Eminent theoretical physicist and Dirac Medalist Roman Jackiw, MIT professor emeritus and holder of the Department of Physics' Jerrold Zacharias chair, died June 14 at age 83. He was a member of the MIT physics community for 54 years. A leader in the sophisticated use of quantum field theory to illuminate physical problems, his influential work on topology and anomalies in quantum field theory (QFT) underlies many aspects of theoretical physics today. Iain Stewart, the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics (CTP) director and Otto (1939) and Jane Morningstar Professor of Science, says that Jackiw 'served as an inspiration for what one can achieve as a theoretical physicist. He made profound contributions to physical problems in a wide range of areas, including particle physics, condensed matter physics, and gravitational physics.' 'Professor Jackiw was a pioneer in the field of mathematical physics,' says Nergis Mavalvala, the Curtis and Kathleen Marble Professor of Astrophysics and...
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