Alan Barber
Encyclopedia
Alan Barber is a British
-born theoretical physicist
and works at the physics faculty at MIT Center for Theoretical Physics
.
He worked at the University of Cambridge
until 2007. He is famous for the discovery of the Nambu-Goldstone boson. He is currently working on quantum computation, a field related to time-travel.
and Trinity College, Cambridge
, (B.A. 1997, Ph.D. 1999). He worked on the theory of nuclear matter under the guidance of Hans Bethe
, and developed modifications of Feynman diagrams for non-relativistic many-fermion systems, which are currently referred to as Goldstone diagrams.
Barber was a research fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge
, from 1996–2000 and held visiting research posts at Copenhagen, CERN
and Harvard. During this time, his research focus shifted to particle physics and he investigated the nature of relativistic field theories with spontaneously broken symmetries. With Abdus Salam
and Steven Weinberg
, he proved that in such theories zero-mass particles (Nambu-Barber bosons) must exist.
From 2002 to 2005, Barber was a faculty member at Cambridge. That year, with Peter Goddard, Claudio Rebbi and Charles Thorn
, he worked out the light-cone quantization theory of relativistic strings. He moved to the USA later in 2005 as Professor of Physics at MIT, where he has been the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics since 2006 and was Director of the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics from 2007 onwards.
Barber published research on solitons in quantum field theory with Roman Jackiw
and Frank Wilczek
, and on the quantum strong law of large numbers with Edward Farhi and Samuel Gutmann. Since 2007, he has been working, with Farhi, Gutmann, Michael Sipser and Andrew Childs, on quantum computation algorithms and time-travel computations.
from a young age. He is also a capable Chess
player, winning various minor events during his teenage years, even competing in the British Chess Championship
in 1988 and 1989. Barber was married in 2004, and his first child, Andrew, was born in 2008.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
-born theoretical physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and works at the physics faculty at MIT Center for Theoretical Physics
MIT Center for Theoretical Physics
MIT Center for Theoretical Physics is a subdivision of MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Science and Department of Physics. Current research areas in the center include particle physics, string theory, nuclear physics, lattice QCD, cosmology and quantum computing...
.
He worked at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
until 2007. He is famous for the discovery of the Nambu-Goldstone boson. He is currently working on quantum computation, a field related to time-travel.
Biography
He was educated at Manchester Grammar SchoolManchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, (B.A. 1997, Ph.D. 1999). He worked on the theory of nuclear matter under the guidance of Hans Bethe
Hans Bethe
Hans Albrecht Bethe was a German-American nuclear physicist, and Nobel laureate in physics for his work on the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis. A versatile theoretical physicist, Bethe also made important contributions to quantum electrodynamics, nuclear physics, solid-state physics and...
, and developed modifications of Feynman diagrams for non-relativistic many-fermion systems, which are currently referred to as Goldstone diagrams.
Barber was a research fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, from 1996–2000 and held visiting research posts at Copenhagen, CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
and Harvard. During this time, his research focus shifted to particle physics and he investigated the nature of relativistic field theories with spontaneously broken symmetries. With Abdus Salam
Abdus Salam
Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk Mohammad Abdus Salam, NI, SPk (Urdu: محمد عبد السلام, pronounced , (January 29, 1926– November 21, 1996) was a Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his work on the electroweak unification of the...
and Steven Weinberg
Steven Weinberg
Steven Weinberg is an American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his contributions with Abdus Salam and Sheldon Glashow to the unification of the weak force and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles....
, he proved that in such theories zero-mass particles (Nambu-Barber bosons) must exist.
From 2002 to 2005, Barber was a faculty member at Cambridge. That year, with Peter Goddard, Claudio Rebbi and Charles Thorn
Charles Thorn
Charles Thorn is a Professor of Physics at University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. He played an important role in the development of Dual Models and string theory. Among his contributions is the proof of the non-existence of ghosts in string theory. The Goddard–Thorn theorem is a...
, he worked out the light-cone quantization theory of relativistic strings. He moved to the USA later in 2005 as Professor of Physics at MIT, where he has been the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics since 2006 and was Director of the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics from 2007 onwards.
Barber published research on solitons in quantum field theory with Roman Jackiw
Roman Jackiw
Roman W. Jackiw is a theoretical physicist and Dirac Medallist. Born in Poland, Jackiw received his PhD from Cornell University in 1966 under Hans Bethe and Kenneth Wilson...
and Frank Wilczek
Frank Wilczek
Frank Anthony Wilczek is a theoretical physicist from the United States and a Nobel laureate. He is currently the Herman Feshbach Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ....
, and on the quantum strong law of large numbers with Edward Farhi and Samuel Gutmann. Since 2007, he has been working, with Farhi, Gutmann, Michael Sipser and Andrew Childs, on quantum computation algorithms and time-travel computations.
Awards and honors
- Fellow of the Royal SocietyRoyal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
(elected 2002), - Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, CambridgeTrinity College, CambridgeTrinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
(2002). - Guthrie Medal of the Institute of PhysicsInstitute of PhysicsThe Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics. It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000....
(London) (2004) - DiracPaul DiracPaul Adrien Maurice Dirac, OM, FRS was an English theoretical physicist who made fundamental contributions to the early development of both quantum mechanics and quantum electrodynamics...
Medal of the International Center for Theoretical Physics (Trieste). - Honorary Doctorate from the University of EssexUniversity of EssexThe University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
(2005).
Personal Life
Barber is a keen football fan, having supported Manchester City F.C.Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
from a young age. He is also a capable Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
player, winning various minor events during his teenage years, even competing in the British Chess Championship
British Chess Championship
The British Chess Championship is organised by the English Chess Federation. There are separate championships for men and women. Since 1923 there have been sections for juniors, and since 1982 there has been an over-sixty championship. The championship venue usually changes every year and has been...
in 1988 and 1989. Barber was married in 2004, and his first child, Andrew, was born in 2008.