Herbert Goldstein

June 26, 1922 (age 82)

New York City, New York, United States of America

During World War II, from 1942 to 1946, Goldstein worked at the Radiation Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he conducted research on waveguides, magnetrons, and radar systems. He began his academic career as an instructor in physics at Harvard University from 1946 to 1949. He then returned to MIT as an Atomic Energy Commission postdoctoral fellow in 1949–1950 and later served as visiting associate professor at Brandeis University from 1952 to 1953. In 1950, he joined the Nuclear Development Corporation of America as a senior physicist, where he directed theoretical research on nuclear reactor shielding and neutron cross sections, helping establish rigorous computational approaches for reactor design. From 1961 onward, Goldstein was a professor of nuclear science and engineering at Columbia University, within the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. In 1984, he became the first holder of the Thomas Alva Edison Professorship of Applied Physics. He later served as Professor Emeritus. Alongside his research, he was deeply involved in teaching and curriculum development. In 1977, he introduced the course “Nuclear Energy: A Semi-technical View for the Non-scientist”, aimed at improving public understanding of energy issues. He also helped develop the interdisciplinary undergraduate course “The Theory and Practice of Science”, designed for non-science students. Goldstein also served as a consultant to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory, contributing to applied nuclear research. His research focused on neutron transport theory, particularly the relationship between microscopic neutron cross sections and macroscopic transport behavior in reactor materials. He developed advanced analytical and computational methods, including high-precision transport calculations and Monte Carlo simulations for reactor shielding and pressure vessel irradiation studies.

Herbert Goldstein

Edit Profile

physicist nuclear science professor

Background

Herbert Goldstein was born on June 26, 1922, in New York City. He died there on January 12, 2005. He was buried in Israel.

Education

He received his Bachelor of Science from City College of New York in 1940 and earned a Ph.D. in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1943.

Career

During World War II, from 1942 to 1946, Goldstein worked at the Radiation Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he conducted research on waveguides, magnetrons, and radar systems.

He began his academic career as an instructor in physics at Harvard University from 1946 to 1949. He then returned to MIT as an Atomic Energy Commission postdoctoral fellow in 1949–1950 and later served as visiting associate professor at Brandeis University from 1952 to 1953.

In 1950, he joined the Nuclear Development Corporation of America as a senior physicist, where he directed theoretical research on nuclear reactor shielding and neutron cross sections, helping establish rigorous computational approaches for reactor design.

From 1961 onward, Goldstein was a professor of nuclear science and engineering at Columbia University, within the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. In 1984, he became the first holder of the Thomas Alva Edison Professorship of Applied Physics. He later served as Professor Emeritus.

Alongside his research, he was deeply involved in teaching and curriculum development. In 1977, he introduced the course “Nuclear Energy: A Semi-technical View for the Non-scientist”, aimed at improving public understanding of energy issues. He also helped develop the interdisciplinary undergraduate course “The Theory and Practice of Science”, designed for non-science students.

Goldstein also served as a consultant to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory, contributing to applied nuclear research.

His research focused on neutron transport theory, particularly the relationship between microscopic neutron cross sections and macroscopic transport behavior in reactor materials. He developed advanced analytical and computational methods, including high-precision transport calculations and Monte Carlo simulations for reactor shielding and pressure vessel irradiation studies.

Achievements

Goldstein received the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award in 1962 for his contributions to reactor physics and nuclear cross-section research.

He was awarded the Distinguished Service Award of the Shielding Division of the American Nuclear Society in 1977, and the Great Teacher Award from the Society of Columbia Graduates in 1976.

He is best known as the author of Classical Mechanics, a graduate-level textbook that has remained a standard reference for decades and has been translated into multiple languages.

Among his later works is The Scientific Experience (1996), co-authored with colleagues at Columbia University.

Membership

From 1942 to 1946, Goldstein was a staff member of the wartime Radiation Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he engaged in research on the theory of waveguides and magnetrons and on the characteristics of radar echoes.

References

columbia.edu

Main Photo