Theoretical physicist Werner Karl Heisenberg played a pivotal role in the emergence of quantum mechanics.
Werner Heisenberg is one of the names that cannot be missed when reviewing the emergence of quantum mechanics and recalling the mathematical formulation made in this regard by this theoretical physicist of German origin. His revolutionary contribution that led him to obtain the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932 was known as matrix mechanics . This came to be considered as an extension of the Bohr atomic model to interpret how a quantum leap occurs . Paul Dirac , meanwhile, took advantage of it to establish the bra-ket notation .
Another of his highly significant contributions is known as the uncertainty principle , although it is also often referred to as Heisenberg's uncertainty relation . Thanks to this statement, for example, it is possible to calculate the zero-point energy of certain systems.
Throughout history, his figure was immortalized in notions that mention the surname of Werner , as occurs with the Heisenberg formula and the concepts of both the Heisenberg model (ideal for studying a magnetic system focusing on phase transitions and critical points) and Heisenberg matrices . The so-called Heisenberg limit has also been gaining prominence over time, which regained visibility seasons ago when a team of scientists set out to improve the sensitivity of equipment intended for high-precision measurements. In that context there was an announcement linked to the Heisenberg limit because it was concluded that it does not influence when the quantum particles responsible for the functioning of the measuring instrument interact with each other, information that has reinforced the idea of achieving an evolution without restrictions or limitations at a technological level.
Werner Heisenberg Biographical Data
Werner Karl Heisenberg came into this world in 1901 on the fifth day of the last month of the year. Wurzburg was the city that saw the birth of this descendant of the couple formed by Annie Wecklein and August Heisenberg , while Munich was the city that witnessed his training and professional development but also his death, since he died there on February 1, 1976.
This passionate mathematician who also turned his attention to physics attended the University of Munich . His areas of interest included number theory, the theory of relativity formulated by Albert Einstein , atomic theory and the theory of elementary particles .
In 1923 he attended the University of Göttingen after earning his doctorate and there he served as an assistant to Max Born , a German mathematician and physicist who decades later was awarded a Nobel Prize .
Later, thanks to the support of the Rockefeller Foundation through a scholarship, Werner came to work at the University of Copenhagen with Niels Bohr . With this physicist from Denmark , whose work was decisive in advancing knowledge about quantum mechanics and the atom , Heisenberg had professional similarities but conflicting views on ethical matters due to the possibility of using theoretical physics in favor of the manufacture of nuclear weapons .
In 1941, having already gained vast experience as a university professor of theoretical physics , Heisenberg took over the direction of an entity now known as the Max Planck Institute for Physics .
It should also not be overlooked that during the time of the Second World War , this man who had Wolfgang Pauli as a classmate was involved in a German nuclear energy project for the development of an atomic bomb .
Werner Heisenberg stated the uncertainty principle (also called Heisenberg's uncertainty relation) in 1927.
Acknowledgements
In addition to having been announced as the 1932 Nobel Prize in Physics , Werner Heisenberg was awarded the Sigmund Freud Prize for Academic Prose and the Matteucci Medal , for example.
He was also a great inspiration for artists and other scientists. The British playwright and writer Michael Frayn , to give a specific example, created the play "Copenhagen" to recreate an important meeting between Heisenberg and Niels Bohr during World War II . In 2002 , Howard Davies adapted this material and this audiovisual content could be seen in the United States on the small screen.
Characters from multiple series have even made allusions to this remarkable physique.
Quantum mechanics is a branch of physical science whose object of study is nature approached from a small spatial scale.
Publications by Werner Heisenberg
There is a wealth of bibliography containing attractive and enriching information about Werner Heisenberg and his legacy. It is also possible to consult books bearing his name. Among the latter are “Dialogues on Atomic Physics” , “The Part and the Whole. Talking about Atomic Physics” and “The Image of Nature in Modern Physics” .
On the other hand, there are reading options that refer to him or to his scientific contributions. Antonio Fernández-Rañada , to name a reference, has published "Heisenberg. From quantum uncertainty to the Nazi atomic bomb" , while Frank Herbert is the author of a fiction proposal that, in Spanish, is entitled "Los ojos de Heisenberg" .