Gerson Goldhaber
Encyclopedia
Gerson Goldhaber was an American particle physicist and astrophysicist. He was one of the discoverers of the J/ψ meson which confirmed the existence of the charm quark. He worked at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
with the Supernova Cosmology Project
, and was a professor of physics emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley
as well as a professor at Berkeley's graduate school in astrophysics.
and Goldhaber earned a master's degree in physics in 1947 from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
. Goldhaber was awarded his Ph.D. in 1950 from the University of Wisconsin and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1953 while he was on the faculty of Columbia University
.
Goldhaber became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley
and did additional work at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
. At Berkeley, Goldhaber was part of a particle physics research team that used photographic emulsion
to track the movements of subatomic particles in proton-proton scattering experiments that led to the identification of the antiproton
, a discovery that earned Owen Chamberlain
and Emilio G. Segrè
the Nobel Prize in Physics
in 1959.
A particle he discovered in 1963 was given the name A meson
, named after his son Amos.
In 1974, Goldhaber was part of a team at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
led by Burton Richter
that co-discovered the J/ψ meson, a flavor
-neutral meson consisting of a charm
quark
and a charm antiquark
. Richter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1976 for his research, together with Samuel C. C. Ting
of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
who found the particle as part of his own research. For his work on the project, Goldhaber won the American Physical Society
's Panofsky Prize
and was named California Scientist of the Year.
He later became involved with Rich Muller
, Carl Pennypacker and Saul Perlmutter
, of the Supernova Cosmology Project
. The project, founded in 1988 at Lawrence Berkeley, searched the universe for signs of supernova
e, which could be used to determine the rate at which the universe was expanding. By 1997, data that the group had gathered provided evidence that the rate of the expansion of the universe was increasing due to what they termed dark energy
, contrary to the prevailing theory that expansion would slow down and ultimately reverse itself with a Big Crunch
as the ultimate fate of the universe
.
Goldhaber was a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences
and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
. Together with Robert N. Cahn, Goldhaber co-wrote the text The Experimental Foundations of Particle Physics.
A resident of Berkeley, California
, Goldhaber died at his home there at age 86 on July 19, 2010. He was survived by his second wife, science writer Judith Margoshes, as well as two daughters, a son and three grandchildren. During their 41-year marriage, he collaborated with Judith on two books of sonnets, which were illustrated with watercolors he had painted. His marriage to nuclear chemist Sulamith Goldhaber
ended with her death from a brain tumor in 1965 while the couple was traveling in India
. Goldhaber's brother Maurice
was a particle physicist who served as director of the Brookhaven National Laboratory
, one of many physicists in Goldhaber's family.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting unclassified scientific research. It is located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Hills above the central campus...
with the Supernova Cosmology Project
Supernova Cosmology Project
The Supernova Cosmology Project is one of two research teams that determined the likelihood of an accelerating universe and therefore a positive Cosmological constant, using data from the redshift of Type Ia supernovae...
, and was a professor of physics emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
as well as a professor at Berkeley's graduate school in astrophysics.
Biography
Goldhaber was born on February 20, 1924 in Germany. His Jewish family fled Nazi Germany to EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Goldhaber earned a master's degree in physics in 1947 from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
. Goldhaber was awarded his Ph.D. in 1950 from the University of Wisconsin and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1953 while he was on the faculty of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
.
Goldhaber became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
and did additional work at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting unclassified scientific research. It is located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Hills above the central campus...
. At Berkeley, Goldhaber was part of a particle physics research team that used photographic emulsion
Photographic emulsion
Photographic emulsion is a light-sensitive colloid, such as gelatin, coated onto a substrate. In silver-gelatin photography, the emulsion consists of silver halide crystals suspended in gelatin, and the substrate may be glass, plastic film, paper or fabric....
to track the movements of subatomic particles in proton-proton scattering experiments that led to the identification of the antiproton
Antiproton
The antiproton is the antiparticle of the proton. Antiprotons are stable, but they are typically short-lived since any collision with a proton will cause both particles to be annihilated in a burst of energy....
, a discovery that earned Owen Chamberlain
Owen Chamberlain
Owen Chamberlain was an American physicist, and Nobel laureate in physics for his discovery, with collaborator Emilio Segrè, of antiprotons, a sub-atomic antiparticle.-Biography:...
and Emilio G. Segrè
Emilio G. Segrè
Emilio Gino Segrè was an Italian-born, naturalized American, physicist and Nobel laureate in physics, who with Owen Chamberlain, discovered antiprotons, a sub-atomic antiparticle.-Biography:...
the Nobel Prize in Physics
Nobel Prize in Physics
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Alfred Nobel in 1895 and awarded since 1901; the others are the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Peace Prize, and...
in 1959.
A particle he discovered in 1963 was given the name A meson
Meson
In particle physics, mesons are subatomic particles composed of one quark and one antiquark, bound together by the strong interaction. Because mesons are composed of sub-particles, they have a physical size, with a radius roughly one femtometer: 10−15 m, which is about the size of a proton...
, named after his son Amos.
In 1974, Goldhaber was part of a team at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, originally named Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, is a United States Department of Energy National Laboratory operated by Stanford University under the programmatic direction of the U.S...
led by Burton Richter
Burton Richter
Burton Richter is a Nobel Prize-winning American physicist. He led the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center team which co-discovered the J/ψ meson in 1974, alongside the Brookhaven National Laboratory team led by Samuel Ting. This discovery was part of the so-called November Revolution of particle...
that co-discovered the J/ψ meson, a flavor
Flavour (particle physics)
In particle physics, flavour or flavor is a quantum number of elementary particles. In quantum chromodynamics, flavour is a global symmetry...
-neutral meson consisting of a charm
Charm quark
The charm quark or c quark is the third most massive of all quarks, a type of elementary particle. Charm quarks are found in hadrons, which are subatomic particles made of quarks...
quark
Quark
A quark is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Quarks combine to form composite particles called hadrons, the most stable of which are protons and neutrons, the components of atomic nuclei. Due to a phenomenon known as color confinement, quarks are never directly...
and a charm antiquark
Antiparticle
Corresponding to most kinds of particles, there is an associated antiparticle with the same mass and opposite electric charge. For example, the antiparticle of the electron is the positively charged antielectron, or positron, which is produced naturally in certain types of radioactive decay.The...
. Richter was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1976 for his research, together with Samuel C. C. Ting
Samuel C. C. Ting
Samuel Chao Chung Ting is an American physicist who received the Nobel Prize in 1976, with Burton Richter, for discovering the subatomic J/ψ particle...
of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
who found the particle as part of his own research. For his work on the project, Goldhaber won the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
's Panofsky Prize
Panofsky Prize
The Panofsky Prize is an annual $10,000 prize given to recognize and encourage outstanding achievements in experimental particle physics, and is open to scientists of any nation. It was established in 1985 by friends of Wolfgang K. H...
and was named California Scientist of the Year.
He later became involved with Rich Muller
Richard A. Muller
Richard A. Muller is a noted American professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also a faculty senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.-Career:...
, Carl Pennypacker and Saul Perlmutter
Saul Perlmutter
Saul Perlmutter is an American astrophysicist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of...
, of the Supernova Cosmology Project
Supernova Cosmology Project
The Supernova Cosmology Project is one of two research teams that determined the likelihood of an accelerating universe and therefore a positive Cosmological constant, using data from the redshift of Type Ia supernovae...
. The project, founded in 1988 at Lawrence Berkeley, searched the universe for signs of supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
e, which could be used to determine the rate at which the universe was expanding. By 1997, data that the group had gathered provided evidence that the rate of the expansion of the universe was increasing due to what they termed dark energy
Dark energy
In physical cosmology, astronomy and celestial mechanics, dark energy is a hypothetical form of energy that permeates all of space and tends to accelerate the expansion of the universe. Dark energy is the most accepted theory to explain recent observations that the universe appears to be expanding...
, contrary to the prevailing theory that expansion would slow down and ultimately reverse itself with a Big Crunch
Big Crunch
In physical cosmology, the Big Crunch is one possible scenario for the ultimate fate of the universe, in which the metric expansion of space eventually reverses and the universe recollapses, ultimately ending as a black hole singularity.- Overview :...
as the ultimate fate of the universe
Ultimate fate of the universe
The ultimate fate of the universe is a topic in physical cosmology. Many possible fates are predicted by rival scientific theories, including futures of both finite and infinite duration....
.
Goldhaber was a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences
United States National Academy of Sciences
The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine." As a national academy, new members of the organization are elected annually by current members, based on their distinguished and...
and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences or Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden. The Academy is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization which acts to promote the sciences, primarily the natural sciences and mathematics.The Academy was founded on 2...
. Together with Robert N. Cahn, Goldhaber co-wrote the text The Experimental Foundations of Particle Physics.
A resident of Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, Goldhaber died at his home there at age 86 on July 19, 2010. He was survived by his second wife, science writer Judith Margoshes, as well as two daughters, a son and three grandchildren. During their 41-year marriage, he collaborated with Judith on two books of sonnets, which were illustrated with watercolors he had painted. His marriage to nuclear chemist Sulamith Goldhaber
Sulamith Goldhaber
Sulamith Goldhaber was a high-energy physicist and molecular spectroscopist. Goldhaber was a world expert on the interactions of K+ mesons with nucleons and made numerous discoveries relating to it.-Biography:...
ended with her death from a brain tumor in 1965 while the couple was traveling in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Goldhaber's brother Maurice
Maurice Goldhaber
Maurice Goldhaber was an Austrian-born American physicist, who in 1957 established that neutrinos have negative helicity.-Early Life and Childhood:...
was a particle physicist who served as director of the Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory , is a United States national laboratory located in Upton, New York on Long Island, and was formally established in 1947 at the site of Camp Upton, a former U.S. Army base...
, one of many physicists in Goldhaber's family.
Awards and honors
- Fellow of the American Physical Society
- 1991 - Panofsky PrizePanofsky PrizeThe Panofsky Prize is an annual $10,000 prize given to recognize and encourage outstanding achievements in experimental particle physics, and is open to scientists of any nation. It was established in 1985 by friends of Wolfgang K. H...
of the American Physical SocietyAmerican Physical SocietyThe American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
in recognition of his discovery of charmed mesons - 1982 - Elected as a foreign member of the Swedish Royal Academy
- 1977 - California Scientist of the Year award, for his work on charmed mesons
- 1976-77 - Morris Loeb Lecturer in Physics, Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
- 1977 - Elected member of the National Academy of Sciences
- 1972-73 - Guggenheim Fellow at CERNCERNThe 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...
See also
- Sulamith GoldhaberSulamith GoldhaberSulamith Goldhaber was a high-energy physicist and molecular spectroscopist. Goldhaber was a world expert on the interactions of K+ mesons with nucleons and made numerous discoveries relating to it.-Biography:...
— wife and colleague - Maurice GoldhaberMaurice GoldhaberMaurice Goldhaber was an Austrian-born American physicist, who in 1957 established that neutrinos have negative helicity.-Early Life and Childhood:...
— brother