Victor Francis Hess

Dates

June 24, 1883 – December 17, 1964

Authorized Form of Name

Hess, Victor Francis, 1883-1964

Additional Forms of Names

Hess, Victor Franz, 1883-1964

Biography

Abstract

Victor F. Hess was an astrophysicist at Innsbruck University and Fordham University. He was awarded the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physics "for his discovery of cosmic radiation."

Important Dates

June 24, 1883Birth, Peggau (Austria).

1910Obtained PhD in Physics, Technische Universität Graz (Graz University of Technology), Graz (Austria).

1910 – 1920Assistant Researcher, Institute of Radium Research, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Austrian Academy of Sciences), Vienna (Austria).

1912Wrote Die Wärmeproduktion des Radiums.

1916Wrote the Measurement of Gamma Rays.

1918Wrote the Counting of Alpha Particles Emitted from Radium.

1919Awarded Lieben Prize.

1919Wrote Konvektionserscheinungen in ionisierten Gasen-Ionenwind.

1919 – 1920Assistant Professor, Universität Wien (University of Vienna), Vienna (Austria).

1920 – 1938Associate Professor of Experimental Physics (1920-1921); Association Professor (1923-1925); Professor (1925-1929); Dean of the Faculty (1929-1931); and Professor of Physics and Director Physics Institute (1937-1938), Technische Universität Graz (Graz Univerity of Technology), Graz (Austria).

1921 – 1923Director, U.S. Radium Corporation.

1921 – 1923Consulting Physicist, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines.

1926Wrote Elektrische Leitfähigkeit der Atmosphäre und ihre Ursachen.

1928Wrote Luftelektrizität.

1928Wrote Lebensdauer der Ionen in der Atmosphäre.

1929Wrote Schwankungen der Intensität in den kosmischen Strahlen.

1931Professor of Experimental Physics and Head of Institute for Radiation Research, Universität Innsbruck (University of Innsbruck), Innsbruck (Austria).

1931Awarded Ernst Abbe Prize, Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung Jena (Carl Zeiss Foundation).

1933Wrote Ionenbilanz der Atmosphäre.

1936Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics "for his discovery of cosmic radiation".

1944 – 1964Professor of Physics (1944-1958) and Professor Emeritus (1958-1964), Fordham University, Bronx (New York, N.Y.).

December 17, 1964Death, Mount Vernon (Westchester County, N.Y.).

Occupation

Cosmic radiation astrophysicist.

Places

Subjects

Astrophysics.

Cosmic background radiation.

Cosmic radiation.

Cosmic rays.

Relationships

People

Family

Hess, Elizabeth M. Hoencke

Wife.

Hess, Maria Bertha Warner Breisky

Wife, died April 2, 1995.

Hess, Serafine Edle von Grossbauer-Waldstätt

Mother.

Hess, Vinzens

Father.

Advisors & Collaborators

Exner, Franz Serafin, 1849-1926

PhD advisor at Universität Wien (University of Vienna).

Meyer, Stefan

PhD advisor at Universität Wien (University of Vienna).

Pfaundler, Leopold von, 1839-1920

PhD advisor at Technische Universität Graz (Graz University of Technology).

Additional

Anderson, Carl D. (Carl David), 1905-1991

Split the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Debye, Peter J. W. (Peter Josef William), 1884-1966

Frank, Philipp, 1884-1966

Kraus, John Daniel, 1910-2004

Swann, W. F. G. (William Francis Gray), 1884-1962

Institutions

Major Positions

Fordham University. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics and Professor Emeritus.

Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften

Assistant Researcher, Institute of Radium Research.

Technische Universität Graz

Obtained PhD in Physics (1910). Associate Professor of Experimental Physics; Professor; Dean of the Faculty; Professor of Physics; and Director Physics Institute.

United States Radium Corporation

Director.

United States. Bureau of Mines

Consulting Physicist.

Universität Innsbruck

Professor of Experimental Physics and Head of Institute for Radium Research.

Universität Wien

Assistant Professor.