D O C U M E N T S 1 3 2 , 1 3 3 O C T O B E R 1 9 2 3 1 3 1
132. To Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Nobel
Committee for Physics
Berlin, 26 October 1923
With reference to your
solicitation,[1]
I permit myself to convey to you, in accor-
dance with the rules in the statutes of the Nobel
Foundation,[2]
the following sug-
gestions:
Franck and Hertz for their investigations on light excitation by electron
collisions.[3]
—————
Langevin and Weiss for the statistical theory of
magnetism.[4]
Stern and Gerlach for the experimental proof of the orientations of atoms in a
magnetic field called for by the quantum
theory.[5]
Sommerfeld for his contributions to quantum
mechanics.[6]
A. H. Compton for the discovery of the quantum scattering of
X-rays.[7]
C. T. R. Wilson for the cloud [chamber] method to demonstrate ionization gen-
erated by corpuscular
radiation.[8]
P. Debye for his contributions to knowledge about molecular
forces.[9]
Because it was difficult for me to make a specific proposal, to appease my con-
science I consider it right, even though this is not requested in the statutes, to list a
few other roughly equivalent possibilities.
In utmost respect,
A.
Einstein.[10]
133. To Chaim Weizmann
[Berlin,] 27 October 1923
Dear friend Weizmann,
I was very pleased with the direct sign of life from your
hand.[1]
As to my dis-
position, it now stands as follows: I will do all that is asked of me as long as I do
not have to travel around for it or attend conferences. I shall be happy to lend my