G. C. Wick

Biography

Abstract

Gian-Carlo Wick was Professor of Physics at Columbia University (1965-1977). Other institutional affiliations include Brookhaven National Laboratory, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Unviersity of California, Berkeley, University of Notre Dame, University of Rome, University of Padua and University of Palermo. Wick's contributions to theoretical physics include the Wick theorem, the Wick rotation, the Jacob-Wick expansion, the Lee-Wick approach to the vacuum, as well as contributions to meson theory and to symmetry properties.

Important Dates

October 15, 1909Birth, Turin (Italy).

1930Obtained PhD in Physics, University of Turin, Turin (Italy).

1930 – 1931Research Associate, University of Göttingen and University of Leipzig.

1931 – 1932Research Associate, University of Turin, Turin (Italy).

1932 – 1937Research Assistant, University of Rome, Rome (Italy).

1937 – 1938Assistant Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Palermo.

1938 – 1940Associate Professor, University of Padua.

1940 – 1945Professor of Physics, University of Rome, Rome (Italy).

1946 – 1948Professor of Physics, University of Notre Dame.

1948 – 1950Professor of Physics, University of California, Berkeley.

1951 – 1957Professor of Physics, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh (Pa.).

1957 – 1965Senior Physicist, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton (N.Y.).

1963Member, National Academy of Sciences.

1965 – 1992Professor of Physics (1965-1977) and Emeritus Professor of Physics (1977-1992), Columbia University, New York (N.Y.).

1967Awarded Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics, American Physical Society.

1977 – 1984Visiting Professor of Physics, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Pisa (Italy).

April 20, 1992Death, Turin (Italy).

Occupation

Theoretical physicist.

Places

Birth

Turin (Italy)

Graduate Education

Turin (Italy)

Employment

Rome (Italy)

Pittsburgh (Pa.)

Upton (N.Y.)

New York (N.Y.)

Pisa (Italy)

Death

Turin (Italy)

Subjects

Group theory.

Nuclear physics.

Quantum field theory.

Symmetry (Physics).

Theoretical physics.

Relationships

People

Family

Allason, Barbara, 1877-1968

Mother.

Wick, Julian

Son.

Wick, Lionel

Son.

Wick, Vanna

Second Wife.

Colleagues

Adair, Robert K., 1924-

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Alvarez, Luis W., 1911-1988

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Birge, Raymond T. (Raymond Thayer), 1887-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Blume, Martin, 1932-

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Brillouin, Léon, 1889-1969

Both employed at Columbia University.

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

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University.

Chamberlain, O. (Owen)

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Chew, Geoffrey F.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Christ, Norman

Both employed at Columbia University.

Cool, Rodney L. (Rodney Lee), 1920-1988

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Courant, Ernest D. (Ernest David), 1920-

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Creutz, E.

Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.

Cronin, James W., 1931-2016

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Davis, Raymond, 1914-2006

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Devons, Samuel

Both employed at Columbia University.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Emery, V. J. (Victor J.)

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Feinberg, Gerald, 1933-

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Foley, Henry Michael, 1917-1982

Both employed at Columbia University.

Frazer, Benjamin Chalmers

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Goldhaber, Gertrude S. -1998

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Goldhaber, Maurice, 1911-2011

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Goudsmit, Samuel A. (Samuel Abraham), 1902-1978

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Guth, Alan H.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Happer, William, 1939-

Both employed at Columbia University.

Haworth, Leland J. (Leland John), 1904-

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Helmholz, August Carl, 1915-2003

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Kohn, Walter, 1923-2016

Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.

Kusch, Polykarp, 1911-1993

Both employed at Columbia University.

Lawrence, Ernest Orlando, 1901-1958

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Lederman, Leon M.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Lee, T. D., 1926-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University.

Loeb, Leonard B. (Leonard Benedict), 1891-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Luttinger, Joaquin M.

Both employed at Columbia University.

McMillan, Edwin M. (Edwin Mattison), 1907-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Moyer, Burton J., 1912-1973

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Nierenberg, William Aaron, 1919-2000

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Novick, Robert

Both employed at Columbia University.

Nygren, David R.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Palmer, Robert B., 1934-

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Panofsky, Wolfgang K. H. (Wolfgang Kurt Hermann), 1919-2007

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Peoples, John, Jr.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Poskanzer, A. M. (Arthur M.), 1931-

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Reynolds, John Hamilton, 1923-2000

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Rostoker, Norman

Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.

Ruderman, Malvin A.

Both employed at Columbia University.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Samios, Nicholas P.

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Schwartz, Melvin, 1932-2006

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Columbia University.

Segrè, Emilio

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Serber, R. (Robert)

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University.

Shirane, G.

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Steinberger, J.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University.

Stern, Otto, 1888-1969

Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.

Tape, Gerald Frederick, 1915-2005

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Thomas, Llewellyn Hilleth, 1903-1992

Both employed at Columbia University.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Vineyard, G. H.

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Warburton, Ernest Keeling

Both employed at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Weinberg, Erick J.

Both employed at Columbia University.

Wolfenstein, L. (Lincoln)

Both employed at Carnegie Institute of Technology.

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

Both employed at Columbia University.

Additional

Gell-Mann, Murray

Klein, Oskar

Medicus, Heinrich, 1918-

Occhialini, Giuseppe, 1907-1993

Institutions

Major Positions

Brookhaven National Laboratory

Senior Physicist.

Carnegie Institute of Technology. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics.

Columbia University. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics and Emeritus Professor of Physics.

Università di Padova

Associate Professor.

Università di Palermo

Assistant Professor of Theoretical Physics.

Università di Roma

Research Assistant and Professor of Physics.

Università di Torino

Obtained PhD in Physics (1930). Research Associate.

Universität Göttingen

Research Associate.

Universität Leipzig (1409-1953)

Research Associate.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics.

University of Notre Dame. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

American Physical Society

Received 1967 Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics.

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

Scuola normale superiore (Italy)

Visiting Professor of Physics.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Gian Carlo Wick papers, circa 1930-1992.

Scuola Normale Superiore

Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126, Pisa, Italy

Heineman Prize Banquet [sound recording] : American Physical Society Meeting, 1967 April 26.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Invited papers in theoretical physics [sound recording] : American Physical Society Meeting, 1967 April 25.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Selected correspondence and related materials from the Wick archives, 1933-1945.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Subject

International congress for nuclear physics, quantum electrodynamics and cosmic radiation [motion picture] / photographed by Heinrich Medicus.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

International Congress for Physics [motion picture] / photographed by Heinrich Medicus.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

International Congress for Physics [motion picture] / photographed by Heinrich Medicus.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, 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 Giuseppe Occhialini, 1971 April 5, 6, May 16, 17, and November 18.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Lincoln Wolfenstein, 1997 April 19.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oral history interview with Wolfgang Kurt Hermann Panofsky, 1973 May 15 and 1974 March 6 and June 3.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Oskar Klein papers, 1916-1970.

Niels Bohr Archive

Blegdamsvej 17, Copenhagen, Denmark

Published Resources

Subject

"Gian-Carlo Wick: 1909-1992", Biographical Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences

Gian Wick Physics Today obituary.