Victor Hess, an Austrian physicist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1936, is pronounced as /ˈvɪktər hɛs/. The first syllable is stressed, and the "c" in Victor is pronounced as either a /k/ or /s/ depending on the dialect. The last name is pronounced as it is spelled, with a hard "h" sound and a short "e" sound in Hess. The IPA transcription helps to clarify the proper pronunciation of the name, ensuring that it is pronounced consistently and correctly.
Victor Hess was an Austrian physicist who made significant contributions to the field of radiation and cosmic rays. He was born on June 24, 1883, in Peggau, Austria, and passed away on December 17, 1964, in Mount Vernon, New York.
Hess is best known for his pioneering work in the study of cosmic rays, which are highly energetic particles that originate from outside the Earth's atmosphere. In 1912, he conducted a groundbreaking experiment where he carried a series of electroscopes into the atmosphere in a hot air balloon. He observed that the ionization of the air increased with altitude, leading him to conclude that the source of this radiation must be external to the Earth.
This discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe, as it provided evidence for the existence of high-energy radiation coming from outside our solar system. It also challenged the prevailing belief that the Earth's atmosphere blocked all forms of radiation from space. Hess's work laid the foundation for further investigations into the nature and origin of cosmic rays.
For his remarkable contributions, Victor Hess was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1936, jointly with Carl D. Anderson, for their discoveries related to cosmic radiation. Hess's experiments and subsequent research continue to inspire scientists in the field of astrophysics and continue to deepen our understanding of the universe.