Ivan Pulyui

Johann Puluj (Ukrainian Іван Павлович Пулюй / Ivan Pawlowytsch Puljuj, scientific transliteration Ivan Pavlovyč Puljuj; born February 2, 1845 in Grzymalow, Galicia, † January 31, 1918 in Prague ) was a physicist and electrical engineer. With the development of its Pulujlampe he has laid an important foundation for Roentgen's discovery of X-rays. Puluj was one of the first physicist who used the X-rays for medical diagnosis.

Life

Johann Puluj was born into a deeply religious Greek Catholic family in Ternopil region. His parents Pawlo Puluj and Ksenija ( born Burschtynska ) were wealthy farmers. Between 1857 and 1865 he completed his school education at the Humanistic Gymnasium Ternopil, where all subjects were taught in German. From 1865 to 1869 Puluj studied at the Theological Faculty of the University of Vienna. In Vienna he studied until 1872, then mathematics, physics and astronomy at the Faculty of Arts. He was promoted through a Franz-Josef scholarship and taught during his studies in Vienna families, including at Count Trauttmandsorff.

From 1872 to 1874 was Puluj assistant in the laboratory of Prof. Viktor von Lang and dealt with the investigation of the dependence of the internal temperature air friction. Thereafter until 1875 he was a teacher of mathematics, mechanics and physics at the Imperial and Royal Naval College Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia). There he developed a novel device for the measurement of the mechanical equivalent of heat, for which he was awarded in 1878 at the Paris World Exhibition with a silver medal.

1876 ​​doctorate Puluj at the University of Strasbourg on the temperature dependence of the internal friction of gases with August Kundt. The scientific school of Kundt has several well-known physicists, including Pyotr Lebedev and Ferdinand Braun produced. Here learned Puluj also know Wilhelm Röntgen. 1876-1883 Puluj worked as an assistant and lecturer at the University of Vienna. Since 1882 he worked on problems of practical and theoretical electrical engineering. In 1884 he was appointed as Professor of Experimental and Technical Physics at the Czech Technical University in Prague, where he was 1888/1889 Rector. In 1916 he declined the offer to become Austrian minister of education, from health reasons.

Johann Puluj died in 1918 in Prague where he was buried.

Scientific Work

Before Puluj came to Prague, he became interested in the mechanical theory of heat, molecular physics and the cathode rays. Between 1880 and 1882 he published four articles on cathode rays. He examined the effect of magnetic fields on the cathode rays and showed that the rays show similarities to electric currents in solids. He developed known as Pulujlampe a luminescent lamp later. This lamp was awarded in 1881 as a fundamentally new light source. Later it turned out that this lamp was a prototype of a X-ray tube. Puluj was the first to have installed an anti- cathode into its tube. Later Puluj interested in questions of electrical engineering. Only after the first report of X-ray "On a new kind of rays" Puluj took in January 1896 his research on cathode rays again. As early as 13 February 1896 he submitted his publication. The article was published before the second and third publication of X-ray. In no time Puluj produced a large number of images using the new radiation. The quality of his images was then undisputed, and they were published in the press often. There are often doubts arose whether X was really the first discoverer of X-rays, but Puluj himself has acknowledged Roentgen priority. Although both scientists knew each other, X has never Pulujs cited work. Pulujs son claimed that his father has given one of his X-ray lamps. Puluj was one of the first physicists who recognized the potential of the X-rays for medical diagnosis.

Multiple versions on Pulujs priority as the discoverer of X-rays were taken of journalists in circulation. One of the reasons was the fact that there were no established terminology used to cathode and X-rays at the time of discovery. The two types of radiation were confused by laymen often. Therefore Puluj, who has studied the cathode radiation already in the 1880s, was suspected of several as the true discoverer.

Support of Ukrainian culture

While still a student in high school translated the young Puluj a plane geometry textbook in the Ukrainian language. 1872-1873 Puluj was chairman of the Ukrainian Sich student organization in Vienna. He also translated more textbooks in Ukrainian. He continued with the development of scientific terminology in the Ukrainian language apart. 1869 and 1871 two editions of the translated from Puluj Molytwoslowa issued (prayer word). In 1880 he translated the Gospel and Psalter from Greek and Latin, in collaboration with Panteleimon Kulish in the Ukrainian language. This translation appeared since then in five editions. In 1899 he was elected a full member of the Shevchenko Scientific Society. He also organized scholarships for Ukrainian youth. In 1915 he also wrote in German an article about his desired independence of Ukraine.

Tributes

• The Technical University of Ternopil was named after Johann Puluj.
• 1995 was issued by Johann Puluj of the Ukrainian Post a stamp for the 150th birthday.
• A street in Kiev is named after Johann Puluj.
• Monument in Hrymajliw.
• Plaque for I. Puluj and P. Kulish in Vienna.

Publications

• Radiant electrodes matter / Wiener reports. (I.) 1880, vol 81, p 864-923. ( II ) 1881, vol 83, p 402-420. ( III.) 1881, vol 83, p 693-708. ( IV ) 1882, vol 85, pp. 871-881.
• Radiant electrodes matter and the so-called fourth state of matter. Carl Gerold son, Vienna 1883.
• Radiant Matter electrode and the So-Called Fourth State. Physical Memoirs, London, 1889, Vol I, Part 2, P. 233-331.
• On the Origin of Röntgen'schen rays and their photographic effect. Vienna Reports II Abt 1896, vol 105, pp. 228-238.
• Addendum to the paper " On the Origin of Röntgen'schen rays and their photographic action ". Vienna Reports, 1896, vol 105, pp. 243-245.

Complete list of publications Pulujs