Wolfhart Zimmermann
Encyclopedia
Wolfhart Zimmermann is a German theoretical physicist. Zimmermann attained a doctorate in 1950 at Freiburg im Breisgau in topology ("Eine Kohomologietheorie topologischer Räume"). In the 1950s he was at Göttingen
one of the pioneers of the mathematical quantum field theory
; along with Kurt Symanzik
and Harry Lehmann
he developed the LSZ theory
. From 1962 to 1974 he was a professor at the New York University
. From 1974 to 1996 he was a director at the Max Planck Institute for physics in Munich
, where he is "Director Emeritus".
Besides, since 1977 he was honorary professor ("Honorarprofessor") at the TU Munich. He was on year-long sabbatical stays at the Institute for Advanced Study
in Princeton
(1957/8 and 1960/1), at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
of New York University
, at the University of Chicago
and at IHES in Paris
. Beside his work on the LSZ formalism he is also known for the development of Bogolyubov
- Parasiuk renormalization
schema (also BPHZ Renormalization schema named after Klaus Hepp
and Zimmermann). Along with Kenneth G. Wilson
he was one of the pioneers in applications of operator product expansion
in quantum field theory. With Reinhard Oehme
of the Enrico Fermi Institute
in Chicago
(with whom he already collaborated in Göttingen in the 1950s), he worked on the reduction of coupling parameters with group renormalization methods
and introduced superconvergence relations for Propagatoren (gauge field propagators) into Yang-Mills theory, to establish connections between the borders of high energy (e.g. asymptotic freedom
) and low energy (confinement).
In 1991 he received the Max Planck medal
.
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
one of the pioneers of the mathematical quantum field theory
Quantum field theory
Quantum field theory provides a theoretical framework for constructing quantum mechanical models of systems classically parametrized by an infinite number of dynamical degrees of freedom, that is, fields and many-body systems. It is the natural and quantitative language of particle physics and...
; along with Kurt Symanzik
Kurt Symanzik
Kurt Symanzik was a German physicist working in quantum field theory.- Life :Symanzik was born in Lyck , East Prussia, and spent his childhood in Königsberg. He started studying physics in 1946 at Universität München but after a short time moved to Werner Heisenberg at Göttingen...
and Harry Lehmann
Harry Lehmann
Harry Lehmann was a German physicist.Lehmann studied physics at Rostock and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin....
he developed the LSZ theory
LSZ reduction formula
In quantum field theory, the LSZ reduction formula is a method to calculate p-matrix elements from the time-ordered correlation functions of a quantum field theory. It is a step of the path that starts from the Lagrangian of some quantum field theory and leads to prediction of measurable quantities...
. From 1962 to 1974 he was a professor at the New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. From 1974 to 1996 he was a director at the Max Planck Institute for physics in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, where he is "Director Emeritus".
Besides, since 1977 he was honorary professor ("Honorarprofessor") at the TU Munich. He was on year-long sabbatical stays at the Institute for Advanced Study
Institute for Advanced Study
The Institute for Advanced Study, located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States, is an independent postgraduate center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry. It was founded in 1930 by Abraham Flexner...
in Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
(1957/8 and 1960/1), at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences
The Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences is an independent division of New York University under the Faculty of Arts & Science that serves as a center for research and advanced training in computer science and mathematics...
of New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and at IHES in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Beside his work on the LSZ formalism he is also known for the development of Bogolyubov
Nikolay Bogolyubov
Nikolay Nikolaevich Bogolyubov was a Russian and Ukrainian Soviet mathematician and theoretical physicist known for a significant contribution to quantum field theory, classical and quantum statistical mechanics, and to the theory of dynamical systems; a recipient of the Dirac Prize...
- Parasiuk renormalization
Renormalization
In quantum field theory, the statistical mechanics of fields, and the theory of self-similar geometric structures, renormalization is any of a collection of techniques used to treat infinities arising in calculated quantities....
schema (also BPHZ Renormalization schema named after Klaus Hepp
Klaus Hepp
Klaus Hepp is a German-born Swiss theoretical physicist working mainly in quantum field theory. Hepp studied mathematics and physics at Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität in Münster and at the Eidgenössischen Technischen Hochschule in Zurich, where, in 1962, with Res Jost as thesis first...
and Zimmermann). Along with Kenneth G. Wilson
Kenneth G. Wilson
Kenneth Geddes Wilson is an American theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner.As an undergraduate at Harvard, he was a Putnam Fellow. He earned his PhD from Caltech in 1961, studying under Murray Gell-Mann....
he was one of the pioneers in applications of operator product expansion
Operator product expansion
- 2D Euclidean quantum field theory :In quantum field theory, the operator product expansion is a Laurent series expansion of two operators...
in quantum field theory. With Reinhard Oehme
Reinhard Oehme
Reinhard Oehme was a German-American physicist known for the discovery of C non-conservation in the presence of P violation, the formulation and proof of hadron dispersion relations, the "Edge of the Wedge Theorem" in the function theory of several complex variables, the...
of the Enrico Fermi Institute
Enrico Fermi Institute
The Institute for Nuclear Studies was founded September, 1945 as part of the University of Chicago with Samuel King Allison as director. On November 20, 1955 it was renamed The Enrico Fermi Institute for Nuclear Studies...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
(with whom he already collaborated in Göttingen in the 1950s), he worked on the reduction of coupling parameters with group renormalization methods
Renormalization group
In theoretical physics, the renormalization group refers to a mathematical apparatus that allows systematic investigation of the changes of a physical system as viewed at different distance scales...
and introduced superconvergence relations for Propagatoren (gauge field propagators) into Yang-Mills theory, to establish connections between the borders of high energy (e.g. asymptotic freedom
Asymptotic freedom
In physics, asymptotic freedom is a property of some gauge theories that causes interactions between particles to become arbitrarily weak at energy scales that become arbitrarily large, or, equivalently, at length scales that become arbitrarily small .Asymptotic freedom is a feature of quantum...
) and low energy (confinement).
In 1991 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:...
.
Sources
- Peter Breitenlohner (Ed.) "Quantum Field Theory- Proceedings on the Ringberg Workshop, Tegernsee 1998, On the Occasion of Wolfhart Zimmermann´s 70. Birthday", Lecture Notes in Physics 558, Springer, 1998.
- Zimmermann "Local operator products and renormalization in Quantum Field Theory", Brandeis Summer Institute in Theoretical Physics Lectures 1970, pp. 399–589
External links
- http://www.physics.thetangentbundle.net/wiki/Quantum_field_theory/BPHZ