S. C. C. Ting

Biography

Abstract

Samuel Ting is the Thomas Dudley Cabot Institute Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (1977-present). Other institutional affiliations include Columbia University and the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY). His research efforts are devoted to the physics of electron or muon pairs, investigating quantum electrodynamics, production and decay of photon-like particles, and searching for new particles which decay to electron or muon pairs. His group also discovered the J particle, for which he won a Nobel Prize (1976).

Important Dates

January 27, 1936Birth, Ann Arbor (Mich.).

1959Obtained BS in Physics and Mathematics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Mich.).

1962Obtained PhD in Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Mich.).

1963 – 1964Ford Foundation Fellow, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

1964 – 1967Instructor in Physics (1964-1965) and Assistant Professor of Physics (1965-1967), Columbia University.

1966 – 1969Group Leader, German Electron Synchrotron (DESY).

1967 – presentAssociate Professor of Physics (1967-1969); Professor of Physics (1969-1977) and Thomas Dudley Cabot Institute Professor (1977-present), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (Mass.).

1976Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics with Burton Richter "for their pioneering work in the discovery of a heavy elementary particle of a new kind".

1977Member, National Academy of Sciences.

Occupation

High energy physicist.

Places

Birth

Ann Arbor (Mich.)

Undergraduate Education

Ann Arbor (Mich.)

Graduate Education

Ann Arbor (Mich.)

Employment

Cambridge (Mass.)

Subjects

Electrons.

Muons.

Quantum electrodynamics.

Relationships

People

Family

Marks, Susan Carol

Second wife. Married in 1985.

Ting, Amy

Daughter.

Ting, Christopher, 1986-

Son.

Ting, Jeanne

Daughter.

Ting, Kuan Hai

Father.

Wang, Tsun-Ying

Mother.

Advisors & Collaborators

Jones, Lawrence W. (Lawrence William)

PhD advisor at University of Michigan, "An investigation of pion-proton interactions at high energies."

Perl, Martin L., 1927-2014

PhD advisor at University of Michigan.

Richter, Burton, 1931-2018

Shared Nobel Prize in Physics "for their pioneering work in the discovery of a heavy elementary particle of a new kind."

Colleagues

Al'tshuler, B. L.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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).

Brillouin, Léon, 1889-1969

Both employed at Columbia University.

Coppi, B.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Cummins, Herman Z., 1933-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Davidson, Ronald C.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Deutsch, Martin, 1917-2002

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Devons, Samuel

Both employed at Columbia University.

Dresselhaus, M. S.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Enge, Harald A.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Feinberg, Gerald, 1933-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Feshbach, Herman

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Foley, Henry Michael, 1917-1982

Both employed at Columbia University.

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).

Glimm, James

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Goldstone, Jeffrey

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Guth, Alan H.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Happer, William, 1939-

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).

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).

Kleppner, Daniel

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kusch, Polykarp, 1911-1993

Both employed at Columbia University.

Lax, Benjamin

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Lederman, Leon M.

Both employed at Columbia University.

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

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Lee, T. D., 1926-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Lieb, Elliott H.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Livingston, M. Stanley (Milton Stanley)

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Low, Francis E. (Francis Eugene), 1921-2007

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Luttinger, Joaquin M.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Morrison, Philip

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Novick, Robert

Both employed at Columbia University.

Orowan, E. (Egon), 1902-1989

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Page, Lyman A.

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Peoples, John, Jr.

Both employed at Columbia University.

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

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Porkolab, Miklos

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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).

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.

Schwartz, Melvin, 1932-2006

Both employed at Columbia University.

Serber, R. (Robert)

Both employed at Columbia University.

Shull, Clifford Glenwood

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Steinberger, J.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Thomas, Llewellyn Hilleth, 1903-1992

Both employed at Columbia University.

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).

Wick, G. C. (Gian Carlo)

Both employed at Columbia University.

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.

Zacharias, Jerrold Reinach, 1905-1986

Both employed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Additional

Barish, B. C. (Barry Clark), 1936-

Sanders, Gary H. (Gary Hilton)

Institutions

Major Positions

Columbia University. Department of Physics

Instructor in Physics and Assistant Professor of Physics.

Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (Center)

Group Leader.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics

Associate Professor of Physics; Professor of Physics; and Thomas Dudley Cabot Institute Professor.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

European Organization for Nuclear Research

Ford Foundation Fellow.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

University of Michigan. Department of Mathematics

Obtained BS (1959).

University of Michigan. Department of Physics

Obtained BS (1959) and PhD (1962).

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Distinguished speaker session [sound recording] / 1977 April 27.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Laboratory for Nuclear Sciences 46th anniversary symposium [videorecording], 1992 May 14-15.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Nobel Voices Videohistory Project collection, 2000-2001.

Archives Center

Smithsonian Institution. National Museum of American History

MRC 601, 12th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA

Selected talks from the International Conference on the History of Original Ideas and Basic Discoveries in Particle Physics [sound recording] / 1994.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

Oral history interview with Barry C. Barish, 1998 May-June.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

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

Oral history interview with Gary H. Sanders, 1998 October 16.

Institute Archives

California Institute of Technology

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

Published Resources

Author

Nobel Prize Autobiography

PBS Interview with Bill Moyers

Video: MIT150 "Infinite History" interview