The Helmut W. Baer Lecture Fund is a special lecture supported by a fund established by the family and friends of Dr. Helmut Baer. Dr. Baer's career in physics began with his work at the University of Michigan in 1967 where he was awarded his doctorate in nuclear physics. Between 1967 and 1991 he published over 100 articles in major scientific journals covering different areas of physics. Dr. Baer was named a Fellow of the American Physical Society in March of 1989, and to his delight enjoyed countless opportunities over the years to talk about physics at universities and conferences internationally. Dr. Baer not only pursued physics, but set himself standards for quality that were first class. This lecture is held every two years.

The 2008 Helmut W. Baer Lecture in Physics
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 in 340 West Hall
4:00 P.M.

Professor Schiffer's lecture is titled, The Early Foundations of Nuclear Physics

Lecture Abstract:
An historical perspective of nuclear physics and the origins of modern physics will be given. This talk was first presented as a part of a symposium in celebrating the 100th anniversary of Hiroshi Yukawa's birth. Yukawa was Japan's first Nobel Prize winner; he deduced that the very short range of nuclear forces must imply a new light particle. This particle was discovered a decade later and we now know it as the pi meson.

In this talk, I will survey the discoveries that preceded Yukawa's work, starting with the origins of modern physics around 1890, and following the development of nuclear physics through the 1930's when Yukawa did his work, roughly to the middle of the past century. The resolution of a rumor regarding the interaction of Yukawa and Hans Bethe will be presented. An overall personal perspective on nuclear physics in the 21st century will conclude the talk.

More information about Professor John P. Schiffer

Previous lectures in this series:

2004: Dr. Steve Lamoreaux, Los Alamos National Laboratory

2006: Professor Arthur B. McDonald, Physics Department, Queen's University