John Bahcall 1934-2005 (Forwarded)

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August 17, 2005

JOHN N. BAHCALL 1934-2005

PRINCETON, N.J. -- John Norris Bahcall, Richard Black Professor of
Astrophysics in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for
Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., recipient of the National Medal of
Science, president of the American Astronomical Society, President-Elect
of the American Physical Society, and a prominent leader of the
astrophysics community, passed away on August 17, 2005, in New York
City. He was 70.

Dr. Bahcall had a long and prolific career in astronomy and
astrophysics, spanning five decades and the publication of more than
five hundred technical papers, books, and popular articles. Dr. Bahcall
came to the Institute in 1968 as a Member. He was appointed to the
Faculty in 1971, and had served as the Richard Black Professor since 1997.

Peter Goddard, Director of the Institute, stated, "John Bahcall was a
true pioneer in the fields of astronomy and astrophysics. His
contributions have had an indelible impact. Always generous with his
time, John Bahcall was an inspirational teacher and mentor who shaped
the careers of a generation of scientists. His passing is deeply felt at
the Institute."

James D. Wolfensohn, Chairman of the Institute's board, stated, "John
Bahcall was one of the great treasures of the Institute for Advanced
Study. His personal leadership, his professional achievements and his
devotion to the Institute made a contribution that helped shape our
lives. We loved John and will miss him sorely."

Dr. Bahcall's most recognized scientific contribution was the novel
proposal in 1964, together with Raymond Davis Jr., that scientific
mysteries of our sun -- how it shines, how old it is, how hot it is --
could be examined by measuring the number of neutrinos arriving on Earth
from the sun. Neutrinos are weakly interacting elementary particles that
travel at nearly the speed of light. They are produced as byproducts of
the nuclear fusion reactions that power stars. Measuring the properties
of these neutrinos tests both our understanding of how stars shine and
our understanding of fundamental particle physics.

Observations by Raymond Davis Jr. in the 1960s and 1970s revealed a
clear discrepancy between Bahcall's predictions, based on standard solar
and particle physics models, and what was measured experimentally. This
discrepancy, known as the "Solar Neutrino Puzzle," was examined by
hundreds of physicists, chemists, and astronomers over the subsequent
three decades. In the late 1990s through 2002, new large-scale neutrino
experiments in Japan, Canada, Italy, and Russia culminated in the
conclusion that the discrepancy between Bahcall's predictions and
experimental results required a modification of our understanding of
particle physics: neutrinos must have a mass and 'oscillate' between
different particle states. These results led to the 2002 Nobel Prize
being awarded to the leaders of the American and Japanese neutrino
experiments, Raymond Davis and Masatoshi Koshiba.

Dr. Bahcall contributed to many areas of astrophysics in addition to
neutrino astrophysics, including the study of dark matter in the
universe, quasar properties, galactic structure, the evolution of stars,
and the identification of the first neutron star companion. His most
lasting influence, however, may be the promising young scientists whom
he nurtured, and who went on to successful careers and scientific
leadership positions in the academic and scientific community. He
created the astronomy group at the Institute for Advanced Study, which
became the leading training ground in the country for post-graduate
researchers. He also helped establish the astronomy groups at the
Weizmann Institute and Tel Aviv University of Israel, among others. He
derived tremendous pleasure from building a culture and community that
attracted, encouraged, and stimulated the best young scientists.

Dr. Bahcall was a powerful driving force in the astronomy and scientific
community of the United States. He led the effort to create the Hubble
Space Telescope in the 1970s together with Lyman Spitzer; chaired the
National Academy of Science committee that created the decade roadmap
for U.S. astronomy research, which came to be known as the Bahcall
Report; served as President of the American Astronomical Society from
1990-2002 and as president-elect of the American Physical society this
past year. He was active in many areas of science policy relating to
astronomy and physics, chairing numerous committees of the National
Academy of Science, the U.S. National Committee of the International
Astronomical Union and the National Underground Science Laboratory
Committee, and advising or serving on Congressional committees.

Dr. Bahcall received numerous awards and prizes including the 1998
National Medal of Science from President Clinton; the Hans Bethe Prize
of the American Physical Society; the Dan David Prize of Israel; the
Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society; the Fermi Award (with
Raymond Davis); and the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics (with Raymond
Davis and Masatoshi Koshiba). He received Honorary Doctorates from
University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, University of Notre
Dame, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the University of Milano. He
has been a member of the National Academy of Sciences since 1976.

John Bahcall was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and began his first year
at Louisiana State University convinced he wanted to study philosophy
and perhaps become a rabbi. He soon decided that physics, and eventually
astronomy, best-suited a lifelong 'quest for the truth.' He transferred
to the University of California at Berkeley, where he received his A.B.
in 1956. He received an M.S. from the University of Chicago in 1957, and
a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1961. He was a Research Fellow at
Indiana University before joining the faculty at CalTech, where was
strongly influenced by leading physics and astronomy luminaries
including Richard Feynman, Murray Gell-Man, and William Fowler.

He is survived by his wife, three children and brother Robert. His wife,
Dr. Neta Bahcall, is a Professor of Astrophysics at Princeton
University. Her work focuses primarily on cosmology. She was elected to
the National Academy of Sciences in 1998; they were the only astronomy
couple who were both members. His eldest son, Dr. Safi Bahcall, 36, is
currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Synta
Pharmaceuticals, a Massachusetts-based biotechnology company developing
drugs for cancer and inflammation. He received a Ph.D. in theoretical
physics from Stanford University. His second son, Dr. Dan Bahcall, 34,
completed his graduate research in cognitive psychology at Rutgers, The
State University of New Jersey. His daughter, Dr. Orli Bahcall, 29, is
currently an Associate Editor of Nature Genetics, and was a recipient of
the Marshall Scholarship. She completed her graduate research in
epidemiology at Oxford University and Imperial College, London. John's
brother Robert lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with his wife Sandy.

With a scientific mind that delighted in questioning and a spirit of
discovery and perseverance, John Bahcall actively continued his research
until his final days. He suffered from a rare blood disorder that
advanced rapidly. He passed away peacefully in his sleep in New York,
surrounded by his family, reiterating his satisfaction at a long and
fulfilling life, and telling jokes until the end. He was tremendously
loved, admired, and respected, and will be much missed.