Fine-structure constant
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In physics, the fine-structure constant, also known as the Sommerfeld constant, commonly denoted by α, is a fundamental physical constant that quantifies the strength of the electromagnetic interactio
Sommerfeld memorial at LMU Munich
Arnold Sommerfeld
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Arnold Johannes Wilhelm Sommerfeld was a German theoretical physicist who pioneered developments in both atomic and quantum physics, and also educated and mentored many students for the new era of the
Fine-structure constant
…c ) − 1 . Its numerical value is approximately 0.0072973525643 ≈ 137.035999177−1, with a relative uncertainty of 1.6×10−10. The constant was named by Arnold Sommerfeld, who introduced it in 1916 when extending the Bohr model of the atom. α quantified the gap in the fine structure of the spectral lines of the hydrogen…
Sommerfeld, 1920s
Sommerfeld (rightmost) with Johanna and her sister who married Ludwig Rhumbler at the double wedding of 1897. Willy Höpfner, brother of Johanna at centre.
Arnold Sommerfeld, Stuttgart 1935
Sommerfeld's grave at the Munich Nordfriedhof