Nikolai Nikolayevich Schiller (13.03.1848—23.02.1910) was a Russian physicist. He was born in Moscow. He graduated from Moscow University (1868) and was kept on there under A. G. Stoletov. In 1871—74 he worked at the University of Berlin under H. Helmholtz. From 1875 — Privatdozent, from 1876 — professor at Kiev University. In 1903 — 05 — rector of the Kharkov Technological Institute.
His work was in the field of mechanics, thermodynamics, electrodynamics, optics and molecular physics. He did much for the experimental foundation of Maxwell's theory of the electromagnetic field. In 1874 he developed a method of determining the dielectric constant in alternating fields and verified the validity of Maxwell's relation ε=n2; in 1874 — 75 he was the first to carry out a series of experiments that indirectly confirmed the reality of Maxwell's hypothesis of the existence of displacement currents, and he studied the influence of the medium on electromagnetic oscillations. Studying the vapour pressure of saturated gases, he showed theoretically that the curvature of a liquid surface plays the part of an additional force and that the vapour pressure of a saturated liquid changes in one direction or the other depending on the nature of the action additionally applied to the surface of the liquid above which the saturated vapour pressure is being studied (the Thomson — Schiller law).
He carried out a logical analysis of the basic thermodynamic concepts and of the second law. Having supplemented and refined the concept of the adiabatic process, he showed that the differential equation of the second law of thermodynamics must have an integrating factor, which is a universal function of temperature (the second law according to Schiller).
He was a pioneer in establishing the foundations of the second law of thermodynamics.
His work was in the field of mechanics, thermodynamics, electrodynamics, optics and molecular physics. He did much for the experimental foundation of Maxwell's theory of the electromagnetic field. In 1874 he developed a method of determining the dielectric constant in alternating fields and verified the validity of Maxwell's relation ε=n2; in 1874 — 75 he was the first to carry out a series of experiments that indirectly confirmed the reality of Maxwell's hypothesis of the existence of displacement currents, and he studied the influence of the medium on electromagnetic oscillations. Studying the vapour pressure of saturated gases, he showed theoretically that the curvature of a liquid surface plays the part of an additional force and that the vapour pressure of a saturated liquid changes in one direction or the other depending on the nature of the action additionally applied to the surface of the liquid above which the saturated vapour pressure is being studied (the Thomson — Schiller law).
He carried out a logical analysis of the basic thermodynamic concepts and of the second law. Having supplemented and refined the concept of the adiabatic process, he showed that the differential equation of the second law of thermodynamics must have an integrating factor, which is a universal function of temperature (the second law according to Schiller).
He was a pioneer in establishing the foundations of the second law of thermodynamics.