Why Bohr's Atom in 1913 and a New Assay of the Trilogy

Abstract

Hundred years ago, X-ray diffraction discovered by Laue and his associates working in Sommerfeld's group at Munich allowed one to directly ‘see' stable atoms for the first time. Bohr became certain of "absolutely fixed dimensions” and permanence of "actual atoms” from Laue's discovery. Confident of atomic stability, Bohr must have been inspired to develop his own atomic theory. Ever since then, the legacy of Bohr is thus immense and pervasive, extending even beyond the confines of science. This is the first historical observation of existing evidence to provide synergy between Bohr's work and Laue's discovery.