Quantum Man: Richard Feynman's Life in Science (29 page)

Index

Page numbers in
italics
refer to illustrations.

About Time,
229

Abrikosov, Alexei, 190

absolute zero, 170, 174–75, 185–86

absorption theory, 28–32, 38, 69, 110–20, 114, 121, 126, 130–31

aces (particles), 292–93, 295, 299–300

acoustics, 54

action-at-a-distance principle, 40

Albuquerque, N.Mex., 80, 88–89

algae-to-gasoline project, 269

algorithms, 273, 278–79, 283, 284, 286

“Alternative Formulation of Quantum Electrodynamics” (Feynman), 144–46

American Physical Society (APS), 143–44, 154, 157, 263–72, 273

amplitude, 54–56

Anderson, Carl, 106–7

angular momentum, 100–102, 121

   
see also
spin

anti-K-zero particles, 201–2

antimatter, xii, 41

antiparticles, 106–7, 110–11, 113–14, 131–40, 144–46, 197–98, 201–2

anti-Semitism, 22–23, 36–37

Arithmetica
(Diophantus), 9

astrophysics, 20, 82–85, 106–7, 239, 240, 255–61

asymptomatic freedom, 306–7, 309, 312, 319

atomic bomb, 20, 46–47, 67–68, 72, 74, 76–95, 108, 122, 163–64, 194, 273–74, 283

atomic force microscopes, 269–70

atomic number, 66

atomic-scale machines, 270–72

“atomic tweezers,” 270

atoms, 19, 23–35, 84, 107, 171–79, 181–82, 240, 267–72, 294

automata, 278

axial vector (
A
) interaction, 212–16, 292

“baby universes,” 256

Bacher, Robert, 164, 223

background radiation, 240

backward-in-time reaction, xii, 34–35, 38–42, 47–48, 107, 129–40, 144–46, 148–54, 169, 173, 193

Bader, Mr. (teacher), 8–9, 14, 16–17, 74

Bardeen, John, 189

Barish, Barry, 218–19, 319–20

bar magnets, 203–4

Bell, John, 281

Bell, Mary Louise, 168

Bell Laboratories, 284

Bennett, Charles, 281–82

beta decay, 194, 208, 210, 213–15

Bethe, Hans, 37, 81–86, 90, 92–93, 95, 97, 110, 122–23, 125–27, 129, 139–40, 145, 148, 154, 168, 273–74, 288, 308

Bethe, Rose, 90

Bethe-Feynman formula, 81

Bhagavad Gita, 90–91

“big bang” theory, 240

biology, xii, 20, 222, 267–68

Biology on the Atomic Scale
(Feynman), 267–68

bits, information, 265

Bjorken, James, 297, 298–99, 306

Blackett, Patrick, 106–7

black holes, 249–51, 252

Block, Martin, 206–7

Boehm, Felix, 214

Bogan, Louise, 47

Bohr, Niels, 61–62, 100, 112, 119–20, 145–46, 173, 186–87

Boltzmann, Ludwig, xi–xii

Bose, Satyendra, 102, 175

Bose-Einstein condensation, 175–76, 180, 189

bosons, 102, 175, 176, 182, 184, 303–5

branes (higher dimensional objects), 253–54

Brazil, 109–10, 164–67, 168, 169, 212

Brookhaven Laboratory, 301

bubble chambers, 4–5, 169

Buddha, 289–90

cages, atomic, 182

calculating machines, 20, 87, 274–75

calculus, 5, 7, 9

“Calculus for the Practical Man, The” (Feynman), 7

California, University of:

   at Berkeley, 92–93, 154, 164

   at Los Angeles (UCLA), 214

California Institute of Technology (Caltech), xiv, 143, 164, 165, 168–69, 193, 195, 202, 206, 214–18, 220, 223–29, 244, 263–64, 277, 278, 293–94, 315–20

Cambridge University, 106, 148

Canadian Undergraduate Physics Association, xiii–xiv

cancer, 309, 317

carbon dioxide, 269

carbon nanotubes, 271

cariocas
(Brazilian locals), 166, 167

Case (physicist), 156–57

celestial mechanics, 16

cellular automata, 278

centrifuges, 68

Centro Brasiliero de Pesquisas Fisicas, 164–66

CERN, 124, 235, 292, 305

chain reactions, 68, 77, 84

Challenger
investigation, xv, 309

Chandrasekhar, Subrahmanyan, 241

Character of Physical Law, The
(Feynman), xi–xii, 229

chemistry, 8, 101, 225, 270

Chicago, University of, 68, 77–78, 164, 194–95, 197, 202, 207

Church, George, 269

Clotilde (friend), 165

clusters, galaxy, 260

coal, 83

cobalt 60, 208

cold war, 181

Coleman, Sidney, 236–37, 256, 306

“color,” 305–8

color charges, 306–7

color vision, 226

Columbia University, 119, 128, 142, 208–9

Commonwealth Graduate Fellowship, 149

complex differential equations, 86, 273

complex numbers, 116

computers, 186, 266–67, 273–86, 308–9, 316

computer science, 276–77

condensed matter, 172–79, 181–82, 183, 190–91

conducting polymers, 271

Conference on the Foundations of Quantum Theory (1947), 122–23, 124, 143

Connection Machine, 308

Cooper, Leon, 189

Copacabana, 165, 166–67

Corben, Bert, 98–99

Corben, Mulaika, 98–99

Cornell University, 37, 92–97, 109, 126–27, 148, 152, 156–57, 163, 164, 165, 168, 223, 229, 288

cosines, 7

cosmic rays, 20, 106–7, 240

cosmological constant, 239

cosmology, 20, 82–85, 106–7, 239, 240, 255–61

current, electric, 171

cyclotrons, 154

“dead spots,” 54

decouplets, 290

deep inelastic scattering, 298–99

Delbrück, Max, 222

dense materials science, 172–79, 181–82, 183, 190–91

density, 182, 183

density waves, 183

differential equations, 86, 273

Diophantus, 9

Dirac, Paul, 19, 59–65, 76, 83–84, 97, 102, 103–7, 108, 110–12, 114–16, 118–19, 120, 121, 124, 131, 138, 157, 158, 192, 210, 211, 231, 257

“Dirac sea,” 104–7, 114, 126, 127, 131, 157

dissipation, energy, 173–74, 181–82, 185, 247–48, 281–82, 295–300, 310

DNA, 267–68

down quarks, 291–92, 305

Dyson, Freeman, 37, 98–99, 109, 141, 148–54, 231–32

E=mc
2
, 29–30, 102, 103–4

eclipses, 241

Eddington, Arthur Stanley, 83, 241

Edson, Lee, 287

effective theory, 310–12

Ehrenfest, Paul, xi–xii

eightfold way, 289–91

Einstein, Albert, 6–7, 19, 22, 27, 39–42, 60, 93, 95, 97, 102, 175, 238, 239–40, 248, 251, 280–81

Einstein Prize, 221

electrical engineering, 6

electrical resistance, 170–71

electric motors, 272–73

electromagnetism, 47, 49, 52–53, 56, 58, 62, 63, 69, 71, 72–73, 100, 131, 142, 173. 224–25, 243

   
see also
quantum electrodynamics (QED)

electronics, 67–68

electron microscopes, 269–70, 272

electron-positron (particle-antiparticle) pairs, 113–14, 133–40,
137,
197–98

electrons, 19, 23–35, 38, 54–58, 66, 81, 97, 100–107, 111, 113–14, 126, 127, 128–40,
137,
143–44, 154–56, 157, 173–74, 181–82, 186–88, 190, 197–98, 208–10, 212–13, 294, 297–98, 301

electroweak unification, 304–6, 312

encryption, 284–85

Encyclopaedia Britannica,
264–65

energy:

   alternative sources of, 269

   atomic levels of, 26–27

   conservation of, 199–200

   dissipation of, 173–74, 181–82, 185, 247–48, 281–82, 295–300, 310

   kinetic, 15–16, 49–50, 177, 258–59

   levels of, 49–50, 119–23, 126, 182–88, 189

   matter vs., 27, 29–30, 102, 103–6, 113, 125, 126, 151, 177, 238–39, 241, 250–51, 257–60, 306–7, 309–13

   negative, 102–7, 114, 126, 127, 131, 157

   nonzero, 174

   positive, 102–3, 114, 174

   potential, 15–16, 49–50, 257–59, 309–13

   quanta of, 28

   radiation of, 27–28, 33, 35, 173, 247–48 250–251, 281–82, 295–300, 310

   reabsorption of, 29–32, 38

   self-, 23–24, 30, 41–42, 111–12, 115–23, 124, 136–39,
137,
150–51, 159

   solar, 82–85

   states of, 102–6, 113, 125, 126, 151, 170–75, 177, 181–85, 187–88

   thermal, 174, 183, 248, 250–51, 275

   total, 257–58

   transfer of, 29

   zero, 102–3, 118, 257–58, 306–7

engineering, 6, 67, 81, 226, 263, 270–73

Engineering and Science,
263

entropy, xi–xii

Esalen, 234

Escher, M. C., 199

Euclidean space, 258

European Laboratory for Nuclear Research (CERN), 124, 235, 292, 305

event horizons, 249–50

Exxon, 269

factorization, 285–86

Faddeev, Ludvig, 304

Faddeev-Popov ghost bosons, 304

Faraday, Michael, 28

Farragut, David, 32

Federation of Church and Synagogue Youth, 36

femtoseconds, 270

Fermat, Pierre de, 9

Fermat’s last theorem, 9

Fermat’s theorem of least time, 11–14, 15

Fermi, Enrico, 68, 77, 83–84, 101–2, 165, 169, 193–95, 197, 202, 210

fermions, 101–2, 104, 175

Feynman, Arline Greenbaum, 8, 43–47, 66, 67, 74, 77, 79–80, 88–89, 90, 91, 93, 95, 97, 109, 221

Feynman, Carl, 222, 276, 277

Feynman, Gweneth Howarth, 221–22, 224, 229, 238, 245

Feynman, Joan, 43, 210, 272, 294

Feynman, Lucille, 38–39, 45–46, 81, 93, 96, 222

Feynman, Mary Louise Bell, 168

Feynman, Melville, 3, 20, 36, 45, 95

Feynman, Michelle, 222

Feynman, Richard:

   academic career of, 37, 45, 77–78, 80–82, 92–97, 164, 165, 168–69, 221

   APA lecture of (1959), 263–72, 273

   as assistant professor, 37

   author’s interest in, xi–xvii, 228–29, 266, 308–9, 319

   “beer party” attended by, 50, 59

   Bethe’s relationship with, 81–86, 90, 92–93, 95, 97, 110, 122–23, 125–27, 139–40, 145, 154, 168, 273–74, 288, 308

   biographies of, xv, xvi

   bongo drums played by, 166

   in Brazil, 109–10, 164–67, 168, 169, 212

   as Caltech professor, 164, 165, 168–69, 193, 195, 202, 206, 214–18, 220, 223–29, 244, 263–64, 277, 278, 293–94, 315–20

   cancer of, 309, 317

   in
Challenger
investigation, xv, 309

   in Chapel Hill, N.C., 245

   chemistry studied by, 8

   childhood of, 3–4

   computational abilities of, 81, 85–88, 91, 266–67, 273–86, 308–9, 315–16

   as consultant, 273, 275–76, 308

   in Copacabana, 165, 166–67

   as Cornell associate professor, 37, 92–97, 109, 126–27, 148, 152, 156–57, 163, 164, 165, 168, 223

   correspondence of, 38–39, 44, 45–46, 77, 81, 88–89, 108, 109, 238, 245, 273

   cross-country trip of, 149

   cultural activities of, 43–44, 110, 163, 166, 168, 234

   death of, xiv, 307, 309, 314, 317

   depression of, 93–97, 109

   divorce of, 168

   doctoral dissertation of, 45, 65, 66, 67–68, 73–75, 76, 79, 97–98, 256–57

   draft physical of, 110

   drawings by, 234

   drinking by, 167

   Dyson’s relationship with, 141, 148–54

   education of, 5–6

   Einstein Prize awarded to, 221

   electromagnetic research of, 23–35

   engineering work of, 67, 81, 272–73

   experimental data used by, 19–20, 35, 38, 67–68, 81, 85–86, 168–69, 171–72, 193–94, 209, 235–38, 245, 293–300, 312–13

   fame of, xiv–xv, 220, 234–35, 309

   as father and husband, 222, 224, 233, 238, 273

   first marriage of, 8, 43–47, 66, 67, 74, 77, 79–80, 88–89, 90, 91, 93, 95, 97, 109, 221

   Gell-Mann’s relationship with, 195–208, 212, 214–17, 218, 219, 220, 243–44, 287–305

   generosity of, 191–92, 195

   genetics investigated by, 222, 267–68

   in Geneva, 220–21, 235

   as genius, xv, xvii, 3–5, 7, 21–22, 36–37, 43–44, 87–88, 142–43, 236–37

   as graduate student, 20–23, 30–32, 36, 43–45, 73, 74–75, 76, 96, 140, 158

   health of, 81

   in high school, 5, 7, 8–9, 14, 16–17, 49

   interviews with, 228–29

   introductory physics taught by, 223–28, 244

   intuition of, 6–7, 17, 42, 80–81, 98, 130–31, 172, 176, 178, 190, 257

   Jewish background, 3, 22–23, 36–37, 45

   lectures by, xii–xiv, 31–32, 124, 125, 144–46, 157, 159, 226–28, 229, 231, 244, 245, 263–72, 273, 278, 279, 288

   legacy of, xvi–xvii, 141, 147–48, 152–53, 188–89, 263, 300–301, 307–20

   at Los Alamos, 20, 46–47, 67–68, 72, 74, 76–95, 108, 163–64, 273–74, 283

   love affairs of, 5, 108–10, 163–68, 220–22, 233

   as mathematician, 5–6, 19, 21–22, 35, 39, 68, 74–75, 80, 82, 95, 110, 129–30, 155–56, 196–97

   media coverage of, 217, 228–29, 287

   Messenger Lectures delivered by, 229

   as MIT undergraduate, 5–6, 17, 18–21, 43, 49, 78, 84, 95, 168, 230, 273

   Nobel address of, 31–32, 124, 125, 159, 231, 265

   Nobel Prize awarded to, xii, xiv, 31–32, 74, 94, 124, 125, 156, 159, 218, 229–32, 235, 265, 293

   notebooks of, 7, 8

   papers published by, xi–xii, xvi, 20, 65, 95, 97–99, 115, 135, 140, 144–46, 147, 149, 157–58, 178, 189, 191–92, 210, 214–17, 218, 229, 261, 263–64, 278, 279–80, 281, 288

   personality of, vii, xi, xiv–xv, 3–4, 8, 36–37, 43–47, 93–97, 107, 108–10, 115–16, 141, 163–68, 191–94, 195, 202–3, 209–10, 218–22, 233–38, 298, 314–20

   as physicist, xi, xii–xiii, xv–xvii, 1, 4–9, 12–13, 14, 16–17, 18–20, 22, 30–31, 45–46, 68–69, 73–75, 77–78, 80–82, 85–86, 92–97, 110–11, 115–16, 125–28, 140, 141–42, 145–48, 157–59, 163, 165, 166, 168–69, 190–94, 196–97, 209–10, 214–17, 221, 223–38, 245, 263–64, 277–79, 286, 287–320

   physics literature avoided by, 209, 235–38, 245

   as physics student, 18–20, 30–31, 74–75

   Pocono Conference lecture by (1948), 144–46, 157

   political views of, 93–94

   Portuguese studied by, 164–65

   as Princeton graduate student, 22–23, 30–32, 36–50, 59–65, 66, 67–68, 74, 77, 79, 81