physics

Gernot M. R. Winkler

Gernot M. R. Winkler is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Gernot M. R. Winkler rather than just read about it. In short: Gernot Maria Rudolph Winkler (October 17, 1922 – April 30, 2016) was responsible for the Time Service Department of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) from 1966 to 1996. Winkler oversaw the introduction of caesium beam-based Coordinated Universal Time based on hyperfine transitions and an internationally transportable "flying clock".

Key takeaways

Gernot M. R. Winkler belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Gernot M. R. Winkler to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Gernot M. R. Winkler from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Gernot Maria Rudolph Winkler (October 17, 1922 – April 30, 2016) was responsible for the Time Service Department of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) from 1966 to 1996. Winkler oversaw the introduction of caesium beam-based Coordinated Universal Time based on hyperfine transitions and an internationally transportable "flying clock". This in turn led Winkler to promote precision global positioning techniques (initially by time-reliable surface broadcasts in the LORAN and Omega radio-beacon chains, later by two-way satellite time and frequency transfer (TWSTT).

Early life Gernot was born in the Austrian town of Frohnleiten, which is the home of a technology institute (Technisches Büro für Luftfahrt und Maschinenbau). He was the son of Gustav and Eleanor (Née Schneider) Winkler. His interest in astronomy was inspired by German spaceflight pioneer Hermann Oberth when he was about 12. The science fiction writer Jules Verne was also a favourite. During WWII he was drafted into the Wehrmacht; he was arrested by the US Army in Italy. In 1947, Winkler resumed his studies at the University of Graz. In 1952 he obtained a PhD in theoretical physics and was an associate of the Kanzelhoehe Solar Observatory. In 1956 he and fellow Austrian Fritz Reder arrived in the United States to work in the microwave resonance branch of the Signal Corps, joining the USNO that year.

Recognition Winkler received several honours including: the 1988 I. I. Rabi Award sponsored by the IEEE and the Precise Time and Time Interval Distinguished Service Award of 1994 from the United States Department of Defense. A main-belt asteroid (6473 Winkler) was named in his honour. <-- NOTE: According to the IAU Minor Planet Center (minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=6473) this asteroid was: "Named in honor of Ron Winkler (b. 1954), digital engineer in the radio astronomy and radar group at NASA's Goldstone deep space communications complex." He is also remembered (in ESOC) for reputedly remarking that "Times can only improve if designers have their noses forced down on the grindstone of operations."

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Gernot M. R. Winkler

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Gernot M. R. Winkler claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Gernot M. R. Winkler before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Gernot M. R. Winkler ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Gernot M. R. Winkler

In research: Gernot M. R. Winkler appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Gernot M. R. Winkler in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Gernot M. R. Winkler is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1922 births, 2016 deaths, American physicist stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Gernot M. R. Winkler outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Gernot M. R. Winkler in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Gernot M. R. Winkler means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Gernot M. R. Winkler out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gernot M. R. Winkler in simple terms?

Why does Gernot M. R. Winkler matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Gernot M. R. Winkler?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Gernot M. R. Winkler.