john a. wheeler & astrophysical relativity charles w misner university of maryland
TRANSCRIPT
John A. Wheeler John A. Wheeler &&
Astrophysical Astrophysical RelativityRelativity
Charles W MisnerCharles W MisnerUniversity of MarylandUniversity of Maryland
John A WheelerJohn A Wheelerand the and the
recertificationrecertificationof GR as true of GR as true
physicsphysics
oror
Erice, 1 June 2006 3International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
J A Wheeler J A Wheeler phasesphases
Particles/nuclear 1933-1955Particles/nuclear 1933-1955
Fields/general relativity Fields/general relativity 1953-19771953-1977
Information/``It from bit’’ 1977--Information/``It from bit’’ 1977--
Erice, 1 June 2006 4International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Wheeler timelineWheeler timeline Born 9 July 1911Born 9 July 1911 Ph.D. Johns Hopkins (Herzfeld) 1933Ph.D. Johns Hopkins (Herzfeld) 1933 Bohr Institute 1934-35Bohr Institute 1934-35 Married Janette Hegner 10 June 1935Married Janette Hegner 10 June 1935 Asst. Prof. Princeton 1938Asst. Prof. Princeton 1938 Bohr-Wheeler nuclear fission paper 1939Bohr-Wheeler nuclear fission paper 1939 A-bomb, Hanford Washington 1942-45A-bomb, Hanford Washington 1942-45 H-bomb 1950-1952H-bomb 1950-1952 Moved to Austin, Texas, 1976Moved to Austin, Texas, 1976 Retired from Texas 1986Retired from Texas 1986
Erice, 1 June 2006 5International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
2003 Einstein PrizetoJohn A. WheelerPrinceton University(retired)
Erice, 1 June 2006 6International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Wheeler the TeacherWheeler the Teacher
Teaching to learnTeaching to learn Inspiration firstInspiration first Enthusiasm from current researchEnthusiasm from current research Questions trump answersQuestions trump answers Students produce physicsStudents produce physics
Erice, 1 June 2006 13International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
S. Fred SingerS. Fred Singer
Erice, 1 June 2006 14International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Tullio ReggeTullio Regge
Erice, 1 June 2006 15International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Raymond MjolsnessRaymond Mjolsness
Erice, 1 June 2006 16International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Bob EuwemaBob Euwema
Erice, 1 June 2006 17International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Barry MalikBarry Malik
Erice, 1 June 2006 18International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Kip ThorneKip Thorne
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J. Peter VajkJ. Peter Vajk
Erice, 1 June 2006 20International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
James W. York, Jr.James W. York, Jr.
Erice, 1 June 2006 21International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Demetrios ChristodoulouDemetrios Christodoulou
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Remo RuffiniRemo Ruffini
Erice, 1 June 2006 23International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Robert WaldRobert Wald
Erice, 1 June 2006 24International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Sergio HojmanSergio Hojman
Erice, 1 June 2006 25International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Jim IsenbergJim Isenberg
Erice, 1 June 2006 26International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Claudio TeitelboimClaudio Teitelboim
Erice, 1 June 2006 27International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
John A. WylerJohn A. Wyler
Erice, 1 June 2006 28International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
William H. PressWilliam H. Press
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Larry SmarrLarry Smarr
John A WheelerJohn A Wheelerand the and the
recertificationrecertificationof GR as true of GR as true
physicsphysics
Erice, 1 June 2006 31International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
GR 1927--1950GR 1927--1950
1927—1933 Cosmology: Lemaitre, de 1927—1933 Cosmology: Lemaitre, de Sitter, Hubble, EinsteinSitter, Hubble, Einstein
Einstein-Infeld-Hoffmann 1938, Einstein-Infeld-Hoffmann 1938, Einstein & Straus 1945Einstein & Straus 1945
Unified Field theories (mostly weak Unified Field theories (mostly weak maths)maths)
Lichnerowicz, Landau & Lifshitz, Lichnerowicz, Landau & Lifshitz, Bergmann, Infeld, Synge [see Bergmann, Infeld, Synge [see Kennefick histoy]Kennefick histoy]
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Bad KharmaBad Kharma
Caltech professor to Kip Thorne as Caltech professor to Kip Thorne as Kip departs for Princeton: GR has Kip departs for Princeton: GR has little relevance … look elsewhere for little relevance … look elsewhere for interesting physics.interesting physics.
Novikov’s wife given advice: Novikov’s wife given advice: relativity is a backwater … Ivor relativity is a backwater … Ivor should leave it. should leave it.
[KST p268][KST p268]
Erice, 1 June 2006 33International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Post WWII GR leadersPost WWII GR leaders
WheelerWheeler SciamaSciama ZeldovichZeldovich BondiBondi Choquet-BruhatChoquet-Bruhat SchildSchild DeWittDeWitt
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Wheeler 1950sWheeler 1950s
““Mass without Mass” – GeonsMass without Mass” – Geons field energy can be confined by gravity field energy can be confined by gravity massive objects don’t need particles massive objects don’t need particles nonlinear GR does new things nonlinear GR does new things
““Charge without Charge” – wormholes, Charge without Charge” – wormholes, topology, lead to Finkelstein & topology, lead to Finkelstein & Beckedorff geometrical views of Beckedorff geometrical views of “Schwarzschild singularity”“Schwarzschild singularity”
Brill wave initial conditionsBrill wave initial conditions
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JAW 1950s themeJAW 1950s theme
““Dynamic convervativism”:Dynamic convervativism”: Explore the equations of physics for Explore the equations of physics for
what they have to say.what they have to say. Don’t just ask them for details about Don’t just ask them for details about
things you’ve already seen.things you’ve already seen.
Erice, 1 June 2006 36International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Wheeler 1950sWheeler 1950s Encouraged Weber’s wave detectorsEncouraged Weber’s wave detectors Regge-Wheeler perturbations of SchwarzschildRegge-Wheeler perturbations of Schwarzschild Sciama, Penrose visit PrincetonSciama, Penrose visit Princeton
New ExperimentsNew Experiments Pound Rebke 1959 redshiftPound Rebke 1959 redshift Dicke experimental gravity group formedDicke experimental gravity group formed
Erice, 1 June 2006 37International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Wheeler early 1960sWheeler early 1960s
Collapse to a singularity must be Collapse to a singularity must be impossible (Note this brings impossible (Note this brings accepted physics, nuclear forces, into the accepted physics, nuclear forces, into the GR picture)GR picture)
Finkelstein, Beckedorff-Misner, Kruskal Finkelstein, Beckedorff-Misner, Kruskal give a picture of collapsegive a picture of collapse
Brill-Hartle: gravitational waves have Brill-Hartle: gravitational waves have energyenergy
Hahn-Lindquist: numerical relativity 1963Hahn-Lindquist: numerical relativity 1963
Erice, 1 June 2006 38International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"
Gravitational Expansion Gravitational Expansion 1963-1977 1963-1977
Princeton group expands: Thorne, Princeton group expands: Thorne, York, Bekenstein, RuffiniYork, Bekenstein, Ruffini
Sciama, Misner, Schild, Thorne, Sciama, Misner, Schild, Thorne, Infeld, Chandrasekhar, Hawking, Infeld, Chandrasekhar, Hawking, Newman, … build research groupsNewman, … build research groups
““Texas” meetings, quasars, pulsars, Texas” meetings, quasars, pulsars, Weber claims, Kerr metric, Weber claims, Kerr metric, singularity Theorems, “no hair” singularity Theorems, “no hair” theorems, BH Thermodynamicstheorems, BH Thermodynamics
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ReferencesReferences Wheeler/Ford, “Geons, Black Holes, …” Wheeler/Ford, “Geons, Black Holes, …”
(Norton 1998)(Norton 1998) Thorne, “Black Holes, …”, (Norton 1994)Thorne, “Black Holes, …”, (Norton 1994) Anon., ed., “Family Gathering”, 2 vol. Anon., ed., “Family Gathering”, 2 vol.
(privately distributed 1977: AIP, (privately distributed 1977: AIP, Princeton, Texas)Princeton, Texas)
Bartusiak, “Einstein’s Unfinished Bartusiak, “Einstein’s Unfinished Symphony” (J Henry Press 2000)Symphony” (J Henry Press 2000)
Kennefick, “… Gravitational Waves” Kennefick, “… Gravitational Waves” (Princeton U Pr 2007?)(Princeton U Pr 2007?)