physics

Lincoln Wolfenstein

Lincoln Wolfenstein is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lincoln Wolfenstein rather than just read about it. In short: Lincoln Wolfenstein (February 10, 1923 – March 27, 2015) was an American particle physicist who studied the weak interaction. Wolfenstein was born in 1923 and obtained his PhD in 1949 from the University of Chicago.

Key takeaways

Lincoln Wolfenstein belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lincoln Wolfenstein to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lincoln Wolfenstein from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Lincoln Wolfenstein (February 10, 1923 – March 27, 2015) was an American particle physicist who studied the weak interaction. Wolfenstein was born in 1923 and obtained his PhD in 1949 from the University of Chicago. He retired from Carnegie Mellon University in 2000 after being a faculty member for 52 years. Despite being retired, he continued to come into work nearly every day. Wolfenstein was a particle phenomenologist, a theorist who focused primarily on connecting theoretical physics to experimental observations. In 1978, he noted that the presence of electrons in Earth and Solar matter could affect neutrino propagation. This work led to an eventual understanding of the MSW effect, which acts to enhance neutrino oscillation in matter. Wolfenstein received the 2005 Bruno Pontecorvo Prize from The Scientific Council of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), for his pioneering work on the MSW effect. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1978. He was a founding member of the original Pittsburgh SANE (Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy) and a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists. In 1986, Wolfenstein was awarded the New Person Award by the Thomas Merton Center in Pittsburgh for his work in pursuit of nuclear disarmament: He led a lifetime of advocating for responsible science as well as for individual rights and liberties. In 1992, Wolfenstein was awarded the American Physical Society's J.J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics for "his many contributions to the theory of weak interactions, particularly CP violation and the properties of neutrinos".

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lincoln Wolfenstein

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lincoln Wolfenstein claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lincoln Wolfenstein before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lincoln Wolfenstein ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lincoln Wolfenstein

In research: Lincoln Wolfenstein appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lincoln Wolfenstein in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lincoln Wolfenstein is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1923 births, 2015 deaths, American particle physicists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lincoln Wolfenstein outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lincoln Wolfenstein in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lincoln Wolfenstein means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lincoln Wolfenstein out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lincoln Wolfenstein in simple terms?

Why does Lincoln Wolfenstein matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lincoln Wolfenstein?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lincoln Wolfenstein.