Gordon Baym

Biography

Abstract

Gordon Baym researches matter under extreme conditions in astrophysics and nuclear physics. He has made contributions to the understanding of neutron stars, relativistic effects in nuclear physics, condensed matter physics, quantum fluids, and Bose-Einstein condensates.

Important Dates

July 1, 1935Birth, New York (N.Y.).

1956Obtained BA in Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca (N.Y.).

1957Obtained AM in Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1960Obtained PhD in Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1960 – 1962National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellow, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Copenhagen (now Niels Bohr Institute).

1962 – 1963Lecturer and Assistant Research Physicist, University of California, Berkeley.

1963 – presentAssistant Professor of Physics (1963-1965); Associate Professor of Physics (1965-1968); Professor of Physics (1968-1993); and Professor of Physics, Center for Advanced Study (1993-present), University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Champaign (Ill.).

1968Fellow, American Physical Society.

1968Visiting Scientist, Kyoto University.

1970Visiting Scientist, Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics (NORDITA).

1976Visiting Scientist, Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics (NORDITA).

1979Visiting Scientist, Academia Sinica (Zhongguo ke xue yuan).

1979 – 1983Member, Advisory Board, Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara.

1982Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1983Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

1999Visiting Scientist, École Normale Supérieure.

2001Visiting Professor, Tokyo University.

2002Awarded Hans A. Bethe Prize, American Physical Society.

2008Awarded Lars Onsager Prize, American Physical Society.

Occupation

Theoretical physicist.

Places

Birth

New York (N.Y.)

Undergraduate Education

Ithaca (N.Y.)

Graduate Education

Cambridge (Mass.)

Employment

Champaign (Ill.)

Subjects

Quantum theory.

Statistical mechanics.

Theoretical physics.

Relationships

People

Family

Hoddeson, Lillian

Wife, co-wrote "Critical assembly: a technical history of Los Alamos during the Oppenheimer years, 1943-1945."

Advisors & Collaborators

Kadanoff, Leo P.

Co-wrote "Quantum statistical mechanics; Green's function methods in equilibrium and nonequilibrium problems" and both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Schwinger, Julian, 1918-1994

PhD advisor at Harvard University, "Field-theoretic approach to the properties of the solid state."

Colleagues

Almy, Gerald Marks, 1904-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Anderson, A. C. (Ansel Cochran), 1933-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Bardeen, John

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Bradbury, Norris, 1909-1997

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Brode, Robert B. (Robert Bigham), 1900-1986

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Campbell, David K.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Ceperley, David

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Chamberlain, O. (Owen)

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Chew, Geoffrey F.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Commins, Eugene D.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Drickamer, H. G. (Harry George), 1918-2002

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Duke, Charles B.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Emery, V. J. (Victor J.)

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Everhart, Thomas E.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Feibelman, Peter J.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Fetter, Alexander L., 1937-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Frauenfelder, Hans, 1922-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Ginsberg, Donald M.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Glaser, D. A.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Goldenfeld, Nigel

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Goldhaber, Gerson

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Greene, Laura H.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Hahn, E. L. (Erwin Louis), 1921-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Heeger, Alan J.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Helmholz, August Carl, 1915-2003

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Holt, R. J. (Roy J.)

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Jackson, John David, 1925-2016

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Jeffries, C. D., 1922-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Klein, Miles V., 1933-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Lazarus, David, 1921-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Leggett, A. J. (Anthony J.)

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Loomis, F. W. (Francis Wheeler), 1889-1976

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Mandelstam, Stanley

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Massey, Walter E.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

McMillan, William L.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Moyer, Burton J., 1912-1973

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Nierenberg, William Aaron, 1919-2000

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Overhauser, Albert Warner, 1925-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Pandharipande, V. R.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Pines, David, 1924-2018

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Reynolds, John Hamilton, 1923-2000

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Ruderman, Malvin A.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Segrè, Emilio

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Seitz, Frederick, 1911-2008

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Simmons, Ralph Oliver

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Slichter, Charles P.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Steiner, Herbert M.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Sullivan, Jeremiah D.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Thomas, Gareth, 1932-2014

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Tinkham, Michael

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Trilling, George H.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Van Harlingen, Dale J.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Watson, Kenneth M.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Wheatley, John Charles

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Additional

Gibney, Robert Bernard, 1911-

Hao, Bailin

Maxwell, E.

Migdal, A. B. (Arkadii Beinusovich), 1911-1991

Peierls, Rudolf E. (Rudolf Ernst), 1907-1995

Pippard, A. B.

Stromgren, Bengt, 1908-1987

Thorne, Kip S.

Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-1995

Institutions

Major Positions

École normale supérieure (France). Laboratoire de physique

Visiting Scientist.

Kyoto Daigaku. Department of Astronomy

Visiting Scientist.

Nordisk institut for teoretisk atomfysik

Visiting Scientist.

Tōkyō Daigaku. Butsurigaku Kyoshitsu

Visiting Professor.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Physics

Lecturer and Assistant Research Physicist.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Department of Physics

Assistant Professor of Physics; Associate Professor of Physics; Professor of Physics; and Professor of Physics, Center for Advanced Study.

Zhongguo ke xue yuan. Changchun guang xue jing mi ji xie yu wu li yan jiu suo

Visiting Scientist.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Fellow.

American Physical Society

Fellow. Awarded 2002 Hans A. Bethe Prize and awarded 2008 Lars Onsager Prize.

Cornell University. Department of Physics

Obtained AB in 1956.

Harvard University. Department of Mathematics

Obtained AM in 1957.

Harvard University. Department of Physics

Obtained PhD in 1960.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Niels Bohr institutet

National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellow.

University of California, Santa Barbara. Institute for Theoretical Physics

Member, Advisory Board.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Kip Thorne interviews conducted for his book "Black Holes and Time Warps," 1980-1989.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

1201 East California Blvd. (Mail Code 015A-74), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA

Oral history interview with A. B. Migdal, 1977 May 25.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Alfred Brian Pippard, 1982 September 14.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Bai-Lin Hao, 1980 March 20.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Bengt Georg Daniel Strömgren, 1976 May 6 and 13.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Emanuel Maxwell, 1983 March 4.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Eugene Paul Wigner, 1981 January 24.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Robert Gibney 11 January 1978.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Rudolf Ernst Peierls, 1977 May 20.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Critical assembly : a technical history of Los Alamos during the Oppenheimer years, 1943-1945 / Lillian Hoddeson ... [et al.] ; with contributions from Gordon Baym ... [et al.].

Lectures on quantum mechanics.

Quantum statistical mechanics; Green's function methods in equilibrium and nonequilibrium problems [by] Leo P. Kadanoff [and] Gordon Baym.

Quarks and nuclear forces / editors, D.C. Fries and B. Zeitnitz.