Arnold Sommerfeld

<p>Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld (German: [ˈaʁnɔlt ˈzɔmɐˌfɛlt]; 5 December 1868 – 26 April 1951) was a German <a href="/facts/Physicist/cQcgvSIm">physicist</a> who pioneered developments in <a href="/facts/Atomic_physics/7Jlm4I7k">atomic</a> and <a href="/facts/Quantum_physics/BRc3Mzgr">quantum physics</a>, and also educated and mentored many students for the new era of theoretical physics. He served as doctoral supervisor and postdoc supervisor to seven <a href="/facts/Nobel_Prize/3z1Y3oFL">Nobel Prize</a> winners and supervised at least 30 other famous physicists and chemists. Only <a href="/facts/J._J._Thomson/Y4jyndJF">J. J. Thomson</a>'s record of mentorship offers a comparable list of high-achieving students.
</p><p>He introduced the second <a href="/facts/Quantum_number/AByP6F0y">quantum number</a>, <a href="/facts/Azimuthal_quantum_number/vHSIzbFC">azimuthal quantum number</a>, and the third quantum number, <a href="/facts/Magnetic_quantum_number/LvFY0dVV">magnetic quantum number</a>. He also introduced the <a href="/facts/Fine-structure_constant/zyzpmTJV">fine-structure constant</a> and pioneered X-ray wave theory.
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Arnold Sommerfeld open-in-new

Arnold Sommerfeld