Friedrich Kottler

Friedrich Kottler (born December 10, 1886 in Vienna , † May 11, 1965 in Rochester (New York) ) was an Austrian-American theoretical physicist .

Life

Kottler was a private lecturer and from 1923 professor at the University of Vienna . In 1938 he was dismissed after the annexation of Austria because of his Jewish origin. Kottler emigrated and went to the Eastman Kodak Research Laboratory in Rochester , New York , as chief optician . In addition to his work on optics and diffraction theory, he mainly dealt with the theory of relativity .

Contributions to the theory of relativity

(1912) he succeeded in a generally covariant formulation of Maxwell's equations based on the absolute differential calculus , which is also valid in Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity , even before the latter was even formulated. With reference to this, Kottler was honored by Einstein & Marcel Grossmann in 1913.

(1912, 1914a, 1914b, 1916a, 1916b, 1918, 1921) worked on the description of accelerations in Minkowski space-time using four-dimensional Frenet-Serret formulas to formulate the orthonormal four-legged for Gustav Herglotz '(1909) world lines of constant curvature , and defined self-reference systems for hyperbolic motion ( Kottler-Møller metric ) and for uniform circular motion. (1916a) he also discussed the conformal space-time transformations in the sense of Harry Bateman and Ebenezer Cunningham (1909) as an alternative method for introducing accelerated systems.

(1916b) he criticized the role of the equivalence principle in general relativity, which resulted in a direct response from Einstein.

(1918) he formulated the Kottler metric or the Kottler space-time as the only spherically symmetrical solution of Einstein's vacuum field equations with a cosmological constant , as well as the Kottler- Whittaker metric for a homogeneous gravitational field.

(1922a, 1922b) he argued that Maxwell's equations and Newton's law of gravity can be formulated independently of any metric .

(1922c) he published the article "Gravitation and Relativity Theory" in the 6th volume of the Encyclopedia of Mathematical Sciences .

(1924a, 1924b) he analyzed the history of special relativity , focusing on the work of Augustin-Jean Fresnel , Hendrik Lorentz , Henri Poincaré and Einstein.

Fonts

1912, On the space-time lines of the Minkowski world , Vienna meeting reports 2a, 121: 1659–1759 ( online )

1914a, Principle of Relativity and Accelerated Motion , Annalen der Physik 349 (13), 701-748 ( Online )

1914b, Falling reference systems from the standpoint of the principle of relativity , Annalen der Physik 349 (13), 701-748 ( online )

1916a, Acceleration- relative movements and the conformal group of the Minkowski world , Vienna session reports 2a, 125, 899-919 ( online )

1916b, About Einstein's equivalence hypothesis and gravitation , Annalen der Physik 355 (16), 955-972 ( online )

1918, On the physical foundations of Einstein's theory of relativity , Annalen der Physik, 4th part, Vol. 60, pp. 401-461 ( online )

1921, Rotating Reference Systems in a Minkowski World , Physikalische Zeitschrift 22, 274-280 & 480-484 ( Online )

1922a: Newton's Law and Metrics , Vienna Meeting Reports 2a, 131: 1-14.

1922b: Maxwell's equations and metrics , Vienna session reports 2a, 131: 119-146

1922c, Gravitation and Theory of Relativity , Encyclopedia of the Mathematical Sciences including its applications, 6.2.2, 159-237 ( online )

1924a, Considerations de critique historique sur la theorie de la relativite. Part 1: De Fresnel à Lorentz , Scientia, 36, pp. 231-242 ( online )

1924b, Considerations de critique historique sur la theorie de la relativite. Part 2: Henri Poincaré et Albert Einstein , Scientia, 36, pp. 301-316 ( online )

literature

Hubert Goenner (editor): The expanding worlds of general relativity , Einstein studies (vo. 7), Birkhäuser, 1999, ISBN 0-8176-4060-6
Pauli, Wolfgang: Scientific correspondence with Bohr, Einstein, Heisenberg a. a .. , Springer, 1979, ISBN 3-540-08962-4

Web links

Literature by and about Friedrich Kottler in the catalog of the German National Library

Individual evidence

↑ Karin Reich : The development of the tensor calculus. From the absolute differential calculus to the theory of relativity, Birkhäuser 1994, ISBN 3-0348-8486-9
↑ Einstein, A., & Grossmann, M. “Draft of a generalized theory of relativity and a theory of gravitation” (Teubner, Leipzig, 1913).
^ Romain, JE: Time measurements in accelerated frames of reference . In: Reviews of Modern Physics . 35, No. 2, 1963, p. 376. bibcode : 1963RvMP ... 35..376R . doi : 10.1103 / RevModPhys.35.376 .
↑ Havas, P. (1999). Einstein, relativity and gravitation research in Vienna before 1938. The Expanding Worlds of General Relativity, 161.
↑ ^a ^b Muñoz, Gerardo; Jones, Preston: The equivalence principle, uniformly accelerated reference frames, and the uniform gravitational field . In: American Journal of Physics . 78, No. 4, 2010, pp. 377-383. arxiv : 1003.3022 . bibcode : 2010AmJPh..78..377M . doi : 10.1119 / 1.3272719 .
↑ Einstein, A .: About Friedrich Kottler's treatise "About Einstein's Equivalence Hypothesis and Gravitation" . In: Annals of Physics . 356, No. 22, 1916, pp. 639-642. bibcode : 1916AnP ... 356..639E . doi : 10.1002 / andp.19163562206 .
^ Perlick, V .: Gravitational lensing from a spacetime perspective . In: Living Rev. Relativ. . 7, No. 9, 2004. bibcode : 2004LRR ..... 7 .... 9P . doi : 10.12942 / lrr-2004-9 . (Open access)
↑ Hehl, FW, Itin, Y., & Obukhov, YN: On Kottler's path: Origin and evolution of the premetric program in gravity and in electrodynamics . In: International Journal of Modern Physics D . 25, No. 11, 2016, p. 1640016. arxiv : 1607.06159 . bibcode : 2016IJMPD..2540016H . doi : 10.1142 / S0218271816400162 .

personal data
SURNAME	Kottler, Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Austrian-American physicist
DATE OF BIRTH	December 10, 1886
PLACE OF BIRTH	Vienna
DATE OF DEATH	May 11, 1965
Place of death	Rochester (New York)

[1] Karin Reich : The development of the tensor calculus. From the absolute differential calculus to the theory of relativity, Birkhäuser 1994, ISBN 3-0348-8486-9

[2] Einstein, A., & Grossmann, M. “Draft of a generalized theory of relativity and a theory of gravitation” (Teubner, Leipzig, 1913).

[3] Romain, JE: Time measurements in accelerated frames of reference . In: Reviews of Modern Physics . 35, No. 2, 1963, p. 376. bibcode : 1963RvMP ... 35..376R . doi : 10.1103 / RevModPhys.35.376 .

[4] Havas, P. (1999). Einstein, relativity and gravitation research in Vienna before 1938. The Expanding Worlds of General Relativity, 161.

[Munoz-5] Muñoz, Gerardo; Jones, Preston: The equivalence principle, uniformly accelerated reference frames, and the uniform gravitational field . In: American Journal of Physics . 78, No. 4, 2010, pp. 377-383. arxiv : 1003.3022 . bibcode : 2010AmJPh..78..377M . doi : 10.1119 / 1.3272719 .

[6] Einstein, A .: About Friedrich Kottler's treatise "About Einstein's Equivalence Hypothesis and Gravitation" . In: Annals of Physics . 356, No. 22, 1916, pp. 639-642. bibcode : 1916AnP ... 356..639E . doi : 10.1002 / andp.19163562206 .

[7] Perlick, V .: Gravitational lensing from a spacetime perspective . In: Living Rev. Relativ. . 7, No. 9, 2004. bibcode : 2004LRR ..... 7 .... 9P . doi : 10.12942 / lrr-2004-9 . (Open access)

[8] Hehl, FW, Itin, Y., & Obukhov, YN: On Kottler's path: Origin and evolution of the premetric program in gravity and in electrodynamics . In: International Journal of Modern Physics D . 25, No. 11, 2016, p. 1640016. arxiv : 1607.06159 . bibcode : 2016IJMPD..2540016H . doi : 10.1142 / S0218271816400162 .