Ernst Lecher
Encyclopedia
Ernst Lecher was an Austrian physicist who, from 1909, was head of the First Institute of Physics in Vienna
. He is remembered for developing an apparatus— "Lecher lines
"—to measure the wavelength
and frequency
of electromagnetic waves. He gave his name to the Ernst-Lecher-Institut, a radar
research establishment set up in the 1940s in Reichenau
, south of Vienna,, which is now known as the Max Planck Institute.
Lecher's father, Zacharias K Lecher, was editor of Vienna's leading daily newspaper, Die Presse, and helped to publicise Röntgen
's discovery of X-rays in 1896. Lecher's nephew, Konrad Zacharias Lorenz, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
in 1973.
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. He is remembered for developing an apparatus— "Lecher lines
Lecher lines
In electronics, a Lecher line or Lecher wires is a pair of parallel wires or rods that were used to measure the wavelength of radio waves, mainly at UHF and microwave frequencies. They form a short length of balanced transmission line. When attached to a source of radio frequency power such as a...
"—to measure the wavelength
Wavelength
In physics, the wavelength of a sinusoidal wave is the spatial period of the wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats.It is usually determined by considering the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase, such as crests, troughs, or zero crossings, and is a...
and frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
of electromagnetic waves. He gave his name to the Ernst-Lecher-Institut, a radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
research establishment set up in the 1940s in Reichenau
Reichenau an der Rax
Reichenau an der Rax is a market town in the Austrian state of Lower Austria, situated at the foot of the Rax mountain range on the Schwarza river, a headstream of the Leitha.-History:Reichenau castle was first mentioned in a 1256 deed...
, south of Vienna,, which is now known as the Max Planck Institute.
Lecher's father, Zacharias K Lecher, was editor of Vienna's leading daily newspaper, Die Presse, and helped to publicise Röntgen
Röntgen
The roentgen is a unit of measurement for exposure to ionizing radiation , and is named after the German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen...
's discovery of X-rays in 1896. Lecher's nephew, Konrad Zacharias Lorenz, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
in 1973.
Publications
- Studie über elektr. Resonanzerscheinungen, 1890
- Lehrbuch der Physik für Mediziner und Biologen, 1912