Karl Weissenberg
Encyclopedia
Karl Weissenberg was an Austria
n physicist
, notable for his contributions to rheology
and crystallography
.
The Weissenberg effect
was named after him, as was the Weissenberg number
. He invented a Goniometer
to study X-ray diffraction of crystals for which he received the Duddell Medal
of the Institute of Physics
in 1946, and the Weissenberg rheogoniometer, a type of rheometer
. The European Society of Rheology offers a Weissenberg award in his honour.
He was born on 11 June 1893 in Vienna
(Austria
) and died in 1976 in the Netherlands
. He studied at the Universities of Vienna
, Berlin
and Jena with Mathematics
as his main subject. He published on the theories of Symmetry groups and Tensor
and Matrix algebra
, then applied mathematics and experimentation to crystallography
, rheology
and medical science.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
, notable for his contributions to rheology
Rheology
Rheology is the study of the flow of matter, primarily in the liquid state, but also as 'soft solids' or solids under conditions in which they respond with plastic flow rather than deforming elastically in response to an applied force....
and crystallography
Crystallography
Crystallography is the experimental science of the arrangement of atoms in solids. The word "crystallography" derives from the Greek words crystallon = cold drop / frozen drop, with its meaning extending to all solids with some degree of transparency, and grapho = write.Before the development of...
.
The Weissenberg effect
Weissenberg effect
The Weissenberg effect is a common phenomenon that occurs when a spinning rod is placed into a solution of liquid polymer. Instead of being thrown outward, entanglements cause the polymer chains to be drawn towards the rod. It is named after Karl Weissenberg....
was named after him, as was the Weissenberg number
Weissenberg number
The Weissenberg number is a dimensionless number used in the study of viscoelastic flows. It is named after Karl Weissenberg. The dimensionless number is the ratio of the relaxation time of the fluid and a specific process time...
. He invented a Goniometer
Goniometer
A goniometer is an instrument that either measures an angle or allows an object to be rotated to a precise angular position. The term goniometry is derived from two Greek words, gōnia, meaning angle, and metron, meaning measure....
to study X-ray diffraction of crystals for which he received the Duddell Medal
Duddell Medal and Prize
The Duddell Medal and Prize was a prize awarded annually by the Institute of Physics in the memory of William du Bois Duddell, the inventor of the electromagnetic oscillograph. The medal was instituted by the Council of The Physical Society in 1923. Between 1961 and 1973 the prize was awarded in...
of the Institute of Physics
Institute of Physics
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
in 1946, and the Weissenberg rheogoniometer, a type of rheometer
Rheometer
A rheometer is a laboratory device used to measure the way in which a liquid, suspension or slurry flows in response to applied forces. It is used for those fluids which cannot be defined by a single value of viscosity and therefore require more parameters to be set and measured than is the case...
. The European Society of Rheology offers a Weissenberg award in his honour.
He was born on 11 June 1893 in 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...
(Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
) and died in 1976 in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. He studied at the Universities of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Jena with Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
as his main subject. He published on the theories of Symmetry groups and Tensor
Tensor
Tensors are geometric objects that describe linear relations between vectors, scalars, and other tensors. Elementary examples include the dot product, the cross product, and linear maps. Vectors and scalars themselves are also tensors. A tensor can be represented as a multi-dimensional array of...
and Matrix algebra
Matrix algebra
Matrix algebra may refer to:*Matrix theory, is the branch of mathematics that studies matrices*Matrix ring, thought of as an algebra over a field or a commutative ring...
, then applied mathematics and experimentation to crystallography
Crystallography
Crystallography is the experimental science of the arrangement of atoms in solids. The word "crystallography" derives from the Greek words crystallon = cold drop / frozen drop, with its meaning extending to all solids with some degree of transparency, and grapho = write.Before the development of...
, rheology
Rheology
Rheology is the study of the flow of matter, primarily in the liquid state, but also as 'soft solids' or solids under conditions in which they respond with plastic flow rather than deforming elastically in response to an applied force....
and medical science.
Further Reading
- Publications of Karl Weissenberg (K.W.) and Collaborators
- Churchill Archives Centre The Papers of Karl Weissenberg (with brief biography)