Victor Francis Hess was an Austrian-American physicist who won the 1936
Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of cosmic radiation. Born in
late nineteenth century Austria, he graduated from the University of
Graz and started his career at Institute of Radium Research of the
Viennese Academy of Sciences. While working there in 1913, he discovered
that atmospheric ionization was caused, not by the earth as was
believed at that time, but by a highly penetrating ray that originated
in the outer space. Unfortunately, at that time, there were few takers
of the theory outside the University of Vienna and it was not until 1925
that his theory was corroborated and the ray was named as ‘cosmic ray’.
He received Nobel Prize in Physics for this invention even later.
Nonetheless, he kept on teaching at different Austrian universities and
once Austria was occupied by Germany, Hess fled to USA. There too he
kept on his research work and contributed significantly in the field of
radioactivity. He was strongly opposed to nuclear test because he
believed that very little was known about radioactivity to say for sure
such tests, even if carried underground, would have no impact on the
surface.
Childhood & Early Life
Victor
Francis Hess was born on the 24 June 1883, in Waldstein Castle, near
Peggau in Steiermark, Austria. His father, Vinzens Hess, was a forester
under the service of Prince Louis of Oettingen-Wallerstein. His mother’s
name was Serafine Edle von Grossbauer-Waldstätt.
Major Works
Although
Hess had undertaken research work all through his life and had made
important contributions to an understanding of radiation and its effects
on the human body, discovery of the cosmic rays is his most important
work. It opened the door to many new discoveries in the field of nuclear
physics as well as particle or high energy physics.
Awards & Achievements
- In 1919, he was awarded with the Ignaz Lieben Prize by the Austrian Academy of Sciences for the discovery of cosmic rays.
- In 1936, Victor Francis Hess jointly received Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of cosmic radiation.
- In 1932, Hess received Abbe Memorial Prize and the Abbe Medal of the Carl Zeiss Institute in Jena.
- In 1959, he was honored with Austrian Decoration for Science and Art by the government of Austria.Trivia
Unfortunately, Pacini passed away in 1934, the year it was decided that
Nobel Prize should honor the discoverer of the cosmic rays. Since this
prize cannot be awarded posthumously Hess alone was honored for the
discovery of cosmic rays.
