u. 1- 1- u. en en 1- The campus community biweekly October 7, 2004, vol. 4, no. 14 Quarky scientist Teaming up against gravity wins Nobel Prize strong force, one of the four fundamen­ tal forces of nature. Caltech president David Baltimore, himself a Nobel laureate, said he was Hugh David Politzer has won the 2004 pleased that another Caltech faculty Nobel Prize in physics for work he be­ member has joined the list of the Insti­ gan as a graduate student on how the tute's Nobel recipients. "It's wonderful elementary particles known as quarks are that David was acknowledged for some­ bound together to form the protons and thing that was so far back in his career," neutrons of atomic nuclei. The announce­ Baltimore said. "It shows what young ment was made on Tuesday by the Royal people can do if they think differently." Swedish Academy of Sciences. Politzer joined the Caltech faculty as a Politzer, a professor of theoretical visiting associate in 1975, the year after physics at Caltech, shares the prize with finishing his Harvard PhD in physics and David Gross and Frank Wilczek. The key three years after publishing his work on discovery celebrated by today's prize was asymptotic freedom. He earned tenure made in 1973, when Politzer, a Harvard in 1976, became a full professor in 1979, University graduate student at the time, and served as executive officer of the and two physicists working indepen­ physics department from 1986 to 1988. dently from Politzer at Princeton Univer­ A native of New York City, Politzer sity-Gross and his graduate student earned his bachelor's degree from the Wilczek-theorized that quarks actually University of Michigan in 1969. The pa­ become bound more tightly the farther per that inaugurated his Nobel Prize-win­ they get from each other. ning work, titled "Reliable Perturbative This discovery has been known for Results for Strong Interactions?", ap­ 31 years as "asymptotic freedom," and peared in the journal Physical Review is often described by physics professors Letters in 1973 and was Politzer's first to their students with the analogy of a published article. rubber band increasing in tightness as Politzer's initial foray into the public lime­ Members of C~ltech'~ incoming class of 2008 participate in a team-building exercise at the annual it is pulled apart. Asymptotic freedom light came in 1989, when he was recruited Fros~ Camp ~nenta~1~n, hel~ the week of September 19. Groups of eight students attempted to defy established quantum chromodynamics to play physicist Robert Serber in the movie grav1ty by usmg the1r mdex fmgers to lift a ring over their heads. (QCD) as the correct theory of the Fat Man and Little Boy, which recounted the story of the Manhattan Project and starred Paul Newman as the hard-driving see Nobel, page 6 Einstein feted at Shrek comes to Skirball, Caltech Family Night The wild-haired scientist who is one of history's most famous-and who is, to A fearsome but good-hearted green ogre Annual Enrollment some degree, one of Caltech's own-is w ill be a star attraction at this year's the subject of a new local exhibition this Caltech Family Night, the kickoff for the begins on Monday fall and winter. 2004 United Way campaign. Ensure your Benefits Annual Enrollment begins this "Einstein," which showcases the Approximately 2,000 people are ex­ year on October 11 and extends to Oc­ physicist's life and work, has previously pected at Family Night, to take place vote is counted tober 29th. One change that may please been on display at the American Mu­ Friday, October 22, on the Beckman Mall. many is the return of the Blue Cross seum of Natural History in New York, The event will include two screenings After studying U.S. elections for four years, medical insurance plans. The Kaiser at the Field Museum in Chicago, and of the popular animated film Shrek 2 in experts from Caltech and MIT say that option will be offered as well. at the Museum of Science in Boston. It Beckman Auditorium. Admission stickers American voters can take seven crucial Although costs for quality health can now also be seen in Los Angeles in for the 4:15p.m . show and wristbands for steps to ensure that their votes are counted care continue to skyrocket nationally, an unusual collaboration between the the 6:45 show will be available at stands in the November 2 presidential election. employees will see relatively small in­ Institute, the Skirball Cultural Center, at the mall's four corners. Featuring the By following the steps, voters will help creases (ranging from no change to $9 the Getty Trust, and USC. The exhibit voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, prevent the problems that arose in the monthly) in the medical rates for the opened at the Skirball on September 14, Cameron Diaz, and Julie Andrews, the 2000 presidential election, when as many 2005 benefits year. Most deductibles and and includes materials from the Albert movie is rated PG. as three million votes were lost due to co-payments will not change from 2004. Einstein Archives, as well as a CD-ROM Many familiar Family Night traditions voter registration mix-ups, two million Caltech will continue to offer the Del­ contributed by USC that documents the w ill return, including the pasta dinner, additional votes perhaps were lost due to ta Dental and Safeguard Dental plans, physicist's three terms at Caltech in the served from 5 to 7 p.m. (no tickets will be faulty voting equipment and confusing health-care spending accounts, long­ 1930s. needed, as in past years); balloon sculp­ ballots, and another one million were likely term disability (LTD), and life and per­ A special Caltech-JPL day at the Skir­ tures; face painting; caricaturists; and dis­ lost as the result of polling-place problems. sonal accident insurance. An enrollment ball will be held Saturday, November plays from the Caltech Bookstore and of The announcement is made as part packet containing the full details will be 13, with free admission for the first 150 children's art. The evening is sponsored by of the ongoing Caltech-MIT Voting Tech­ sent to all Caltech and JPL employees campus community members who sign Student Affairs, Human Resources, Institute nology Project, which was initiated in by mid-October. up (limit two tickets per Caltech-JPL I D), Housing, Campus Life, and Public Events. December 2000 by Caltech president Da­ The period for Annual Enrollment along with free bus transport. Tickets will The two-week United Way campaign, vid Baltimore and MIT president Charles 2005 runs from October 11 to October be available beginning October 7 at the which begins October 25, will raise funds Vest following the election fiasco of the 29, and during this time members may Caltech Ticket Office, 332 South Michigan see Family Night, page 6 see Voting, page 6 see Benefits, page 6 see Einstein, page 6 2 Caltech 336, October 7, 2004 Alexei Borodin, professor of mathematics, re­ Caltech's creme de ceived the Prize of the Moscow Mathematical Society in 2003. He received his PhD from the Ia creme NewsBriefs University of Pennsylvania in 2001 and joined Caltech's faculty as professor in 2003. With average SAT scores of 1500, Caltech Colin Camerer, Axline Professor of Business undergrads continue to rank among biology; Francois Houlard, Citrus Bistro supervi­ Economics, Mani Chandy, Ramo Professor and the nation's best. And among this elite sor, Dining Services; Ya-Ju Hsu, postdoctoral professor of computer science, Alan Hajek, as­ group, some manage to distinguish scholar in geophysics; Shuichi Kimata, visitor in sociate professor of philosophy, Kayoko Hirata, themselves yet further through outstand­ chemical engineering; Armin Kleinboehl, Caltech lecturer in Japanese, and Feng-Ving Ming, lectur­ ing scholastic achievement, research, postdoctoral scholar in JPL's atmospheric chem­ er in Chinese, were named in June as recipients and faculty recommendations. istry research element; Rouslan Kretchetnikov, of 2004 ASCIT (Associated Students of Caltech) postdoctoral scholar in control and dynamical Teaching Awards. Awards for teaching assistants The Faculty Scholarships and Financial systems; Michael Kukla, data analyst, Student went to grad students Dave Goulet, applied and Aid Committee is pleased to present 50 Affairs; postdoctoral scholars Chao Li, in gee­ computational mathematics, and Mihai Stoiciu, such students with the 2004-05 Upper­ biology, and Dunia Lopez-Pintado, in the Social mathematics, and to undergraduate Victor Tsai, class Merit Awards. Funded by generous and Information Sciences Laboratory; Stojan planetary science; Tsai graduated in June with his Madzunkov, Caltech postdoctoral scholar in JPL's BS in geophysics. contributions from donors, the Carnation space physics element; Natalia Malkova, postdoc­ Scholarships (made possible by the Stuart toral scholar in biology; Vuk Mandie, Robert A. Dining Services at Caltech won its third Grand Foundation), Caltech Upperclass Merit Millikan Postdoctoral Scholar in Physics; Shaunt Prize award in four years in the Standard Menu Awards (endowed by Lew and Edie Mangioglu, server, Athenaeum; Timothy McHugh, category, at the National Association of College Wasserman), John Stauffer Scholarship parking officer, Campus Security and Parking Ser­ and University Food Services convention last July (for chemistry /chemical engineering ma­ vices; Kathryn Morgan, administrative assistant in in Las Vegas. The Catering Team achieved a per­ computer science; Alshakim Nelson, postdoctoral fect 10 in all categories. "We are extremely proud jors), and the Rosalind W. Alcott Awards Artist Lita Albuquerque is snapped while working scholar in chemistry; Ryan O'Connor, card officer/ to win this award again this year," says Director total more than $1 million.