• DOI:10.1007/S00016-003-0193-8
• Corpus ID: 123292956

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes: Master of Experimental Technique and Quantitative Research

@article{ReifAcherman2004HeikeKO,
  title={Heike Kamerlingh Onnes: Master of Experimental Technique and Quantitative Research},
  author={Sim{\'o}n Reif-Acherman},
  journal={Physics in Perspective},
  year={2004},
  volume={6},
  pages={197-223}
}

• Simón Reif-Acherman
• Published 1 June 2004
• Physics
• Physics in Perspective

Abstract.Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (1853-1926), born a century and a half ago, was a major protagonist in
the so-called Second Golden Age of Dutch Science. He devoted his career to the emerging field
of low-temperature physics. His particular concern was to test the theories of his older compatriot
Johannes Diderik van der Waals (1837-1923) by creating a style of research that was characterized
by meticulous planning, precise measurement, and constant improvement of techniques and
instruments. He made numerous contributions to low-temperature physics, but I focus on his liquefaction
of helium, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics for 1913, and on his discovery
of superconductivity. He became known internationally as le gentleman du zéro absolu.