White radiation Laue diffraction pattern from the protein trimethylene dehydrogenase (an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of trimethylamine to dimethylamine and :,..,...,., X-ray exposure. The photograph was taken by Scott Matthews formaldehyde) recorded on ssRL beam 10-2 with a 5 msec and Scott White of Washington University, St Louis, and Mike Soltis, Henry Bellamy and Paul Phizackerly of SSRL/SLAC engaging in dis- Later others would suggest that the cussions with crystal itself imposed structure on Johannes Stark the incoming radiation. Laue pub- over the quan- lished a rather long article on his tum nature of x theory of diffraction in the Enzyk .'":..rays. Stark was lopadie der Mathematische Wis- ".::one of the few senschaften, and much later(1941) "t.:-:.... in 1911 took se. review of the subject, Roentgen riously Einsteins strahlen-Interferenzen, in which he suggestion that light comes in quan included the effects of electron ta of energy. Applying the notion to interference Xrays, Stark was able to assign them Perhaps as was fitting for an early a frequency and to explain the high proponent of relativity and a defender velocity of electrons that had been of Einstein throughout the Nazi pe excited by X rays, one of the phe- riod, Laue made little of quantum nomena that so exercised Bragg and theory and remained skeptical of the Barkla Copenhagen interpretation through- Laue persisted in asking that the out his life. He became director of experimentalists try out X rays on the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in the crystals. A student of Max Planck's years before World War Il, resigning (in fact, his favorite), Laue had his position in 1943, at which time worked on a theory of the interfer- the Institute was directed towards ence of light in plane parallel plates. the building of an atomic bomb un- BEFORE LEA HE EXHIBITION By 1912 his specialty had be come e der the leadership of Werner Heisen- theory of relativity, but he was not berg. After the war Laue worked te averse to following Sommerfeld in rebuild German science. In the fall THE WONDROUS working on a theory of diffraction. of 1946 he helped create the german X RAYS Laue's guess was that it would be Physical Society in the British Zone, only the secondary X rays, not the and worked to revive the first of the Th chaotic Bremsstrahlung identified national bureaus of standards, the Greatest Scientific Discovery with the initial deceleration of Physikalische- Technische-Reich electrons, that would interfere con- sanstalt. Towards the end of his life structively in the crystal. In April he assumed the directorship of the enabled to see 1912 Walther Friedrich and Paul now one of several Kaiser wilhelm THROUGH A SHEET OF mMETAL" Knipping shone secondary xrays on Institutes this one devoted to elec THROUCH A BLOCK OF wooD" faces and found that dark spots in died in an auto accident at the age of Count the Coins witin your Purse. tographic plates placed behinds oho. eighty-one successive circles appeared on em. Laue was representative of the At this time both the nature of X rays german talent for institution build- ADMISSION.3d. and the structure of crystals was a ing in the support of science and the OPEN A puzzle. Laue's analysis of the situa- German fascination for fundamen tion was to identify five distinct tal principles and theories. Those X RAY PHOTOCRAPHS TAKEN. wavelengths of incoming X rays who would apply Laue's idea and between 1.27 and 4.83 x 10- cm. build on Friedrich and Knipping's 18 SUMMER 199518 SUMMER 1995 engaging in dis￾cussions with Johannes Stark over the quan￾tum nature of X rays. Stark was one of the few physicists who in 1911 took se￾riously Einstein’s suggestion that light comes in quan￾ta of energy. Applying the notion to X rays, Stark was able to assign them a frequency and to explain the high velocity of electrons that had been excited by X rays, one of the phe￾nomena that so exercised Bragg and Barkla. Laue persisted in asking that the experimentalists try out X rays on crystals. A student of Max Planck’s (in fact, his favorite), Laue had worked on a theory of the interfer￾ence of light in plane parallel plates. By 1912 his specialty had become the theory of relativity, but he was not averse to following Sommerfeld in working on a theory of diffraction. Laue’s guess was that it would be only the secondary X rays, not the chaotic Bremsstrahlung identified with the initial deceleration of electrons, that would interfere con￾structively in the crystal. In April 1912 Walther Friedrich and Paul Knipping shone secondary X rays on copper sulfate and zinc sulfate sur￾faces and found that dark spots in successive circles appeared on pho￾tographic plates placed behind them. At this time both the nature of X rays and the structure of crystals was a puzzle. Laue’s analysis of the situa￾tion was to identify five distinct wavelengths of incoming X rays between 1.27 and 4.83 × 10−9 cm. White radiation Laue diffraction pattern from the protein trimethylene dehydrogenase (an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of trimethylamine to dimethylamine and formaldehyde) recorded on SSRL beam 10–2 with a 5 msec X-ray exposure. The photograph was taken by Scott Matthews and Scott White of Washington University, St. Louis, and Mike Soltis, Henry Bellamy, and Paul Phizackerly of SSRL/SLAC. Later others would suggest that the crystal itself imposed structure on the incoming radiation. Laue pub￾lished a rather long article on his theory of diffraction in the Enzyk￾lopadie der Mathematische Wis￾senschaften, and much later (1941) he went on to publish a 350-page review of the subject, Roentgen￾strahlen-Interferenzen, in which he included the effects of electron interference. Perhaps as was fitting for an early proponent of relativity and a defender of Einstein throughout the Nazi pe￾riod, Laue made little of quantum theory and remained skeptical of the Copenhagen interpretation through￾out his life. He became director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in the years before World War II, resigning his position in 1943, at which time the Institute was directed towards the building of an atomic bomb un￾der the leadership of Werner Heisen￾berg. After the war Laue worked to rebuild German science. In the fall of 1946 he helped create the German Physical Society in the British Zone, and worked to revive the first of the national bureaus of standards, the Physikalische-Technische-Reich￾sanstalt. Towards the end of his life he assumed the directorship of the now one of several Kaiser Wilhelm Institutes, this one devoted to elec￾trochemistry in Berlin-Dahlem. Laue died in an auto accident at the age of eighty-one. Laue was representative of the German talent for institution build￾ing in the support of science and the German fascination for fundamen￾tal principles and theories. Those who would apply Laue’s idea and build on Friedrich and Knipping’s