Laue, Max von | "One of the most beautiful discoveries in physics" — Albert Einstein

Laue, Max von

[Offprint from Sitzungsberichte der Königlich Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Mathematisch-physikalische Klasse]: Interferenz-Erscheinungen bei Roentgenstrahlen von W. Friedrich, P. Knipping und M. Laue. — Eine quantitative Prüfung der theorie für die Interfencz-Erscheinungen bei Röntgenstrahlen. Munich: Königlich Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1912

Offprint issues, 2 parts in one, large 12mo (219 x 143 mm). Three in-text diagrams, 5 photographically reproduced plates on thick paper. Publisher's wrappers, stapled through the folds; spine ends torn with loss, some minor light fading. Morocco-backed folding box, gilt. Printed wrappers; upper wrapper yellowed and foxed.

The Norman-Freilich copy. Nobel Prize-winning paper in physics for 1914 relating the discovery of the crystal diffraction of x-rays.

Albert Einstein called it "one of the most beautiful discoveries in physics." Max von Laue began experimenting with x-ray diffraction with his associate Walter Friedrich and his student Paul Knipping in April, 1912. The wave-like nature of x-rays, discovered by Rontgen in 1895 (for which he was awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physics in 1900) remained unproved but hypothesized. "Similarly, the physical composition of crystals was in dispute & Laue argued that if these suppositions were correct, then the behavior of x-radiation upon penetrating a crystal should be approximately the same as that of light upon striking a diffraction gradient" (DSB) Indeed, this is what he found. His research also led to the mapping of crystal structure using x-rays. The second paper relates the technical mathematics behind the experiments. This is the rare offprint issue.

REFERENCES

Norman 1:1283; PMM 406a

PROVENANCE

Haskell F. Norman (Christie's New York, 29 October 1998, lot 1161) — Joseph A. Freilich (booklabel to box; Sotheby's New York, 10 January 2001, lot 333, part)