Werner Heisenberg

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Lore & Background

Heisenberg studied physics and mathematics at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München under Arnold Sommerfeld and Wilhelm Wien, and at the University of Göttingen with Max Born and James Franck. He received his doctorate in 1923 at Munich under Sommerfeld. In 1925, he published his Umdeutung paper, a major reinterpretation of old quantum theory. With Max Born and Pascual Jordan during the same year, his matrix formulation of quantum mechanics was substantially elaborated. He published the uncertainty principle in 1927. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932 'for the creation of quantum mechanics.'

Heisenberg was appointed ordentlicher Professor of theoretical physics and head of the department of physics at the University of Leipzig in 1927; at 25, he was the youngest full-time professor in Germany. During World War II, he was a principal scientist in the German nuclear program. After the war, he was appointed Director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics, soon renamed the Max Planck Institute for Physics, and was director until it moved to Munich in 1958. He was Director of the Max Planck Institute for Physics and Astrophysics from 1960 to 1970. He was instrumental in planning the first West German nuclear reactor at the Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, together with one in Garching at the Technische Hochschule München, in 1957. Heisenberg married Elisabeth Schumacher on 29 April 1937; they had seven children. He enjoyed classical music and was an accomplished pianist. His doctoral thesis, suggested by Sommerfeld, was on turbulence, discussing the stability of laminar flow and the nature of turbulent flow. He also made contributions to theories of the hydrodynamics of turbulent flows, the atomic nucleus, ferromagnetism, cosmic rays, and subatomic particles, and introduced the concept of wave function collapse.

Reader's Guide

Heisenberg's significance lies in his foundational contributions to quantum mechanics, particularly the matrix formulation and the uncertainty principle, which fundamentally changed the understanding of atomic and subatomic processes. His uncertainty principle, published in 1927, states that certain pairs of physical properties cannot be simultaneously known with arbitrary precision. His leadership in German physics institutions after World War II helped rebuild scientific research in West Germany, including planning the country's first nuclear reactor at Karlsruhe and one at Garching in 1957. Heisenberg's influence extended through his students and associates, many of whom became prominent physicists, including Felix Bloch, Edward Teller, and Rudolf Peierls. His legacy is that of a central figure in the development of quantum theory, whose ideas continue to shape physics and philosophy.

Did You Know?

• Heisenberg retreated to the pollen-free North Sea island of Helgoland in June 1925 to focus on quantum mechanics after weeks of severe hay fever.
• He was a member of the Freikorps in 1919, recalling his duties as 'seizing bicycles or typewriters from red administrative buildings' and guarding suspected 'red' prisoners.
• Heisenberg met his future wife, Elisabeth Schumacher, at a private music recital in January 1937.
• His doctoral thesis, suggested by Arnold Sommerfeld, was on turbulence and used the Orr–Sommerfeld equation.
• Heisenberg's son Martin became a neurobiologist, and another son Jochen became a physics professor.