john a. wheeler & astrophysical relativity

John A. Wheeler John A. Wheeler &&

Astrophysical Astrophysical RelativityRelativity

Charles W MisnerCharles W MisnerUniversity of MarylandUniversity of Maryland

John A WheelerJohn A Wheelerand the and the

recertificationrecertificationof GR as true of GR as true

physicsphysics

oror

Erice, 1 June 2006 3International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

J A Wheeler J A Wheeler phasesphases Particles/nuclear 1933-1955Particles/nuclear 1933-1955Fields/general relativity Fields/general relativity

1953-19771953-1977 Information/``It from bit’’ 1977--Information/``It from bit’’ 1977--

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Wheeler timelineWheeler timeline Born 9 July 1911Born 9 July 1911 Ph.D. Johns Hopkins (Herzfeld) 1933Ph.D. Johns Hopkins (Herzfeld) 1933 Bohr Institute 1934-35Bohr Institute 1934-35 Married Janette Hegner 10 June 1935Married Janette Hegner 10 June 1935 Asst. Prof. Princeton 1938Asst. Prof. Princeton 1938 Bohr-Wheeler nuclear fission paper 1939Bohr-Wheeler nuclear fission paper 1939 A-bomb, Hanford Washington 1942-45A-bomb, Hanford Washington 1942-45 H-bomb 1950-1952H-bomb 1950-1952 Moved to Austin, Texas, 1976Moved to Austin, Texas, 1976 Retired from Texas 1986Retired from Texas 1986

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2003 Einstein PrizetoJohn A. WheelerPrinceton University(retired)

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Wheeler the TeacherWheeler the Teacher Teaching to learnTeaching to learn Inspiration firstInspiration first Enthusiasm from current researchEnthusiasm from current research Questions trump answersQuestions trump answers Students produce physicsStudents produce physics

Erice, 1 June 2006 7International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

Erice, 1 June 2006 8International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

Erice, 1 June 2006 9International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

Erice, 1 June 2006 10International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

Erice, 1 June 2006 11International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

Erice, 1 June 2006 12International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

Erice, 1 June 2006 13International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

S. Fred SingerS. Fred Singer

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Tullio ReggeTullio Regge

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Raymond MjolsnessRaymond Mjolsness

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Bob EuwemaBob Euwema

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Barry MalikBarry Malik

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Kip ThorneKip Thorne

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J. Peter VajkJ. Peter Vajk

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James W. York, Jr.James W. York, Jr.

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Demetrios ChristodoulouDemetrios Christodoulou

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Remo RuffiniRemo Ruffini

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Robert WaldRobert Wald

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Sergio HojmanSergio Hojman

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Jim IsenbergJim Isenberg

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Claudio TeitelboimClaudio Teitelboim

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John A. WylerJohn A. Wyler

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William H. PressWilliam H. Press

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Larry SmarrLarry Smarr

John A WheelerJohn A Wheelerand the and the

recertificationrecertificationof GR as true of GR as true

physicsphysics

Erice, 1 June 2006 31International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

GR 1927--1950GR 1927--1950 1927—1933 Cosmology: Lemaitre, de 1927—1933 Cosmology: Lemaitre, de

Sitter, Hubble, EinsteinSitter, Hubble, Einstein Einstein-Infeld-Hoffmann 1938, Einstein-Infeld-Hoffmann 1938,

Einstein & Straus 1945Einstein & Straus 1945 Unified Field theories (mostly weak Unified Field theories (mostly weak

maths)maths) Lichnerowicz, Landau & Lifshitz, Lichnerowicz, Landau & Lifshitz,

Bergmann, Infeld, Synge [see Bergmann, Infeld, Synge [see Kennefick histoy]Kennefick histoy]

Erice, 1 June 2006 32International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

Bad KharmaBad Kharma Caltech professor to Kip Thorne as Caltech professor to Kip Thorne as

Kip departs for Princeton: GR has Kip departs for Princeton: GR has little relevance … look elsewhere for little relevance … look elsewhere for interesting physics.interesting physics.

Novikov’s wife given advice: Novikov’s wife given advice: relativity is a backwater … Ivor relativity is a backwater … Ivor should leave it. should leave it.

[KST p268][KST p268]

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Post WWII GR leadersPost WWII GR leaders WheelerWheeler SciamaSciama ZeldovichZeldovich BondiBondi Choquet-BruhatChoquet-Bruhat SchildSchild DeWittDeWitt

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Wheeler 1950sWheeler 1950s ““Mass without Mass” – GeonsMass without Mass” – Geons

field energy can be confined by gravity field energy can be confined by gravity massive objects don’t need particles massive objects don’t need particles nonlinear GR does new things nonlinear GR does new things

““Charge without Charge” – wormholes, Charge without Charge” – wormholes, topology, lead to Finkelstein & topology, lead to Finkelstein & Beckedorff geometrical views of Beckedorff geometrical views of “Schwarzschild singularity”“Schwarzschild singularity”

Brill wave initial conditionsBrill wave initial conditions

Erice, 1 June 2006 35International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

JAW 1950s themeJAW 1950s theme ““Dynamic convervativism”:Dynamic convervativism”: Explore the equations of physics for Explore the equations of physics for

what they have to say.what they have to say. Don’t just ask them for details about Don’t just ask them for details about

things you’ve already seen.things you’ve already seen.

Erice, 1 June 2006 36International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

Wheeler 1950sWheeler 1950s Encouraged Weber’s wave detectorsEncouraged Weber’s wave detectors Regge-Wheeler perturbations of SchwarzschildRegge-Wheeler perturbations of Schwarzschild Sciama, Penrose visit PrincetonSciama, Penrose visit Princeton

New ExperimentsNew Experiments Pound Rebke 1959 redshiftPound Rebke 1959 redshift Dicke experimental gravity group formedDicke experimental gravity group formed

Erice, 1 June 2006 37International School on Astrophysical Relativity "John Archibald Wheeler"

Wheeler early 1960sWheeler early 1960s Collapse to a singularity must be Collapse to a singularity must be

impossible (Note this brings impossible (Note this brings accepted physics, nuclear forces, into the accepted physics, nuclear forces, into the GR picture)GR picture)

Finkelstein, Beckedorff-Misner, Kruskal Finkelstein, Beckedorff-Misner, Kruskal give a picture of collapsegive a picture of collapse

Brill-Hartle: gravitational waves have Brill-Hartle: gravitational waves have energyenergy

Hahn-Lindquist: numerical relativity 1963Hahn-Lindquist: numerical relativity 1963

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Gravitational Expansion Gravitational Expansion 1963-1977 1963-1977

Princeton group expands: Thorne, Princeton group expands: Thorne, York, Bekenstein, RuffiniYork, Bekenstein, Ruffini

Sciama, Misner, Schild, Thorne, Sciama, Misner, Schild, Thorne, Infeld, Chandrasekhar, Hawking, Infeld, Chandrasekhar, Hawking, Newman, … build research groupsNewman, … build research groups

““Texas” meetings, quasars, pulsars, Texas” meetings, quasars, pulsars, Weber claims, Kerr metric, singularity Weber claims, Kerr metric, singularity Theorems, “no hair” theorems, BH Theorems, “no hair” theorems, BH ThermodynamicsThermodynamics

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ReferencesReferences Wheeler/Ford, “Geons, Black Holes, …” Wheeler/Ford, “Geons, Black Holes, …”

(Norton 1998)(Norton 1998) Thorne, “Black Holes, …”, (Norton 1994)Thorne, “Black Holes, …”, (Norton 1994) Anon., ed., “Family Gathering”, 2 vol. Anon., ed., “Family Gathering”, 2 vol.

(privately distributed 1977: AIP, (privately distributed 1977: AIP, Princeton, Texas)Princeton, Texas)

Bartusiak, “Einstein’s Unfinished Bartusiak, “Einstein’s Unfinished Symphony” (J Henry Press 2000)Symphony” (J Henry Press 2000)

Kennefick, “… Gravitational Waves” Kennefick, “… Gravitational Waves” (Princeton U Pr 2007?)(Princeton U Pr 2007?)