Talk:Julian Schwinger

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[edit] Renormalization due to Schwinger?

The article contains an imprecise statement when it attributes the renormalization concept to Schwinger. The renormalization is usually credited to Victor Weisskopof. Anyways, Victor and Bethe already employed renormalization even before Schwinger had a Ph.D.

References on the work of Victor and Bethe can be found in standard textbooks on quantum field theory, such as Weinberg's.

I'm sure that Schwinger did contribute to the development of the renormalization theory but he was certainly not the one who invented it.

[edit] War Work

It is possible that Schwinger chose not to work at Los Alamos during WWII because of his personal dislike of the unpleasant J.R. Oppenheimer.64.12.116.131 16:48, 25 March 2006 (UTC)Lestrade

  • According to R. Rhodes, in "The Making of the Atomic Bomb," I.I. Rabi refused to work at Los Alamos, saying (more or less) "I'm serious about this war. We could lose it without adequate radar." Schwinger may simply have chosen to work with his old mentor. MWS 22:11, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Minor Edits

Corrected for neutral perspective. Comments about quality of UCLA physics department have no place in a biographical article.

[edit] Schwinger effect

The Schwinger effect redirects here, and this page links to the Schwinger effect. Would be nice to have a separate stub. I believe it has to do with dielectric breakdown of the vacuum. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lionelbrits (talkcontribs) 18:19, 22 March 2008 (UTC)