Einstein

Author: Li Xingmin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Albert Einstein (1879-1955), the world-famous German-American scientist, and the founder and pioneer of modern physics. Einstein graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in 1900, began teaching at the university in 1909, and became the director of the William and a professor at the University of Berlin in 1914. Later, he was forced to move to the United States and became a U.S. citizen in 1940. The late 19th century was a period of transformation in physics. Einstein, starting from experimental facts, re-examined the fundamental concepts of physics and made revolutionary breakthroughs in theory. Some of his achievements greatly advanced the development of astronomy. His quantum theory had a significant impact on astrophysics, particularly theoretical astrophysics. One of the mature aspects of theoretical astrophysics—stellar atmosphere theory—was established on the basis of quantum theory and radiation theory. Einstein's special relativity successfully revealed the relationship between energy and mass, solving the long-standing mystery of the energy source of stars. In recent years, more and more high-energy physical phenomena have been discovered, and special relativity has become a fundamental theoretical tool for explaining these phenomena. His general relativity also resolved a long-standing astronomical mystery, predicted the later-verified phenomenon of light bending, and became the theoretical foundation for many later astronomical concepts. Einstein's greatest contribution to astronomy is undoubtedly his cosmological theory. He founded relativistic cosmology, established a static, finite, and boundaryless self-consistent dynamic cosmological model, and introduced new concepts such as the cosmological principle and curved space, greatly advancing the development of modern astronomy.