comradeship that built up what later they began a long O b i t u a r i e s almost immediately and and fruitful collaboration remained strong for the rest (“longer than many marriages” of our years together.” The said Ball), even though Baker Elliotts and the Zachariasens was professor of physics at the did much traveling together University of Washington over those years: to France, and Ball at the University Italy, Portugal, Spain, Greece, of Utah. “Fred was full of Egypt, to name a few. Elliott ideas,” said Baker, “particu- described how Fred became larly ideas that work—and “a hero to our entire class of are useful and focused.” “A grad students” by defying W. general feeling that physics R. Smythe on the final exam was fun permeated the whole of his course on electricity— thing,” added Ball, “and a required course of complex that’s what kept us working problems, considered a “rite at this for so many years when of passage,” that didn’t touch there were probably lots of F REDRIK Z ACHARIASEN on what was then called easier collaborations that 1931 – 1999 “modern physics.” “Fred didn’t involve flying to Salt chafed more than most,” said Lake City and Seattle.” Elliott. “At the final exam, Ball also recalled the many Fred wrote furiously and left camping trips to Baja Fredrik Zachariasen, after an hour.” It turned out California, as did Peter Kaus, professor of theoretical he had turned in an essay now professor of physics, physics, emeritus, died on about how electromagnetism emeritus, at UC Riverside. December 9 at the age of 68, is taught in most places and “Trips to Baja were always after suffering a heart attack. why Smythe’s approach was overshadowed by the possibil- At a memorial service at not helpful. Miraculously, ity of impending disaster,” the Athenaeum January 9, Zachariasen didn’t fail the said Kaus. “But the disasters Zachariasen’s colleagues, course (it was eventually never totally stopped us, and friends, and family celebrated dropped) and earned his PhD we always had a wonderful his life: his work in physics, in 1956. time, aided usually by the his wide-ranging interests, It was also in 1951 that case of beer we had acquired his love of travel, of the Nina Byers, now professor of in Mexicali.” Kaus also noted outdoors, of good conversa- physics, emeritus, at UCLA, the hiking and camping trips tion, good food and, espe- first met Zachariasen at the around Aspen, where the two cially, good wine, and his , where were among the original passion to “solve the world.” they were both studying for participants in the Aspen Zachariasen earned his BS the dreaded qualifying exam Center for Physics. Zachari- In Peter Fay’s backyard in France, from the University of (Zachariasen passed but left asen was also a member of its 1998 (photo by Nancy Chicago in 1951, where one for Caltech anyway). “Fred board of trustees from 1978 of his classmates was Gerald was fierce and friendly.” In to 1982. Zachariasen). Wasserburg, now Caltech’s 1958 they both ended up as , professor of MacArthur Professor of assistant professors at Stan- theoretical physics, emeritus, Geology and Geophysics. ford. “Working with him at Stanford, worked with Wasserburg recalled how was a whirlwind of fun and a Zachariasen at MIT and Zachariasen would draw very entertaining challenge. Stanford (where, as well as cartoons and sketches in class . . .He was a fast and accurate at UC Berkeley, Zachariasen and how, as undergraduates, calculator but had a depth of spent the four years between they were “subjected to a understanding that made his Caltech PhD and his string of newly made hotshot working with him very in- return as a member of the professors,” including one teresting and very reward- faculty). “I admired him Marvin L. Goldberger. “We ing.” Zachariasen’s main area greatly for his science, for his were the targets of his first of research was theoretical fundamental modesty, and his attempt to teach quantum studies of the interactions of irreverence. . . . He spent a fair mechanics.” Even Murph ad- elementary particles at high amount of time teaching my mitted later that it was a terri- energies. three-year-old son to call him ble course, Wasserburg said. Both Marshall Baker and God.” Drell also mentioned David Elliott, a close friend James Ball met Zachariasen Zachariasen’s membership in for almost 50 years, entered in 1953, Baker as a first-year Jason, an elite group of graduate school with Zach- grad student at Caltech and physicists formed to advise ariasen in 1951. “It was a Ball as a sophomore. Some- the government on defense.

    ENGINEERING & SCIENCE NO . 4 41 “Fred, still in his twenties, outdoor man, an honest and what we were doing because was the youngest one brought forthright friend.” we didn’t know, either of us, into that group. Already Koonin, BS ’72, who was what the other was doing. . . . his brilliance was widely an undergraduate physics Fred was cultured; he read appreciated.” major when he came to know things and enjoyed things His work with Jason was Zachariasen, noted that “if that had little or nothing to do the subject of his last paper, Fred was a hero to his con- with his professional work.” written with , temporaries, he was a demi- Daughters Kerry and Judy BS ’39, MS ’40, on spiral god to the students.” Later, spoke of their family life and eddies that could be seen as faculty colleagues, Koonin “perfect childhood”—the in sun glitter photographed was impressed with “his per- long dinner-table conversa- from the Space Shuttle, cur- ceptiveness and his frankness. tions, the trips to Europe rently in press with the Fred called ‘em like he saw (“before we could even talk”), Proceedings of the Royal Society. ‘em, and he was usually right.” the family camping, hiking, Munk, professor of geophysics Through their common Jason skiing, and rafting trips. “He at Scripps Institution of connection, “the true range of gave Judy and me the most Oceanography, worked with his intellectual interests incredible lives,” said Kerry, Zachariasen in a small Jason began to emerge to me— “filled with adventures, the Navy group involved in oceanography, global change, thrill of learning, love of the acoustic problems associated and of course the particle outdoors, and a powerful fam- with antisubmarine warfare. physics that he grew up ily bond that’s still holding This research resulted in a with.” They had also gone us together.” Judy added, book they wrote with others: “tanking” at Fort Knox with “He valued education and Sound Transmission Through a some fellow Jasons. “I think instilled that in me to such an Fluctuating Ocean. (Zachari- Fred could have made an extent that I’ve hardly been asen’s other books include alternative career as a tank able to get myself out of Electromagnetic Structure of commander.” school my entire life. But he Nucleons, coauthored with Military history was an was sensible, too, and taught Drell, and Hadron Physics at interest he shared with Peter me to keep school in perspec- Very High Energies, with David Fay. Fay, professor of history, tive . . . My father taught me Horn.) Regarding his Jason emeritus, at Caltech, claims the difference between prob- work, Munk thinks “he was that he “never saw the inside lem sets and science, what motivated by a romantic of Fred’s office. I don’t know classes in school are good for attachment to the planet where it was. I never met any and what they aren’t.” Kerry Earth, by the love of adven- of his students; I attended spoke for them both when ture, of learning about un- none of his seminars.” Friend- she said, “We have no mixed expected manifestations of ship between the Fays and the feelings about his passing. natural processes, and in this Zachariasens had developed There’s nothing we wish we Some of Fred Zachariasen’s slides pursuit he was aided by a accidentally out of the friend- had said, nothing we wish we from his hiking and camping trips keen sense of observation and ship of their children, and re- hadn’t said, no amends to a very good memory for volved around theater, good make. We know he was crazy and from travels around the world diverse facts.” food and wine, visits to the about us. He knew we were were shown at the memorial ser- Two of of Zachariasen’s Fays’ house in France, a recent crazy about him.” vice. Above: Paria Canyon, Utah, Caltech colleagues, Steven trip to Bhutan, and conversa- Zachariasen was an avid Frautschi and Steven Koonin, tion. “We’d talk our heads outdoors photographer; a 1981 (Fred’s wife, Nancy, carries both professors of theoretical off about things of compel- show of some of his slides her pack along the canyon floor), physics, also spoke. Frautschi, ling interest, and not about closed the service. ■ —JD and right: the Maze, Utah, 1977. who had written an early paper on Regge poles with Zachariasen and Murray Gell- Mann, talked about the excit- ing things going on in the field back in the ’60s. But it wasn’t all work, said Frautschi. “Fred would get us out of the smog to go hiking or camping. He loved the mountains and deserts. That’s the way I like to re- member Fred: a pathbreaking researcher of small particles and large oceans, a vigorous

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