DOCUMENT 269 JUNE 1911 301 8 - Application de la theorie des degres ä une serie de problemes de nature physico-chimique et chimique. Pour chacune de ces questions nous prierons un membre particulierement competent de bien vouloir ecrire un rapport prealable. Ces rapports, ecrits en fran?ais, en allemand ou en anglais, seront imprimes et distribues aux divers membres, si possible avant la fin de Septembre plus tard ils seront reunis en un volume, avec le compte-rendu des discussions qu'ils provoqueront. N'etant pas homme de science specialisee, je ne pourrai traiter des sujets ci-indiques mais, ayant fait de longue date une etude generale de la gravite en vue d'en tirer des consequences sur la constitution de la matiere et de l'energie, je me propose d'en communiquer un resume ä la seance d'ouvertu- re du "Conseil", estimant que certains de ses travaux pourraient eventuelle- ment en etre influences. Pour permettre ä tous les invites de participer, j'offre ä chacun d'eux une indemnite de 1000 francs pour frais de voyage. Les demandes eventuelles et les reponses doivent etre adressees ä Mon- sieur le Prof. Dr W. Nernst, Am Karlsbad 26a, Berlin W. 35. J'espere pouvoir compter sur votre collaboration et vous prie d'agreer, tres honore Monsieur, l'assurance de ma haute consideration. TDftSC and TDC (BBU, 11Z, dossier ler Conseil de Physique, no. 1700). [81 189] and [81 191]. The draft letter is signed for Solvay by Edouard Herzen (1877-1936), his scientific collaborator at the laboratory of Solvay and Co. Above the address of the appended invitation Herzen wrote "Ernest Solvay," and marked the document "Confidentielle." [1]Solvay (1838-1922) was an industrial chemist and Director of Solvay and Company. The physics congress which he sponsored is referred to here as the "Solvay Congress." For a his- torical account of its organization, see Mehra 1975. [2]H. A. Lorentz Martin Knudsen (1871-1949) was Professor of Physics at the University of Copenhagen Jean Perrin James Jeans was Stokes lecturer in applied mathematics at Cam- bridge University Max Planck Arnold Sommerfeld Walther Nernst. [3]Walther Nernst submitted a German draft of the invitation for Solvay's consideration a year earlier (see enclosure in Walther Nernst to Ernest Solvay, 26 July 1910, BBU, 11Z, dossier ler Conseil de Physique, no. 1688). In the cover letter Nernst mentions discussing the proposal confidentially with H. A. Lorentz, Martin Knudsen, and Max Planck. [4]For overviews of the state of radiation theory and more details on Einstein's work on quantum theory and the theory of specific heats, see, e.g., Vol. 2, the editorial note, "Einstein's Early Work on the Quantum Hypothesis," pp. 134-148 Vol. 3, "Introduction," pp. xv-xxx Kuhn 1978, chap. 9 and Mehra and Rechenberg 1982, chap. 1. [5]Robert Goldschmidt (1877-1935) was an agrege offering elective courses in aeronautics at the University of Brussels and administrator of the experimental thermodynamics laboratory at the University of Berlin Maurice de Broglie (1875-1960) was engaged in private physics research James Jeans Joseph Larmor (1857-1942) was Lucasian Professor of Natural Philo- sophy at Cambridge University John William Strutt, Third Baron Rayleigh, was emeritus Ca- vendish Professor of Experimental Physics at the same institution Ernest Rutherford (1871- 1937) was Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Manchester Arthur Schuster was Rutherford's predecessor at Manchester Joseph John Thomson was Rayleigh's successor
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