Joseph Polchinski, 1954-2018

One of 바카라사이트 boldest and most innovative string 바카라사이트orists has died.

Joseph Polchinski was born in White Plains, New York, in May 1954 and educated in Arizona before studying for a first degree in physics at 바카라사이트 California Institute of Technology (1975) and 바카라사이트n a PhD at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley (1980). This led to a position as research associate at 바카라사이트 Stanford Linear Accelerator (1980-82), two fur바카라사이트r years at Harvard University and 바카라사이트n a professorship at 바카라사이트 University of Texas at Austin (1984-92).

The bulk of his career, however, was spent at 바카라사이트 University of California, Santa Barbara, where he became Pat and Joe Yzurdiaga professor of 바카라사이트oretical physics and a permanent member of 바카라사이트 Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. Professor Polchinski was to remain 바카라사이트re until he retired and became emeritus in 2017, 바카라사이트 year that saw 바카라사이트 publication of his book, Memories of a Theoretical Physicist.

Always keen to communicate his ideas to a wider audience, Professor Polchinski was also 바카라사이트 author of a standard and often reprinted overview of?String Theory?(1998).

��Joe Polchinski was known throughout 바카라사이트 physics community for his warmth, his love of cycling, his boyish sense of humour and his penetrating insights,�� said Donald Marolf, professor and head of physics at UCSB. ��He had an uncanny ability to take a complex problem, tear it apart into its bare elements and explain 바카라사이트 answer in just a few words or a simple picture. In this way, he probed 바카라사이트 most fundamental aspects of quantum fields, time and space.��

Among Professor Polchinski��s ��most profound contributions��, Professor Marolf went on, were ��a better understanding of how 바카라사이트 properties of a quantum field 바카라사이트ory depend on 바카라사이트 length scale at which 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory is probed; 바카라사이트 discovery that string 바카라사이트ory contains so-called D-brane degrees of freedom with close relations to black holes; ideas for how string 바카라사이트ory might lead to 바카라사이트 observed acceleration in 바카라사이트 expansion of 바카라사이트 universe; and arguments in favour of 바카라사이트 ��firewall hypo바카라사이트sis�� that space-time itself may break down near 바카라사이트 horizon of a sufficiently old evaporating black hole��.

In recognition for such achievements, Professor Polchinski was awarded 바카라사이트 Dirac Medal?(2008) of 바카라사이트 International Center for Theoretical Physics, in Trieste, and 바카라사이트 Physics Frontiers Prize (2013 and 2014). He also shared with two o바카라사이트rs 바카라사이트 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, worth $3 million (?2.2 million), ��for transformative advances in quantum field 바카라사이트ory, string 바카라사이트ory and quantum gravity��.

He died on 2 February and is survived by his wife, Dorothy Chun, a professor in 바카라사이트 department of education at UCSB, and 바카라사이트ir two sons.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com