Francis E. Low

Biography

Abstract

Francis Low was Professor of Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (1957-2007). Other institutional affiliations include University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His research interests included quantum field theory and particle scattering.

Important Dates

October 27, 1921Birth, New York (N.Y.).

1942Obtained BA, Harvard University, Cambridge (Mass.).

1947Obtained MS, Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).

1949Obtained PhD in Physics, Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).

1949 – 1950Instructor in Physics, Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).

1950 – 1952Member, Institute for Advanced Study.

1952 – 1956Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

1957 – 2007Professor of Physics (1957-1968); Karl Compton Professor of Physics (1968-1985); Director, Center for Theoretical Physics (1974-1983); Director, Laboratory for Nuclear Science (1979-1985); Provost (1980-1985); Institute Professor, Laboratory for Nuclear Science (1985-1992); and Institute Professor Emeritus (1992-2007), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (Mass.).

1967Member, National Academy of Sciences.

February 16, 2007Death, Haverford (Pa. : Township).

Occupation

Theoretical physicist.

Places

Birth

New York (N.Y.)

Undergraduate Education

Cambridge (Mass.)

Graduate Education

New York (N.Y.)

Employment

Cambridge (Mass.)

Death

Haverford (Pa. : Township)

Subjects

Condensed matter.

Quantum field theory.

Scattering (Physics).

Theoretical physics.

Relationships

People

Family

Low, Natalie Sadigur

Wife.

Advisors & Collaborators

Bethe, Hans A. (Hans Albrecht), 1906-2005

Ph.D. advisor at Columbia University.

Bohr, Aage

Graduate advisor at Columbia University.

Chu, Gilbert

Advised by Low at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on phenomenological dual models.

Feigenbaum, Mitchell, 1944-2019

Advised by Low at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) "The Relationship of Feynman Parametrization to the Double Spectral Representation of Scattering Amplitudes for Higher Spin Particles."

Guth, Alan H.

Advised by Low at Massachusetts Institute of Technology on exploration of an early model of how quarks combine to form elementary particles. Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

Post-doctoral advisor at the Institute for Advanced Study. Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Weisberger, William Ira

Advised by Low at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Colleagues

Abrahams, Elihu

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Almy, Gerald Marks, 1904-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Al'tshuler, B. L.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Bardeen, John

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Benedek, George Bernard, 1928-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Bertsch, George F.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Birgeneau, Robert J. (Robert Joseph), 1942-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Bitter, Francis, 1902-1967

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Booth, Eugene

Both employed at Columbia University.

Brueckner, Keith A.

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Callen, Herbert B.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Case, Kenneth M.

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Charney, Jule G.

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Chew, Geoffrey F.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Cooper, Leon N. (Leon Neil), 1930-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Coppi, B.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Davidson, Ronald C.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Davis, Bergen, 1869-1958

Both employed at Columbia University.

Deutsch, Martin, 1917-2002

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Dresselhaus, M. S.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Dunning, John R. (John Ray), 1907-1975

Both employed at Columbia University.

Edgerton, Harold Eugene, 1903-1990

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Einstein, Albert, 1879-1955

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Enge, Harald A.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Feshbach, Herman

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Foley, Henry Michael, 1917-1982

Both employed at Columbia University.

Frauenfelder, Hans, 1922-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Freedman, Daniel Z.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Friedman, Jerome I. (Jerome Isaac), 1930-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Gates, S. James

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Gell-Mann, Murray

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Glauber, Roy J., 1925-

Both employed at the Institute for Advanced Study.

Glimm, James

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Goldhaber, Gerson

Both employed at Columbia University.

Goldstone, Jeffrey

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Haroche, S.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Haus, Hermann A.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Hughes, Vernon W.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Jackiw, Roman W.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Javan, Ali, 1926-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Joannopoulos, J. D. (John D.), 1947-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kaspi, Victoria Michelle, 1967-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kastner, Marc A.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kendall, Henry W. (Henry Way), 1926-1999

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kerst, Donald William, 1911-1993

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Ketterle, Wolfgang

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Keyes, Frederick G. (Frederick George), 1885-1976

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kinoshita, T. (Toichiro)

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Klein, Martin J.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kleppner, Daniel

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kraichnan, Robert H., 1928-2008

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Kraushaar, William L.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kroll, Norman Myles, 1922-

Both employed at Columbia University and the Institute for Advanced Study.

Kusch, Polykarp, 1911-1993

Both employed at Columbia University.

Lamb, Willis E. (Willis Eugene), 1913-2008

Both employed at Columbia University.

Lax, Benjamin

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Lazarus, David, 1921-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Lee, P. A. (Patrick A.), 1946-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Lee, T. D., 1926-

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Lieb, Elliott H.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Lin, C. C. (Chia-Chʻiao), 1916-2013

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Livingston, M. Stanley (Milton Stanley)

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Luttinger, Joaquin M.

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Merzbacher, Eugen

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Morrison, Philip

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Morse, Marston, 1892-1977

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Morse, Philip M. (Philip McCord), 1903-1985

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Nambu, Yoichiro, 1921-2015

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Orowan, E. (Egon), 1902-1989

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Overhauser, Albert Warner, 1925-

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Page, Lyman A.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Pegram, George Braxton, 1876-1958

Both employed at Columbia University.

Pekeris, C. L. (Chaim Leib), 1908-1993

Both employed at Columbia University.

Phillips, William D. (William Daniel), 1948-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Pines, David, 1924-2018

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Porkolab, Miklos

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Press, Frank, 1924-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Rabi, I. I. (Isidor Isaac), 1898-1988

Both employed at Columbia University.

Rainwater, L. James (Leo James), 1917-1986

Both employed at Columbia University.

Randall, Lisa

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Rasmussen, Norman C.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Read, Nicholas

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Rossi, Bruno, 1905-1993

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Sachs, Allan M. (Allan Maxwell), 1921-1989

Both employed at Columbia University.

Schawlow, Arthur L., 1921-1999

Both employed at Columbia University.

Seitz, Frederick, 1911-2008

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Shull, Clifford Glenwood

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Slater, John C. (John Clarke), 1900-1976

Both employed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Slichter, Charles P.

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Stanley, H. Eugene (Harry Eugene), 1941-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Steinberger, J.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Stratton, Julius Adams, 1901-1994

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Thomas, Llewellyn Hilleth, 1903-1992

Both employed at Columbia University.

Ting, S. C. C. (Samuel Chao-chung), 1936-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Townes, Charles H.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Columbia University.

Van de Graaf, Robert Jemison, 1901-1967

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Von Neumann, John, 1903-1957

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Weinberg, Steven, 1933-

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Weiss, Rainer

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Weisskopf, Victor Frederick, 1908-2002

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Weyl, Hermann, 1885-1955

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Wheatley, John Charles

Both employed at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Wiesner, Jerome B. (Jerome Bert), 1915-1994

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Wilczek, Frank

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Wu, C. S. (Chien-shiung), 1912-1997

Both employed at Columbia University.

Yang, Chen Ning, 1922-

Both employed at Institute for Advanced Study.

Zacharias, Jerrold Reinach, 1905-1986

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Additional

Compton, K. T. (Karl Taylor), 1887-1954

Drell, Sidney D. (Sidney David), 1926-

Ferris, Timothy

Fitch, Val L., 1923-2015

Frieman, E. A.

Ingard, K. Uno

Kaiser, David

Pickering, Andrew, 1948-

Ruina, J. P. (Jack P.)

Salpeter, Edwin E.

Schrieffer, J. R. (John Robert), 1931-

Treiman, Sam B.

Watson, Kenneth M.

Westphal, J. A. (James Adolph), 1930-2004

Wilson, Kenneth G. (Kenneth Geddes), 1936-2013

Institutions

Major Positions

Columbia University. Department of Physics

Obtained MS (1947) and PhD (1949). Instructor in Physics.

Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, N.J.)

Member.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics; Karl Compton Professor of Physics; Provost; Institute Professor Emeritus; and Director, Center for Theoretical Physics.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Laboratory for Nuclear Science.

Institute Professor and Director.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Department of Physics

Assistant Professor to Associate Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

Harvard University. Department of Physics

Obtained BA (1942).

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Francis E. Low autobiography, circa 1965.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Francis Eugene Low, 1986 April 29.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Andrew Pickering interviews conducted for his book CONSTRUCTING QUARKS, 1978-1982.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Brandeis University Summer Institute in Theoretical Physics 1959 lecture notes, 1959.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Karl Taylor Compton lectures records, 1985.

Institute Archives and Special Collections

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

M.I.T. Libraries, Rm. 14N-118, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

MIT Office of the President records, 1972-1990.

Institute Archives and Special Collections

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

M.I.T. Libraries, Rm. 14N-118, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

Murray Gell-Mann papers, 1931-2001 (bulk 1955-1993).

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

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

Oral history interview with David Pines, 1981 April 13 and 16.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with E. A. Frieman, 1986 June 26.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Edwin Ernest Salpeter, 1978 March 30.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Jack P. Ruina, 1991 August 8.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with James Westphal, 1982 August 9 and 12 and September 14.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with John Robert Schrieffer, 1974 September 26 and 1976 January 19.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with K. Uno Ingard, 2007 July 19.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Kenneth G. Wilson, 1991 December 10.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Murray Gell-Mann, 1997 July 17 and 18.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

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

Oral history interview with Val L. Fitch, 1986 December 18.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

The World of Philip Morrison, 1986.

Institute Archives and Special Collections

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

M.I.T. Libraries, Rm. 14N-118, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

The worlds of Philip Morrison [video and audio recording], 1986.

Institute Archives and Special Collections

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

M.I.T. Libraries, Rm. 14N-118, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

Timothy Ferris interviews conducted for book, THE RED LIMIT, 1974-1976.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

Symmetries and elementary particles / Francis E. Low ; notes by Felix A. E. Pirani.

Subject

"Francis E. Low: 1921-2007", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences

"Francis E. Low: Coming of Age as a Physicist in Postwar America," Physics @ MIT: MIT Physics Annual 14 (2001): 22-31 and 70-77.