A series of daring balloon flights conducted between 1911 and 1912 provided the empirical evidence that high-altitude atmospheric radiation originated from outer space. Victor Francis Hess, an Austrian-American physicist, utilized precision measuring equipment to prove that ionizing radiation increased significantly at altitudes reaching 5.3 kilometres, fundamentally challenging existing assumptions about the sources of Earth-based energy.
Academic Foundations and Early Research
Born in 1883 at Schloss Waldstein, Hess pursued his early education at the Graz-Gymnasium from 1893 until 1901. He completed studies at the University of Graz between 1901 and 1905, later securing his Ph.D. from the University of Vienna in 1906. He remained at the latter institution for postdoctoral research until 1910, after which he joined the Institute for Radium Research under the guidance of Stefan Meyer.
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Hess designed his balloon experiments to address the atmospheric mystery of ionizing radiation. Previous studies relying on electroscopes suggested radiation diminished with distance from the Earth, but his measurements confirmed a contrary pattern above one kilometre. His findings, documented in the Proceedings of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, established the existence of cosmic rays. This contribution earned him a share of the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physics alongside Carl David Anderson.
Professional Tenure and Migration
Throughout his career, Hess held multiple academic and advisory roles. He served as an Ordinary Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Graz and directed the Institute of Radiology at the University of Innsbruck. During a leave of absence in 1921, he worked for the United States Radium Corporation and the United States Bureau of Mines. Following his departure from Austria, he settled in New York City, joining the faculty of Fordham University until his retirement in 1958. He attained United States citizenship in 1944.
Final Years
Hess was a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the American Physical Society, and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. He authored The Electrical Conductivity of the Atmosphere and its Causes in 1928 and explored the intersection of his Catholic faith and scientific inquiry in his 1946 article, My Faith. He died on 17 December 1964 in Mount Vernon, New York, following a battle with Parkinson's disease.
Fast facts
- Born: 1883, Schloss Waldstein
- Died: 1964, Mount Vernon
- Nobel Prize in Physics: 1936
- Lieben Prize: 1919
- Citizenship: Austria; United States
- Notable work: The Electrical Conductivity of the Atmosphere and its Causes (1928)
- Professional membership: Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Questions readers ask
What specific discovery did Hess receive the Nobel Prize for?
He shared the 1936 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discovery of cosmic rays.
Where did Hess teach after leaving Austria?
He served as a Professor of Physics at Fordham University in New York City.
Achievements
- Nobel Prize in Physics — 1936
- Held posts at Fordham University, University of Graz and University of Innsbruck
- Educated at University of Graz
- Fields of research: physics
