Gary Horowitz

Gary Horowitz is an American theoretical physicist renowned for his foundational contributions to general relativity, black hole thermodynamics, and string theory. A professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, his research has profoundly influenced the understanding of quantum gravity and the holographic principle. He is a leading figure in exploring the implications of the AdS/CFT correspondence and the nature of spacetime singularities.

Early life and education

Born in Chicago, he developed an early interest in physics and mathematics. He completed his undergraduate degree in physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was influenced by the rigorous curriculum. For his doctoral studies, he attended Princeton University, working under the supervision of the legendary relativist John Archibald Wheeler. His thesis work focused on classical and semi-classical aspects of general relativity, laying the groundwork for his future explorations in quantum gravity.

Career and research

After postdoctoral positions, including at the University of Chicago and as a Junior Fellow in the Harvard Society of Fellows, he joined the faculty at University of California, Santa Barbara, where he remains a central member of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. His early research provided key insights into black hole uniqueness theorems and the stability of gravitational solitons. A major thrust of his work involves using string theory to resolve the black hole information paradox, notably through studies of AdS/CFT. He has made significant contributions to understanding holographic superconductors, cosmic censorship, and the formation of naked singularities in gravitational collapse, often in collaboration with theorists like Juan Maldacena and Andrew Strominger.

Awards and honors

His research has been recognized with several prestigious awards in theoretical physics. In 2022, he was awarded the Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics from the American Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society for his pioneering contributions. He is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society and has been a Simons Investigator in theoretical physics. He has also delivered numerous invited lectures, including at the International Congress of Mathematicians and the Strings conference, reflecting his standing in the global theoretical physics community.

Selected publications

His influential body of work includes many highly cited papers in journals like Physical Review D and Physical Review Letters. Seminal publications often co-authored with colleagues include "Black Strings and P-Branes" which explored extended objects in string theory, and "The Holographic Superconductor" which applied AdS/CFT to condensed matter systems. Other key works address "The Origin of Black Hole Entropy in String Theory" and "Quantum Criticality and Holographic Superconductors," bridging concepts between high-energy physics and condensed matter physics.

Personal life

He is married to Shani Offen, a clinical psychologist, and they have two children. Outside of physics, he maintains interests in history and music. He is also known as a dedicated mentor to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers at UCSB, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in academia and at institutions like CERN.

Category:American theoretical physicists Category:String theorists Category:University of California, Santa Barbara faculty Category:Princeton University alumni Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni Category:1955 births Category:Living people