Gert Molière

Paul Friederich Gaspard Gert Molière (7 April 1909,

At the KWI for Physics, Molière devoted himself (at the suggestion of Werner Heisenberg) to researching cosmic radiation and the associated high-altitude showers.^[4][5] The concept of the Molière radius, which is a measure of the transverse extent of a particle shower, is based on his results. His best-known publications date from the period immediately after the war and deal with the problem of quantum mechanical individual ^[6] and multiple scattering.^[7][8] Molière's high-energy approximation for single scattering was interpreted by Roy J. Glauber as semiclassical approximation^[9] and is also known under the name eikonal approximation. Hans Bethe confirmed Molière's results on multiple scattering shortly after their publication.^[10]

Molière's extensive correspondence with Heisenberg^[11] shows that he was dissatisfied with his permanent position in Brazil and therefore decided on a temporary position at CERN. He also mentions his illness from ankylosing spondylitis. Many of his letters describe his financial difficulties: In Europe, Molière was mainly employed only under temporary contracts. In 1950, for example, when he switched from the KWI to the research center for spectroscopy, he was immediately under threat of non-renewal of his contract. From October 1951, at Heisenberg's request, the Max Planck Society financed Molière's research by repeatedly renewing temporary contracts.

One of his doctoral students in Tübingen was Hans Joos.

References