George Randolph Kalbfleisch
Encyclopedia
Dr. George Randolph Kalbfleisch (March 14, 1931–September 12, 2006) was a US particle physicist.
George Kalbfleisch was born March 14, 1931 in Long Beach, California, to Friedrich Carl and Hildegard Kalbfleisch. He graduated from Phineas Banning High School, Wilmington, California, in 1948. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry
from Loyola University, Los Angeles, California, in 1952. On October 23, 1954, he married Ruth Ann Adams in San Pedro, California. He received his Ph.D. in experimental High Energy Physics in 1961 from the University of California at Berkeley. He worked as a post-doctoral associate at the University of California at Berkeley with Dr. Luis Alvarez
, as a staff physicist
at Brookhaven National Laboratory
on Long Island, New York, for twelve years, and at Fermi National Laboratory (Fermilab
) in Batavia, Illinois, for three years. He performed experiments in the systematizing and the discovery of new particles since 1958, using beams of muons, pions, kaons, protons and antiprotons, and neutrinos. He worked with liquid hydrogen bubble chamber
s until 1972, and subsequently worked with electronic spectrometers. He performed research at CERN
Laboratory in Switzerland during a sabbatical in 1972. While at Fermilab, he was in charge of the superconducting quadrupoles for the Tevatron (at that time, the world's highest energy machine), built more than twenty prototype quadrupoles, and developed and provided the production tooling from which more than 200 quadrupoles were made for the Tevatron
.
Dr. Kalbfleisch came to the University of Oklahoma
(OU) in 1979 where he established the OU High Energy Physics group (OU-HEP). He was elected as a Fellow in the American Physical Society
in 1982 for his discoveries of the first hyperonic beta decay, of the ninth pseudoscalar meson, the first direct observation of the electron-neutrino in muon decay and direct measurements of the velocities of neutrinos. In 1990, he established a sister High Energy Physics group at Langston University
, Langston, Oklahoma. He was a consultant for the Superconducting Super Collider
Laboratory in Waxahachie, Texas until the United States Government canceled that project in 1993. In 1999, Dr. Kalbfleisch retired from teaching at the University of Oklahoma, although he continued conducting research as Professor Emeritus of Physics until a few weeks before his death. In 2001, he was the first physicist inducted into the inaugural Alumni Wall of Fame at Loyola Marymount University
, in honor of his lifetime achievements. His research has included the study of "charm quark
" and "beauty quark" quantum states at Fermilab and neutrino properties in-house at OU, and was supported by continuing grants from the United States Department of Energy
. He finished the search for low mass accelerator produced magnetic monopoles (E-882, 1995) approved by Fermilab and performed at OU. Most recently, he worked on an EDM (electric dipole moment
) of the electron experiment at OU, with younger collaborators. He published more than one hundred and ninety articles in elementary particle physics.
George Kalbfleisch was born March 14, 1931 in Long Beach, California, to Friedrich Carl and Hildegard Kalbfleisch. He graduated from Phineas Banning High School, Wilmington, California, in 1948. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
from Loyola University, Los Angeles, California, in 1952. On October 23, 1954, he married Ruth Ann Adams in San Pedro, California. He received his Ph.D. in experimental High Energy Physics in 1961 from the University of California at Berkeley. He worked as a post-doctoral associate at the University of California at Berkeley with Dr. Luis Alvarez
Luis Alvarez
Luis W. Alvarez was an American experimental physicist and inventor, who spent nearly all of his long professional career on the faculty of the University of California, Berkeley...
, as a staff physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
at Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory , is a United States national laboratory located in Upton, New York on Long Island, and was formally established in 1947 at the site of Camp Upton, a former U.S. Army base...
on Long Island, New York, for twelve years, and at Fermi National Laboratory (Fermilab
Fermilab
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory , located just outside Batavia, Illinois, near Chicago, is a US Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics...
) in Batavia, Illinois, for three years. He performed experiments in the systematizing and the discovery of new particles since 1958, using beams of muons, pions, kaons, protons and antiprotons, and neutrinos. He worked with liquid hydrogen bubble chamber
Bubble chamber
A bubble chamber is a vessel filled with a superheated transparent liquid used to detect electrically charged particles moving through it. It was invented in 1952 by Donald A. Glaser, for which he was awarded the 1960 Nobel Prize in Physics...
s until 1972, and subsequently worked with electronic spectrometers. He performed research 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...
Laboratory in Switzerland during a sabbatical in 1972. While at Fermilab, he was in charge of the superconducting quadrupoles for the Tevatron (at that time, the world's highest energy machine), built more than twenty prototype quadrupoles, and developed and provided the production tooling from which more than 200 quadrupoles were made for the Tevatron
Tevatron
The Tevatron is a circular particle accelerator in the United States, at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory , just east of Batavia, Illinois, and is the second highest energy particle collider in the world after the Large Hadron Collider...
.
Dr. Kalbfleisch came to the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
(OU) in 1979 where he established the OU High Energy Physics group (OU-HEP). He was elected as a Fellow in the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
in 1982 for his discoveries of the first hyperonic beta decay, of the ninth pseudoscalar meson, the first direct observation of the electron-neutrino in muon decay and direct measurements of the velocities of neutrinos. In 1990, he established a sister High Energy Physics group at Langston University
Langston University
Langston University is an institution of higher learning located in Langston, Oklahoma, USA. It is the only historically black college in the state, and the westernmost historically black college in the United States...
, Langston, Oklahoma. He was a consultant for the Superconducting Super Collider
Superconducting Super Collider
The Superconducting Super Collider was a particle accelerator complex under construction in the vicinity of Waxahachie, Texas that was set to be world's largest and most energetic, surpassing the current record held by the Large Hadron Collider. Its planned ring circumference was with an energy...
Laboratory in Waxahachie, Texas until the United States Government canceled that project in 1993. In 1999, Dr. Kalbfleisch retired from teaching at the University of Oklahoma, although he continued conducting research as Professor Emeritus of Physics until a few weeks before his death. In 2001, he was the first physicist inducted into the inaugural Alumni Wall of Fame at Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
, in honor of his lifetime achievements. His research has included the study of "charm quark
Charm quark
The charm quark or c quark is the third most massive of all quarks, a type of elementary particle. Charm quarks are found in hadrons, which are subatomic particles made of quarks...
" and "beauty quark" quantum states at Fermilab and neutrino properties in-house at OU, and was supported by continuing grants from the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
. He finished the search for low mass accelerator produced magnetic monopoles (E-882, 1995) approved by Fermilab and performed at OU. Most recently, he worked on an EDM (electric dipole moment
Electric dipole moment
In physics, the electric dipole moment is a measure of the separation of positive and negative electrical charges in a system of charges, that is, a measure of the charge system's overall polarity with SI units of Coulomb-meter...
) of the electron experiment at OU, with younger collaborators. He published more than one hundred and ninety articles in elementary particle physics.