer.
Solid state physics in its early days in Arnold Sommerfeld’s and Werner Heisenberg’s groups, where Peierls was a student in the late 1920s. Sommerfeld’s group compared to Heisenberg’ s group; interaction between experimentalists and theoreticians in Germany, in England and in the U.S.; Peierls’s thesis work on heat conductivity in non-metallic crystals (suggested by Wolfgang Pauli), done in Zurich in 1920 and defended at Universitat Leipzig; the application of the Heitler-London approach in other works (especially Felix Bloch, Arnold Sommerfeld); attempt to state the first use of names and concepts: energy bands, theory of solid bodies; the periods of optimism in the history of physics; the “accidental” change of fields because of Nazism (Hans Bethe). Significant papers on absorption spectra, diamagnetism, phase changes and statistical foundations, published in the 1930s: reasons for selecting these topics; inspirational contributions in the work; responses; associated circumstances and events. Lev Landau and his work also discussed at length.
Solid state physics in its early days in Arnold Sommerfeld’s and Werner Heisenberg’s groups, where Peierls was a student in the late 1920s. Sommerfeld’s group compared to Heisenberg’ s group; interaction between experimentalists and theoreticians in Germany, in England and in the U.S.; Peierls’s thesis work on heat conductivity in non-metallic crystals (suggested by Wolfgang Pauli), done in Zurich in 1920 and defended at Universitat Leipzig; the application of the Heitler-London approach in other works (especially Felix Bloch, Arnold Sommerfeld); attempt to state the first use of names and concepts: energy bands, theory of solid bodies; the periods of optimism in the history of physics; the “accidental” change of fields because of Nazism (Hans Bethe). Significant papers on absorption spectra, diamagnetism, phase changes and statistical foundations, published in the 1930s: reasons for selecting these topics; inspirational contributions in the work; responses; associated circumstances and events. Lev Landau and his work also discussed at length.
Interview conducted in connection with study of the German atomic bomb program 1940-1945. Work on the critical mass of a chain reaction. Move to America during the war. On Werner Heisenberg; Heisenberg’s knowledge of the physics of an atomic bomb. British scientific intelligence during World War II. Plutonium. A Nazi joke; National Socialism; the moral question. Samuel Goudsmit’s book Alsos. Postwar comments by Heisenberg. Robert Jungk’s book Brighter than a Thousand Suns. Postwar relations with German colleagues.
Life of his father, Karl Schwarzschild; father's scientific relationships in Göttingen (Felix Klein, David Hilbert); move to Potsdam, 1909; relations with Potsdam and Berlin scientists (Albert Einstein, Karl Sommerfeld); father's Jewish background concealed. M. Schwarzschild's youth in Göttingen and Berlin; early education, interest in astronomy and mathematics. Undergraduate at Göttingen Universität (Hans Kienle, Richard Courant, Neugebauer), 1930-1933; graduate work at Gottingen Observatory, 1933-1935; his reaction to Nazism. Introduction to astrophysics (Arthur Eddington), interest in stellar interiors and stellar evolution; contacts with other astronomers from Gottingen Observatory (Otto Heckmann, Kienle, Rupert Wildt); comments on general relativity; interest in pulsating stars; leaves Göttingen, 1936. Postdoctorate at Oslo (Svein Rosseland); Jan Oort, Ejnar Hertzsprung; mechanical analog computer for computations in astrophysics and celestial mechanics; comments on development of theory of stellar interiors, 1939-1950. To Harvard College Observatory (Harlow Shapley), 1938; C. Payne-Gaposchkin, Bart Bok; comparison of European and American observational style, social scene; Barbara Schwarzschild's difficulties as female astronomer; contacts with S. Chandrasekhar and other astronomers. Tour of the United States; visits Mt. Wilson Observatory (Wilhelm Baade, Rudolph Minkowski, Edwin Hubble, Milton Humason), 1940; Shapley's relationship with Mt. Wilson staff. Harvard (Fred Whipple), 1938-1941; Shapley as a leader; astronomy summer school at Harvard; work on Cepheid variables in M3 (Bok, Chandrasekhar); overall impact on Schwarzschild of Harvard period. Columbia University (Jan Schildt, I. I. Rabi), 1940-1942; difficulties there; origin and funding of Thomas Watson Astronomical Computing Center; discussion of cosmology in the late 1930s; contacts with physicists (Enrico Fermi). In U.S. Army, 1941-1945; enters as private, teaches math to recruits; refuses invitation to Los Alamos; transferred to Aberdeen Proving Ground, dissatisfaction there; to officers training school, does bombing analysis for Italian campaign. Work relating to stellar interiors and evolution, 1938-1946; nuclear energy source ideas (Hans Bethe, Fermi); Eddington, Gerard Kuiper, Chandrasekhar, G. Keller; German astronomers during World War II (Ludwig Biermann). Discussion of wife's career and her role in his career. Early ideas about red giants (Öpik, Herman Bondi, Fred Hoyle), 1946-1950. Work on acoustic wave energy transport (R. Richardson, Gold); work on chemical composition differences in stellar populations. To Princeton University (Spitzer, H. N. Russell), 1947; Project Matterhorn (start of bomb and fusion projects); relationship with Russell. Stellar evolution work in the 1950s; computer work (John Von Neumann, Richard Härm), mid-1950s; collaboration with Allan Sandage evolving a stellar model, 1952; computing towards red giants; observational cluster work, 1951; ages, metallicity, and the Big Bang; beginnings of "astrophysical" cosmology. Evolution theory after late 1950s; effect of computers on theoretical progress; relation of evolution theory to cosmology; general comments on his work in stellar evolution; interactions with Robert Dicke; views on cosmology, general relativity. Need for better solar convection work leads to use of balloons (James Van Allen); post-Sputnik funding; on cooperation with industry and engineers; Stratoscope II (Bob Danielson, Spitzer). Years advising the National Science Foundation, President's Science Advisory Committee, 1959-1976, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Von Neumann), to 1969; The International Astronomical Union, 1964-1970; American Asronomical Society, 1967-1973. Informal advisor to various observatories: Kitt Peak National Observatory, Mt. Wilson-Palomar Observatories, Carnegie Southern Observatory. Recent work on galactic structure. Reflects on importance of ethical standards; his feelings about religion and nature.