Ludwig Mach
Austrian physician and inventor (1868–1951)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ludwig Mach (8 November 1868, in Prague – September 1951) was an Austrian physician and inventor.
- Ernst Mach (father)
- Ludovica Mach, née Marussig (mother)
Ludwig Mach | |
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| Born | November 8, 1868 |
| Died | September 1951 (aged 82) |
| Known for | Mach–Zehnder interferometer |
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Ludwig was the son of the physicist Ernst Mach.
In 1892, Ludwig Mach developed an instrument which became known as the Mach–Zehnder interferometer.[1] The name is due to the fact that Ludwig Zehnder indepently developed a nearly identical device.[2] Mach went on to employ photography for collecting visual data streamlines in the field of aerodynamics.[3]
In 1895, he earned his medical doctorate, but he only worked as a physician for a short time.[4]
In 1899 and 1900, he registered patents for aluminum alloys with 2% to 23% magnesium.[5][6] This invention which he termed Magnalium was to be the precursor of the entire 5000 series of aluminum alloys.[7] Its commercialization brought him significant profits.[4]
In his later years, Ludwig Mach tried to experimentally disprove Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. He even forged a preface under his father’s name that criticized the theory, which brought him notoriety after his death.[4]