David Joseph Bohm (born 20.12.1917) was an American theoretical physicist. He was born in Wilkes-Barre. He graduated from a college in Pennsylvania (1939). In 1943 he received the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of California (Berkeley). In 1943 — 46 he worked at the Radiation Laboratory of the University of California, in 1946 — 51 at Princeton, in 1951 — 55 he was professor at the university in São Paulo (Brazil), and in 1957 — 61 he was at the University of Bristol (England). From 1961 he was professor at the University of London.
His research concerned quantum theory, special relativity, solid-state physics, isotope separation, plasma theory and the topology and geometry of “space-time”. He derived (1949) the equation for the rapid diffusion of a partially ionised gas across a magnetic field (Bohm diffusion). Independently of A. I. Akhiezer and Ya. B. Fainberg he predicted (1949) the beam instability in a gas-discharge plasma and gave a detailed theory of plasma oscillations. Together with D. Pines he pointed (1953) to the existence of excitations in metals, which he named plasmons. He also worked on the philosophical questions of physics.