Max Planck: Annalen Papers

This volume contains a collection of most notable original papers published in the journal 'Annalen der Physik' written by one of its renowned editors, Max Planck. These papers - reedited on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of his birth - deal with topics which later on took a prominent place in the scientific work of this outstanding physicist: the theory of the emission spectrum of black bodies and the central role of the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Understanding himself as an all-rounder Max Planck was especially devoted to the German Physical Society and actively involved in the scientific life of his century. His writings depict not only his achievements as a scientist but also shed a light on an era of important discoveries. The facsimiles in this collection are introduced by and complemented with topical articles by well-known physicists and science historians.

Table of Contents:
IntroductionI. Entropy and Irreversibility (introduced by W. Ebeling, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany)II. Thermodynamic Equilibria and Electrical Transport (introduced by W. Ebeling, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany)III. Statistical Thermodynamics and Stochastic Theory (introduced by H. Kantz, MPI for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany)IV. Theory of Radiation and Electrodynamics (introduced by A. Gearhart, St. John's University, Collegeville, MN, USA)V. Quantum Theory and Fundamental Constants (introduced by M. Eckert, Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany)VI. Micellaneous (introduced by D. Hoffmann, MPI for the History of Science, Berlin, Germany)VII. Reviews (introduced by D. Hoffmann, MPI for the History of Science, Berlin, Germany)

About the Author :
Dieter Hoffmann received his Ph.D. degree (1976) and habilitation thesis (1989) in History of Science from the Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. From 1976 to 1991 he was employed as a research scholar at the Academy of Sciences in East Berlin, and subsequently worked in various positions focusing on the history of science. In 1991 he was awarded a scholarship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Since 1996 he has been a member of the Max-Planck-Institute for the History of Science, Berlin, where he holds the position of a Research Scholar (Senior Scientist). In addition, he is teaching history of science at the Humboldt University, Berlin. His many publications - books as well as papers - on the history of science of the 19th and 20th century include the recently published 'Einsteins Berlin' (Wiley-VCH 2006) and 'Physiker zwischen Autonomie und Anpassung? (Wiley VCH 2007).