Communicating the Heisenberg uncertainty relations: Niels Bohr, Complementarity and the Einstein-Rupp experiments

TL;DR

This paper reevaluates the historically overlooked Einstein-Rupp experiments, highlighting their influence on Bohr's complementarity and Heisenberg's uncertainty principles despite Rupp's later fraud.

Contribution

It demonstrates the significance of the Einstein-Rupp experiments in shaping foundational quantum mechanics concepts, challenging their neglect due to Rupp's misconduct.

Findings

The experiments influenced Bohr's complementarity.

They impacted Heisenberg's uncertainty relations.

The experiments played a crucial role in early quantum theory development.

Abstract

The Einstein-Rupp experiments have been unduly neglected in the history of quantum mechanics. While this is to be explained by the fact that Emil Rupp was later exposed as a fraud and had fabricated the results, it is not justified, due to the importance attached to the experiments at the time. This paper discusses Rupp's fraud, the relation between Albert Einstein and Rupp, and the Einstein-Rupp experiments, and argues that these experiments were an influence on Niels Bohr's development of complementarity and Werner Heisenberg's formulation of the uncertainty relations.