Martin Lüscher
Encyclopedia
Martin Lüscher is a Swiss theoretical physicist, who works primarily on numerical quantum chromodynamics
(lattice field theory
).
Lüscher studied at the University of Bern and the University of Hamburg, where he earned his doctorate. He worked since the 1979s at DESY
in Hamburg and was professor for theoretical physics in Hamburg. Since 1999 he is at CERN
.
Lüscher is one of the people who are the driving powers in the development of "quantum chromodynamics on the lattice". Among other results, in 1991 he found with Weisz and Wolff a new recursive procedure, which avoids large lattices and allows studies for many length scales (Non Perturbative Renormalization-Group). In the 1980s he developed with Weisz "improved actions" for lattice field theories (in which a huge number of lattice variations are used to model continuum effects). The improved actions have better convergence properties in the continuum limit.
In 2000 he received the Max Planck medal
of the Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft and in 2004 the Greinacher Prize of the University of Bern.
Quantum chromodynamics
In theoretical physics, quantum chromodynamics is a theory of the strong interaction , a fundamental force describing the interactions of the quarks and gluons making up hadrons . It is the study of the SU Yang–Mills theory of color-charged fermions...
(lattice field theory
Lattice field theory
In physics, lattice field theory is the study of lattice models of quantum field theory, that is, of field theory on a spacetime that has been discretized onto a lattice. Although most lattice field theories are not exactly solvable, they are of tremendous appeal because they can be studied by...
).
Lüscher studied at the University of Bern and the University of Hamburg, where he earned his doctorate. He worked since the 1979s at DESY
DESY
The DESY is the biggest German research center for particle physics, with sites in Hamburg and Zeuthen....
in Hamburg and was professor for theoretical physics in Hamburg. Since 1999 he is at CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
.
Lüscher is one of the people who are the driving powers in the development of "quantum chromodynamics on the lattice". Among other results, in 1991 he found with Weisz and Wolff a new recursive procedure, which avoids large lattices and allows studies for many length scales (Non Perturbative Renormalization-Group). In the 1980s he developed with Weisz "improved actions" for lattice field theories (in which a huge number of lattice variations are used to model continuum effects). The improved actions have better convergence properties in the continuum limit.
In 2000 he received the Max Planck medal
Max Planck medal
The Max Planck medal is an award for extraordinary achievements in theoretical physics. It is awarded annually by the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft , the world's largest organization of physicists.-List of recipients:...
of the Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft and in 2004 the Greinacher Prize of the University of Bern.
Selected works
- Lüscher “Von den Pionen zu den fundamentalen Parametern der QCD”, Physikalische Blätter 2000 Nr.7/8 (Planck Prize lecture)
- Lüscher “Chiral gauge theories revisited”, Erice Lectures 2000
- Lüscher “ A Portable High-Quality Random Number Generator for Lattice Field Theory Simulations” 1993 (computer code by Lüscher from his website)
- Lüscher “Advanced Lattice QCD”, Les Houches Lectures 1997