B. J. Alder

Biography

Abstract

B. J. Alder is an American physicist, who specializes in statistical mechanics. He is also a pioneer of numerical simulation in physics.

Important Dates

September 9, 1925Birth, Duisburg (Germany).

1947Obtained B.S. in Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1948Obtained M.S. in Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1951Obtained Ph.D. in Chemistry, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena (Calif.).

1951 – 1954Instructor in Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1954 – 1955Guggenheim Fellow, Cambridge University and University of Lyon.

1955 – 1993Theoretical Physicist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore (Calif.).

1966 – 1991Editor, Journal of Computational Physics.

1970Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1970 – 1971Van der Waals Professor, University of Amsterdam.

1972Visiting Professor, University of Paris.

1986Hinshelwood Professor, Oxford University.

1987 – presentProfessor of Applied Science (1987-1993) and Emeritus Professor of Applied Science (1993-present), University of California, Davis, Davis (Calif.).

1990Lorentz Professor, University of Leiden.

2001Awarded Boltzmann Medal, International Union of Pure and Applied Physics.

2008Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

2009Awarded the National Medal of Science.

Occupation

Molecular physicist.

Places

Birth

Duisburg (Germany)

Undergraduate Education

Berkeley (Calif.)

Graduate Education

Berkeley (Calif.)

Pasadena (Calif.)

Employment

Livermore (Calif.)

Davis (Calif.)

Subjects

Molecular dynamics.

Molecular theory.

Monte Carlo method.

Statistical mechanics.

Relationships

People

Advisors & Collaborators

Frankel, S., 1919-

Collaborated to develop what is now known as called Monte Carlo analysis.

Kirkwood, John Gamble, 1907-1959

PhD advisor at California Institute of Technology, "The radial distribution function and the thermodynamic properties of monatomic liquids: a statistical mechanical theory of the coefficient of thermal conductivity of monatomic liquids."

Wainwright, Thomas Everett

Developed techniques for molecular dynamics simulation including the velocity autocorrelations function decay in liquid.

Colleagues

Acrivos, A.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Anastasio, Michael R.

Both employed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Anderson, John D., 1930-

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Batzel, Roger Elwood

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Brown, Harold, 1927-2019

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.

Browne, John C.

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.

Ceperley, David

Both employed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Clauser, John F. (John Francis), 1942-

Both employed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

DeWitt, Bryce S. (Bryce Seligman), 1923-2004

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.

Edwards, David F. (David Franklin)

Both employed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Foster, John S., 1922-

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.

Furth, H. P.

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.

Geballe, Theodore H.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Giauque, William F. (William Francis), 1895-1982

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Holdren, John P.

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore Laboratory.

Kruer, William L.

Both employed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Laughlin, Robert B.

Both employed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Lindl, John

Both employed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

May, Michael M., 1925-

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

McKee, Christopher, 1942-

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.

Miller, George H. (physicist)

Both employed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Nuckolls, John Hopkin

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Perlman, Isadore

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Post, Richard F.

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Seaborg, Glenn T. (Glenn Theodore), 1912-1999

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Tarter, C. Bruce

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Teller, Edward, 1908-2003

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.

York, Herbert F. (Herbert Frank)

Both employed at Lawrence Radiation Laboratory.

Institutions

Major Positions

Lawrence Livermore Laboratory

Theoretical Physicist.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Theoretical Physicist.

Lawrence Radiation Laboratory

Theoretical Physicist (Livermore campus).

Rijksuniversiteit te Leiden

Lorentz Professor.

Université de Paris

Visiting Professor.

Universiteit van Amsterdam

Van der Waals Professor.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Chemistry

Obtained BS (1947). Instructor in Chemistry.

University of California, Davis. Department of Applied Science

Professor of Applied Science and Emeritus Professor of Applied Science.

University of Oxford. Department of Chemistry

Hinshelwood Professor.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Academy of Arts and Sciences

California Institute of Technology. Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Obtained PhD (1951).

Elsevier Science Publishers

Editor, Journal of Computational Physics.

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Universite de Lyon

Guggenheim Fellow.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Chemical Engineering

Obtained MS (1948).

University of Cambridge

Guggenheim Fellow.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Oral history interview with Berni J. Alder, 1990 June 18.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA