Laue, Max Theodor Felix

(1879-1960)
Born Oct. 9, 1879 in Pfaffendorfe near Koblenz. Educated at the universities of Strasbourg, Gottingen, Munich and Berlin. In 1905-1909 - assistant at Max Planck Institute for Theoretical Physics, . in 1909-1912 - Associate Professor, University of Munich, Professor at Zurich (1912-1914), . Frankfurt (1914-1919), . Berlin (1919-1943) and GцІttingen (1946) universities, . Deputy Director of the Physics Institute in GцІttingen (1946-1951), . Director of the Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry at Berlin (1951-1959),
. The most famous works Laue devoted to the theory of interference of X-rays on crystals, which he proposed to use as a diffraction grating. In 1912 the theory has received experimental confirmation in the works of Friedrich and P. Knipping. In 1914, Laue was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics "for his discovery of X-ray diffraction on crystals'. This discovery was confirmed by the nature of X-rays and determined their position on the scale of electromagnetic waves, as well as provide the basis of powerful method for investigating the structure of matter - X-ray analysis. Other works relate to the Laue optics, crystal physics, superconductivity, relativity, electromagnetism, solid state physics. The scientist was an active promoter of the theory of relativity, was engaged in the history of physics. Author of books - Principle of Relativity (Das Relativittsprinzip, 1911), Theory of Relativity (Die Relativittstheorie, 1921); History of Physics (Geschichte der Physik, 1946), Theory of Superconductivity (Theorie der Supraleitung, 1947). Laue died in Berlin on April 23, 1960.