- Adolfo Bartoli
Adolfo Bartoli (* March 19, 1851 in
Firenze ; † July 18, 1896 inPavia ) was an italianphysicist , who is most well known for the theoretical prediction of the existence ofradiation pressure .Bartoli studied
physics andmathematics at theUniversity of Pisa until 1874. He was Professor of Physics at the Technical Institute ofArezzo from 1876, at theUniversity of Sassari from 1878, at the Technical Institute of Firenze from 1879, at theUniversity of Catania from 1886 to 1893, and at theUniversity of Pavia from 1893.In 1874
James Clerk Maxwell found out that the existence of tensions in the ether like theradiation pressure follows from the electromagnetic theory. [Citation | author=Maxwell, J.C | year=1873 | title= [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k95176j A Treatise on electricity and magnetism, Vol. 2] , § 792 | pages =391 | publisher=Macmillan & Co.| place=London] In 1876 Bartoli derived the existence of radiation pressure fromthermodynamics . He argued that the radianttemperature of a body can be raised by reflecting itslight from a movingmirror , and therefore it is possible to transportenergy from a colder to a hotter body. To avoid this violation of the second law of thermodynamics, it is necessary that light impart a pressure to the mirror. [Citation | author=Bartoli, A. | year=1876/1884 | title= [http://fisicavolta.unipv.it/percorsi/pdf/press.pdf Il calorico raggiante e il secondo principio di termodynamica] | journal=Nuovo Cimento | volume =15 | pages =196-202] Therefore, the radiation pressure was also called "Maxwell-Bartoli pressure".Later the radiation pressure played an important role in the work of Albert Einstein in connection with
mass-energy equivalence and thephotoelectric effect . Einstein lived in Pavia at that time (1895), when Bartoli held the Physics chair at the local University. However, it is unknown whether Einstein was directly influenced by Bartoli.References
External links
* Paths of Physics: [http://fisicavolta.unipv.it/percorsi/biography.asp?nome=Adolfo&cognome=Bartoli&anno_i=1851&anno_f=1896 Anthology of Italian Physics - Adolfo Bartoli]
* Mathpages: [http://www.mathpages.com/home/kmath601/kmath601.htm Another Derivation of Mass-Energy Equivalence]
* Bevilacqua, Bordoni, Fregonese: [http://www.gobiernodecanarias.org/educacion/fundoro/einstein_2nd/abstracts/einstein_cp15_bbr.htm Adolfo Bartoli and the young Einstein]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
