赫兹的电磁学研究时间顺序及其思想转变过程

The Chronology of Hertz's Electromagnetic Researches and the Process of the Conversion of His Thought

根据赫兹的书信、日记、实验笔记、文集和其他相关文献,对其电磁学研究过程中的有关时间顺序进行了仔细考察,指出了前人研究中存在的问题,给出了赫兹电磁学研究过程更为合理的时间顺序。赫兹在电磁学研究中的思想转变过程分为三个阶段:1878年11月—1884年6月,1886年10月—1888年3月,1888年4月—1891年12月。赫兹思想重要转变过程是发生在1887年9月—1888年3月和1888年4月—1890年12月。前一过程是他从对“导线波”的认识到对“空气波”的认识转变过程,这一思想转变过程的理论基础仍然是赫姆霍兹电动力学;后一过程则是他从赫姆霍兹电动力学到麦克斯韦电磁场理论的思想转变过程,赫兹从1888年6月到1890年12月与当时英国物理学家的通信交流在这一转变过程中起到了不可忽视的作用。赫兹在电磁学研究过程中所形成的物理学思想不但对许多物理学家产生了很大的影响,而且对科学技术史研究者在研究方法上也有一定的启迪作用。

This paper makes a careful investigation on the chronology of Hertz's electromagnetic researches according to his Memoirs·Letters·Diaries, Electric Waves, Miscellaneous Papers and his correspondence with the Maxwellians, points out that some scholars have misunderstanding in this aspect, and provides a more reasonable chronology of Hertz's electromagnetic researches. Based on the investigation, it makes a deeper analysis on the process of the conversion of Hertz's thought in electromagnetic researches, and concludes that the conversion can be divided into three stages, which took place respectively between November 1878 and June 1884, between October 1886 and March 1888, and between April 1888 and December 1891. According to the analysis on his important published papers of electromagnetic researches during each stage, it is argued that the major conversion of Hertz's thought took place respectively between September 1887 and March 1888, and between April 1888 and December 1890. The former is the conversion process from the idea of 'waves in wires' to the idea of 'waves in air', which was mainly attained with Helmhioltz's electrodynamic framework; the latter is Hertz's conversion from Helmholtz's electrodynamic theory to Maxwell's electromagnetic field theory, in which Hertz's correspondence with British and Irish physicists between June 1888 and December 1890 played a vital role. Not only had his work a great influence on the progress of physics from the end of 19th century to the early 20th century, but also it had inspired historians of science and technology.