Institute for Radium Research, Vienna
Encyclopedia
The Institute for Radium Research was an Austrian research institute
associated with the Austrian Academy of Sciences
, Vienna
. The Institute's researchers won multiple Nobel Prizes. With the decline of interest in radium, the institute's name was changed in 1956.
mines were located within the Austria-Hungary
monarchy, and were the largest producers of uranium containing ore at the end of the 19th century. Eduard Suess sent the first samples of pitchblende
to Pierre
and Marie Curie
for their research on radioactive materials. This action was taken after the advice of Franz Serafin Exner. After the discovery of radium
, the Austrian industrial Karl Kupelwieser donated 500,000 Austrian kronen to found an institute for research on radium in 1908. After constructing the building for the institute in 1909–1910, the institute was opened on 28 October 1910. Stefan Meyer
became the first acting director, and Franz Serafin Exner was the director of the institute until Meyer took over in 1920. Meyer stayed in that position until the Anschluss
Österreichs in 1938, the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany
, forced him to retire. After the war, he was reinstated as director and performed his duties until his death in 1949. The starting years were dominated by the research on the new element radium. Meyer was able to organize the production of 4 gram
radium, as recommended in 1901 by the Austrian Academy of Sciences
. The chemical plant of Auer von Welsbach
, which was used to produce rare earth element
s, provided the necessary technical equipment and knowledge required for separation of small quantities of material from ore. This relative large amount made it possible for Otto Hönigschmid
to determine the molecular mass of radium using 1.5 g of radium bromide
.
Victor Franz Hess was working on the absorption of gamma ray
s in the atmosphere
. His discovery of cosmic ray
s in 1912, which was rewarded by the Nobel Prize
in 1936, was a direct result of his work in the institute.
George de Hevesy
and Friedrich Adolf Paneth developed at the Institute the radioactive tracer
s method, for which Hevesy received the Nobel Prize in 1943. Initially, very few female scientists worked at the Institute, including Berta Karlik
and Marietta Blau
; however, the percentage of women reached 30% during the time of Meyer.
The institute was renamed in 1956 and again in the mid 1980s.
Research institute
A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
associated with the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Austrian Academy of Sciences
The Austrian Academy of Sciences is a legal entity under the special protection of the Federal Republic of Austria. According to the statutes of the Academy its mission is to promote the sciences and humanities in every respect and in every field, particularly in fundamental research...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. The Institute's researchers won multiple Nobel Prizes. With the decline of interest in radium, the institute's name was changed in 1956.
History
The Sankt JoachimsthalJáchymov
For other places called Joachimsthal, see Joachimsthal Jáchymov . compl: "Sant Joachim's Sthal" is a spa town in north-west Bohemia in the Czech Republic belonging to the Karlovy Vary Region. It is situated at an altitude of 733 m above sea level in the eponymous St...
mines were located within the Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
monarchy, and were the largest producers of uranium containing ore at the end of the 19th century. Eduard Suess sent the first samples of pitchblende
Uraninite
Uraninite is a radioactive, uranium-rich mineral and ore with a chemical composition that is largely UO2, but also contains UO3 and oxides of lead, thorium, and rare earth elements...
to Pierre
Pierre Curie
Pierre Curie was a French physicist, a pioneer in crystallography, magnetism, piezoelectricity and radioactivity, and Nobel laureate. He was the son of Dr. Eugène Curie and Sophie-Claire Depouilly Curie ...
and Marie Curie
Marie Curie
Marie Skłodowska-Curie was a physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in physics and chemistry...
for their research on radioactive materials. This action was taken after the advice of Franz Serafin Exner. After the discovery of radium
Radium
Radium is a chemical element with atomic number 88, represented by the symbol Ra. Radium is an almost pure-white alkaline earth metal, but it readily oxidizes on exposure to air, becoming black in color. All isotopes of radium are highly radioactive, with the most stable isotope being radium-226,...
, the Austrian industrial Karl Kupelwieser donated 500,000 Austrian kronen to found an institute for research on radium in 1908. After constructing the building for the institute in 1909–1910, the institute was opened on 28 October 1910. Stefan Meyer
Stefan Meyer (physicist)
Stefan Meyer was an Austrian physicist involved in research on radioactivity. He became director of the Institute for Radium Research in Vienna and received the Lieben Prize in 1913 for his research on radium...
became the first acting director, and Franz Serafin Exner was the director of the institute until Meyer took over in 1920. Meyer stayed in that position until the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
Österreichs in 1938, the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, forced him to retire. After the war, he was reinstated as director and performed his duties until his death in 1949. The starting years were dominated by the research on the new element radium. Meyer was able to organize the production of 4 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
radium, as recommended in 1901 by the Austrian Academy of Sciences
Austrian Academy of Sciences
The Austrian Academy of Sciences is a legal entity under the special protection of the Federal Republic of Austria. According to the statutes of the Academy its mission is to promote the sciences and humanities in every respect and in every field, particularly in fundamental research...
. The chemical plant of Auer von Welsbach
Auer von Welsbach
Auer von Welsbach:* Alois Auer, Ritter von Welsbach** Carl Auer, Freiherr von Welsbach, son of Alois...
, which was used to produce rare earth element
Rare earth element
As defined by IUPAC, rare earth elements or rare earth metals are a set of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table, specifically the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium...
s, provided the necessary technical equipment and knowledge required for separation of small quantities of material from ore. This relative large amount made it possible for Otto Hönigschmid
Otto Hönigschmid
Otto Hönigschmid was a Czech/Austrian chemist.-Education:Hönigschmid studied at the gymnasium in Olomouc, then at the Charles University in Prague under the guidance of Guido Goldschmiedt .-Work:Hönigschmid worked in Paris under Henri Moissan and at Harvard University under...
to determine the molecular mass of radium using 1.5 g of radium bromide
Radium bromide
Radium bromide is the bromide salt of radium, with the formula RaBr2. It is produced during the separation of radium from uranium ore. This inorganic compound was discovered by Pierre and Marie Curie in 1898, which sparked a huge interest in radiochemistry, especially radiotherapy...
.
Victor Franz Hess was working on the absorption of gamma ray
Gamma ray
Gamma radiation, also known as gamma rays or hyphenated as gamma-rays and denoted as γ, is electromagnetic radiation of high frequency . Gamma rays are usually naturally produced on Earth by decay of high energy states in atomic nuclei...
s in the atmosphere
Atmosphere
An atmosphere is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mass, and that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere may be retained for a longer duration, if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low...
. His discovery of cosmic ray
Cosmic ray
Cosmic rays are energetic charged subatomic particles, originating from outer space. They may produce secondary particles that penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and surface. The term ray is historical as cosmic rays were thought to be electromagnetic radiation...
s in 1912, which was rewarded by the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in 1936, was a direct result of his work in the institute.
George de Hevesy
George de Hevesy
George Charles de Hevesy, Georg Karl von Hevesy, was a Hungarian radiochemist and Nobel laureate, recognized in 1943 for his key role in the development of radioactive tracers to study chemical processes such as in the metabolism of animals.- Early years :Hevesy György was born in Budapest,...
and Friedrich Adolf Paneth developed at the Institute the radioactive tracer
Radioactive tracer
A radioactive tracer, also called a radioactive label, is a substance containing a radioisotope that is used to measure the speed of chemical processes and to track the movement of a substance through a natural system such as a cell or tissue...
s method, for which Hevesy received the Nobel Prize in 1943. Initially, very few female scientists worked at the Institute, including Berta Karlik
Berta Karlik
Berta Karlik was an Austrian physicist.She discovered that the element 85 astatine is a product of the natural decay processes. The element was first synthesized in 1940 by Dale R. Corson, K. R...
and Marietta Blau
Marietta Blau
Marietta Blau was an Austrian physicist. After having obtained the general certificate of education from the girls' high school run by the Association for the Extended Education of Women, she studied physics and mathematics at the University of Vienna from 1914 to 1918; her Ph. D...
; however, the percentage of women reached 30% during the time of Meyer.
The institute was renamed in 1956 and again in the mid 1980s.