Geoffrey Foucar Chew (born 5.06.1924) — American theoretical physicist, member of the National Academy of Sciences (1962). Born in Washington. Graduated from George Washington University (1944) and the University of Chicago. In 1944—46 he worked at the Los Alamos Laboratory. From 1948 he worked at the University of California at Berkeley (from 1957 as professor, from 1974 as head of the physics department), and was also a research scientist at the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory (from 1967 head of the theoretical group). In 1950 — 56 he worked at the University of Illinois.
His work concerned quantum field theory, elementary particle physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics and the theory of gravitation (in particular gravitational collapse). In 1961, proceeding from an analysis of the S-matrix, he put forward the bootstrap theory. He studied the theory of Regge poles and extended (1961) the idea of Regge poles to elementary particle physics. Independently of Y. Nambu he introduced (1957) the relation called “crossing symmetry”, and predicted (1960) the three-pion resonance (the ω meson). Together with F. Low he proposed (1955) a statistical meson theory, being the first to obtain an expression for the effective interaction radius in π — N scattering (the Chew — Low model) and the formulas for the cross-sections of meson photoproduction.
The E. Lawrence Medal (1969) and others.
His work concerned quantum field theory, elementary particle physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics and the theory of gravitation (in particular gravitational collapse). In 1961, proceeding from an analysis of the S-matrix, he put forward the bootstrap theory. He studied the theory of Regge poles and extended (1961) the idea of Regge poles to elementary particle physics. Independently of Y. Nambu he introduced (1957) the relation called “crossing symmetry”, and predicted (1960) the three-pion resonance (the ω meson). Together with F. Low he proposed (1955) a statistical meson theory, being the first to obtain an expression for the effective interaction radius in π — N scattering (the Chew — Low model) and the formulas for the cross-sections of meson photoproduction.
The E. Lawrence Medal (1969) and others.