Andrew Yee
August 19th 05, 11:59 AM
Office of Public Affairs
Institute for Advanced Study
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
Contact:
Christine Ferrara, Senior Public Affairs Officer
(609) 734-8239
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.
Institute for Advanced Study
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
Contact:
Christine Ferrara, Senior Public Affairs Officer
(609) 734-8239
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.