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Fig. 1 Walther Gerlach’s nominations for a Nobel prize in Physics. The compilation is based on the information available at the nomination archive https://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/archive/. The 1924 nomination by Albert Einstein was not a valid one, as Einstein nominated additional candidates apart from Stern and Gerlach that year

Figure 1 Walther Gerlach’s nominations for a Nobel prize in Physics. The compilation is based on the information available at the nomination archive https://www.nobelprize.org/nomination/archive/. The 1924 nomination by Albert Einstein was not a valid one, as Einstein nominated additional candidates apart from Stern and Gerlach that year

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At the outset of his studies in Tiibingen, Gerlach joined the student association Corps Borussia, a fencing fraternity like his father’s Corps Alemannia—and another formative influence. Figure 7 shows Gerlach in his early thirties with a fencing wound on his left cheek. Gerlach would leave the fraternity as late as 1954, likely to indicate his view that German universities should foster international spirit rather than parochial student associations.
At the outset of his studies in Tiibingen, Gerlach joined the student association Corps Borussia, a fencing fraternity like his father’s Corps Alemannia—and another formative influence. Figure 7 shows Gerlach in his early thirties with a fencing wound on his left cheek. Gerlach would leave the fraternity as late as 1954, likely to indicate his view that German universities should foster international spirit rather than parochial student associations.
Fig. 10 Schematic of the apparatus Gerlach built in Paschen’s laboratory in Tiibingen to perform precision measurements of the proportionality constant o in the Stefan-Boltzmann law (Gerlach 1912). Gerlach’s realization of the black body together with a diaphragm (D) and slits (b, and bz) is shown on the left. The right-hand side shows the detector with the detection strips and thermopile (Th), the galvanometer (G), and apertures (B). The detector assembly is mounted on a dividing engine whose position can be accurately controlled Developing into a “war of attrition,” the exchanges slowed down after the outbreak of World War One and ceased in 1916 (Gerlach 1916)—without resolving the issue. Throughout, Gerlach was troubled by the realization that a physics problem could not be brought to a closure, if possible in his favor. He would devise and implement new experimental schemes with a great persistence—but to no avail. In the end, the PTR made plans for resuming the measurements of o—using Gerlach’s method. Gerlach would demonstrate both his persistence and inventiveness in his later work
Fig. 10 Schematic of the apparatus Gerlach built in Paschen’s laboratory in Tiibingen to perform precision measurements of the proportionality constant o in the Stefan-Boltzmann law (Gerlach 1912). Gerlach’s realization of the black body together with a diaphragm (D) and slits (b, and bz) is shown on the left. The right-hand side shows the detector with the detection strips and thermopile (Th), the galvanometer (G), and apertures (B). The detector assembly is mounted on a dividing engine whose position can be accurately controlled Developing into a “war of attrition,” the exchanges slowed down after the outbreak of World War One and ceased in 1916 (Gerlach 1916)—without resolving the issue. Throughout, Gerlach was troubled by the realization that a physics problem could not be brought to a closure, if possible in his favor. He would devise and implement new experimental schemes with a great persistence—but to no avail. In the end, the PTR made plans for resuming the measurements of o—using Gerlach’s method. Gerlach would demonstrate both his persistence and inventiveness in his later work
‘ig. 13. The torsional radiometer of Gerlach and Golsen in side-view (top) and top-view (bottom) Golsen 1924). The vane (not shown) used in the first quantitative measurement of radiation pressure vas made of platinum foil (1.45 x 1.05 cm? and 7 jm thick). Its weight was balanced out by « platinum wire. The radiometer was housed in a glass ball (G/) equipped with arms (A;—As) for yumping and access and to allow to bring the radiation in and to take it out. It was evacuated by . Volmer diffusion pump combined with a cryo- and sorption pump (a Volmeraggregat) separated yy a valve (H). The pressure was measured using a McLeod gauge and below 107° torr inferred rom the damping of the torsional oscillations of the radiometer suspended on a 11 cm long quartz ilament. A mirror (S$) was attached to the filament to facilitate the read-out of the amplitude of the orsional oscillations. The radiation source was a tungsten arc lamp (W) whose output was focused yn the vane by a camera lens (Ob). The power of the lamp was calibrated using a Hefner lamp and nonitored during the measurements by a thermopile (7h) connected to a galvanometer (G). Except or the windows. the glass ball was shielded by a cotton-wool wrapping
‘ig. 13. The torsional radiometer of Gerlach and Golsen in side-view (top) and top-view (bottom) Golsen 1924). The vane (not shown) used in the first quantitative measurement of radiation pressure vas made of platinum foil (1.45 x 1.05 cm? and 7 jm thick). Its weight was balanced out by « platinum wire. The radiometer was housed in a glass ball (G/) equipped with arms (A;—As) for yumping and access and to allow to bring the radiation in and to take it out. It was evacuated by . Volmer diffusion pump combined with a cryo- and sorption pump (a Volmeraggregat) separated yy a valve (H). The pressure was measured using a McLeod gauge and below 107° torr inferred rom the damping of the torsional oscillations of the radiometer suspended on a 11 cm long quartz ilament. A mirror (S$) was attached to the filament to facilitate the read-out of the amplitude of the orsional oscillations. The radiation source was a tungsten arc lamp (W) whose output was focused yn the vane by a camera lens (Ob). The power of the lamp was calibrated using a Hefner lamp and nonitored during the measurements by a thermopile (7h) connected to a galvanometer (G). Except or the windows. the glass ball was shielded by a cotton-wool wrapping
Fig. 16 The Gerlach family in Weimar in about 1927. From left: Walther Gerlach, Wolfgang Gerlach (brother of Walther Gerlach), Ruth Gerlach, neé Probst (2nd wife of Walther Gerlach), Valentin Gerlach (Walther Gerlach’s father), Ingeborg Gerlach (elder daughter of Werner Gerlach and his wife Henriette “Henny” Syffert, who in 1943 married Wolfgang Kittel; they had two sons: Werner Kittel, born in 1945, and Gerd Kittel, born in 1948), Marie Gerlach, neé Niederhaeuser (mother of Walther Gerlach), Henny Gerlach, neé Syffert (wife of Werner Gerlach), and Werner Gerlach (brother of Walther Gerlach). Courtesy of Werner Kittel, Hamburg
Fig. 16 The Gerlach family in Weimar in about 1927. From left: Walther Gerlach, Wolfgang Gerlach (brother of Walther Gerlach), Ruth Gerlach, neé Probst (2nd wife of Walther Gerlach), Valentin Gerlach (Walther Gerlach’s father), Ingeborg Gerlach (elder daughter of Werner Gerlach and his wife Henriette “Henny” Syffert, who in 1943 married Wolfgang Kittel; they had two sons: Werner Kittel, born in 1945, and Gerd Kittel, born in 1948), Marie Gerlach, neé Niederhaeuser (mother of Walther Gerlach), Henny Gerlach, neé Syffert (wife of Werner Gerlach), and Werner Gerlach (brother of Walther Gerlach). Courtesy of Werner Kittel, Hamburg
in setting the goals for the nuclear program and avoiding being “ordered to build the bomb; since failure to do so at the height of war would surely have meant execution” (Cassidy 2017), p. 55. We note that Heisenberg’s understanding of the functioning of the bomb was inadequate all the way down to Farm Hall, as his recorded lecture to and conversations with his detained colleagues attest. As a result, his estimate of the critical mass of U-235 was orders of magnitude too high and so was the time needed to accumulate it by isotope separation (Bernstein 2001), pp. 129-131. Figure 17 shows Gerlach later on with two of his Farm Hall fellow detainees and interlocutors, Hahn and von Weizsiacker. a ek a oe ek i: se eT nL ie, ane
in setting the goals for the nuclear program and avoiding being “ordered to build the bomb; since failure to do so at the height of war would surely have meant execution” (Cassidy 2017), p. 55. We note that Heisenberg’s understanding of the functioning of the bomb was inadequate all the way down to Farm Hall, as his recorded lecture to and conversations with his detained colleagues attest. As a result, his estimate of the critical mass of U-235 was orders of magnitude too high and so was the time needed to accumulate it by isotope separation (Bernstein 2001), pp. 129-131. Figure 17 shows Gerlach later on with two of his Farm Hall fellow detainees and interlocutors, Hahn and von Weizsiacker. a ek a oe ek i: se eT nL ie, ane
Fig. 20 Plaque at the entrance of the former Physikalisches Institut of the University of Frankfurt, Robert-Mayer Str. 2-4. Photo H. Schmidt-Bocking, 2002
Fig. 20 Plaque at the entrance of the former Physikalisches Institut of the University of Frankfurt, Robert-Mayer Str. 2-4. Photo H. Schmidt-Bocking, 2002
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