Alfred Scharff Goldhaber Memorial Symposium – Monday, April 28th, 2025

REGISTER FOR EVENT

Registration is free and for planning purposes only.

Organizing Committee:

  • Luis Alvarez-Gaume
  • David Goldhaber-Gordon
  • Concha Gonzalez-Garcia
  • Vladimir Korepin
  • Barry McCoy
  • Martin Rocek
  • Robert Shrock
  • George Sterman, Chair
  • Peter Van Nieuwenhuizen
  • Tzu-Chieh Wei

Alfred (Fred) Scharff Goldhaber passed away last Fall.  Fred was a faculty member at the C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stony Brook nearly from its founding, and a valued member of the Department of Physics and Astronomy for as many years.  In his more than fifty years as a faculty member at Stony Brook, he advanced the understanding of diverse areas of physics. Generations of Institute and Department members have benefited from the collegial tone and openness to wide-ranging scientific discussions that Fred helped establish.

On Monday April 28, 2025, the YITP and Simons Center will hold a symposium in Fred’s memory, honoring and celebrating both his major scientific contributions and recent developments that we know Fred would have found fascinating.   This will be a one-day symposium, with thirty minute talks on topics that connect to Fred’s work, bringing us up to date on the many areas in which he had an impact.  We’re aiming to have talks at the colloquium level, rather than specialized seminars.  The meeting will culminate with a presentation accessible to a wide audience, a musical interlude, and a reception with friends and family.

Featured speakers

  • Stanley Brodsky (SLAC)
  • Wit Busza  (MIT)
  • David Goldhaber-Gordon (Stanford)
  • Zohar Komargodski  (Stony Brook)
  • Chris Quigg  (Fermilab)
  • Peter van Nieuwenhuizen (Stony Brook)
  • Tzu-Cheh Wei  (Stony Brook)

Musical tribute

  • Colin Carr, cellist (Stony Brook)
  • Kyunghwa Chu, pianist (Stony Brook)

MONDAY, APRIL 28TH, 2025 

DELLA PIETRA FAMILY AUDITORIUM – 103

MORNING SESSION

10:00AM – 10:40AM

Welcome remarks: George Sterman and David Goldhaber-Gordon

Personal recollections: Michael Goldhaber and Stephen Adler

10:40AM – 11:10AM
Speaker: Wit Busza (MIT)
Title: From quantum fluctuations to the production of particles

11:15AM- 11:40AM – Coffee Break – SCGP Lobby

11:45AM – 12:15PM
Speaker: David Goldhaber Gordon (Stanford)
Title: What is charge?

12:20PM – 12:50PM
Speaker: Stanley Brodsky (SLAC)
Title: The Goldhaber Effect and New Developments in Quantum Chromodynamics

1:00PM-2:00PM – Lunch Break – SCGP Cafe

AFTERNOON SESSION

2:00PM – 2:30PM
Speaker: Zohar Komargodski (Stony Brook)
Title: Monopoles, Spin-Statistics, and the S-Matrix

2:35PM – 3:05PM
Speaker: Peter van Nieuwenhuizen (Stony Brook)
Title: Fred, E=3/4 mc**2 and g = 2

3:10PM – 3:40PM
Speaker: Chris Quigg (Fermilab)
Title: Adventures with Fred & Quantum Mechanics

3:45PM – 4:05PM  – Coffee Break – SCGP Lobby

4:10PM – 4:40PM
Speaker: Tzu-Chieh Wei (Stony Brook)
Title: The Quantum MomentToday

4:45PM – 5:15PM – Colin Carr, cellist (Stony Brook) and Kyunghwa Chu, pianist (Stony Brook)

5:15PM – 5:30PM  – Closing remarks

5:30PM – Reception – SCGP Lobby

6:00PM  – Dinner – Invitation Only – SCGP Cafe