Rudolf Mössbauer

"Mössbauer" redirects here. For other uses, seeMössbauer (disambiguation).

Rudolf Mössbauer
Mössbauer in 1961
Born	Rudolf Ludwig Mössbauer (1929-01-31)31 January 1929 Munich, Germany
Died	14 September 2011(2011-09-14)(aged 82) Grünwald, Germany
Alma mater	Technical University of Munich
Known for	Mössbauer effect Mössbauer spectroscopy Lamb–Mössbauer factor
Spouses	Elizabeth Pritz ​ (m.1957)​ (div.1983) Christel Braun ​ (m.1985)​
Awards	Nobel Prize in Physics(1961) Elliott Cresson Medal(1961) Guthrie Medal(1974) Lomonosov Gold Medal(1984) Albert Einstein Medal(1986) Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts(1996)
Scientific career
Fields	Nuclearandatomic physics
Institutions	Technical University of Munich Caltech
Doctoral advisor	Heinz Maier-Leibnitz

Rudolf Ludwig Mössbauer(German spelling:Mößbauer;German pronunciation:[ˈʁuːdɔlfˈmœsˌbaʊ̯ɐ];31 January 1929 – 14 September 2011) was a Germanphysicistbest known for his 1957 discovery of 'recoilless nuclear resonance fluorescence', for which he was awarded the 1961Nobel Prize in Physics.This effect, called theMössbauer effect,is the basis forMössbauer spectroscopy.

Career

Mössbauer was born inMunich,where he also studied physics at theTechnical University of Munich.He prepared hisDiplomthesis in theLaboratory of Applied PhysicsofHeinz Maier-Leibnitzand graduated in 1955. He then went to theMax Planck Institute for Medical ResearchinHeidelberg.Since this institute, not being part of a university, had no right to award a doctorate, Mössbauer remained under the auspices of Maier-Leibnitz, who was his official thesis advisor when he passed his PhD exam in Munich in 1958.

In his PhD work, he discoveredrecoilless nuclear fluorescence of gamma rays in 191 iridium,theMössbauer effect.His fame grew immensely in 1960 whenRobert PoundandGlen Rebkaused this effect to prove thered shiftof gamma radiation in the gravitational field of the Earth; thisPound–Rebka experimentwas one of the first experimental precision tests ofAlbert Einstein'sgeneral theory of relativity.The long-term importance of the Mössbauer effect, however, is its use inMössbauer spectroscopy.Along withRobert Hofstadter,Rudolf Mössbauer was awarded the 1961 Nobel Prize in Physics.

On the suggestion ofRichard Feynman,Mössbauer was invited in 1960 toCaltechin USA, where he advanced rapidly from research fellow to senior research fellow; he was appointed a full professor of physics in early 1962. In 1964, his alma mater, theTechnical University of Munich(TUM), convinced him to go back as a full professor. He retained this position until he becameprofessor emeritusin 1997. As a condition for his return, thefaculty of physicsintroduced a "department" system. This system, strongly influenced by Mössbauer's American experience, was in radical contrast to the traditional, hierarchical "faculty" system of German universities, and it gave the TUM an eminent position in German physics.

In 1972, Rudolf Mössbauer went to Grenoble to succeed Heinz Maier-Leibnitz as the director of theInstitut Laue-Langevinjust when its newly built high-fluxresearch reactorwent into operation. After serving a five-year term, Mössbauer returned to Munich, where he found his institutional reforms reversed by overarching legislation. Until the end of his career, he often expressed bitterness over this "destruction of the department." Meanwhile, his research interests shifted toneutrinophysics.

Mössbauer was regarded as an excellent teacher. He gave highly specialized lectures on numerous courses, includingNeutrino Physics,Neutrino Oscillations,The Unification of the Electromagnetic and Weak InteractionsandThe Interaction of Photons and Neutrons With Matter.In 1984, he gave undergraduate lectures to 350 people taking the physics course. He told his students: “Explain it! The most important thing is, that you are able to explain it! You will have exams, there you have to explain it. Eventually, you pass them, you get your diploma and you think, that's it! – No, the whole life is an exam, you'll have to write applications, you'll have to discuss with peers... So learn to explain it! You can train this by explaining to another student, a colleague. If they are not available, explain it to your mother – or to your cat!”

Personal life

Mössbauer married Elizabeth Pritz in 1957. They had a son, Peter and two daughters Regine and Susi.They divorced in 1983, and he married his second wife Christel Braun in 1985.

Mössbauer died atGrünwald, Germanyon 14 September 2011 at the age of 82.

External links

• Literature by and about Rudolf Mössbauerin theGerman National Librarycatalogue
• Rudolf Mössbaueron Nobelprize.org,a major source for this article
• Nobelprize.org. Nobel Media AB 2014. Web. 3 Jan 2015.Interview with Rudolf Mössbauer (18 minutes)