Bruria Kaufman: The Theoretical Physicist Who Collaborated with Einstein
Bruria Kaufman was a distinguished Israeli-American theoretical physicist whose career spanned several decades and continents. Known for her profound mathematical capabilities, she made significant contributions to general relativity—the geometric theory of gravitation—and statistical physics. Her work is characterized by an ability to find elegant mathematical solutions to complex physical problems, leading her to collaborate with some of the most influential minds of the 20th century, including Albert Einstein and John von Neumann.
Key Facts
- Primary Fields: Theoretical Physics, specifically general relativity and statistical physics.
- Major Achievement: Developed a simplified group theory solution for the two-dimensional Ising model.
- Notable Collaborations: Worked closely with Albert Einstein, John von Neumann, and Harry Lipkin.
- Academic Affiliations: Institute for Advanced Study, Weizmann Institute of Science, and University of Haifa.
- Education: B.Sc. from Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a PhD from Columbia University.
Early Life and Education
Born on August 21, 1918, in New York City to a Jewish family of Ukrainian origin, Bruria Kaufman developed a passion for mathematics and music during her youth. In 1926, her family emigrated to the British Mandate for Palestine, where they resided in Tel Aviv and later Jerusalem.
Kaufman pursued her higher education with rigor, earning a Bachelor of Science from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1938. She later moved back to the United States to complete her doctoral studies, receiving her PhD from Columbia University in 1948.
Scientific Career and Major Contributions
Kaufman's professional journey began at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, where she served as a research associate from 1948 to 1955. During this prestigious tenure, she collaborated with John von Neumann and Albert Einstein. Her work with Einstein resulted in two published articles and a contribution to the appendix of his book, The Meaning of Relativity.
One of her most enduring contributions to science was in the field of statistical physics. Working with Lars Onsager in 1949, she utilized spinor analysis—a mathematical method using spinors to describe rotations and symmetries—to rederive the partition function of the two-dimensional Ising model. The Ising model is a mathematical model of ferromagnetism in statistical mechanics. Kaufman's solution was significantly more elegant and simpler than the original 1944 solution published by Onsager. Notably, the three-dimensional version of the Ising model remains unsolved to this day.
Following her time in Princeton, Kaufman spent several years at the University of Pennsylvania working on mathematical linguistics. She eventually returned to Israel in 1960, where she held professorships at the Weizmann Institute of Science (1960–1971) and the University of Haifa (1972–1988). In Israel, she focused on the Mössbauer effect—the recoil-free emission and absorption of gamma rays—collaborating with Professor Harry Zvi Lipkin to merge complex mathematics with the physics of the effect.
Personal Life and Later Years
Kaufman married linguist Zellig S. Harris in 1941 and later adopted a daughter, Tami, while living on Kibbutz Mishmar Ha'emek. After returning to the United States in 1982, she lived in Pennsylvania until her husband's death in 1992. She later moved to Arizona and married Nobel laureate Willis Eugene Lamb in 1996, though the marriage eventually ended in divorce.
Bruria Kaufman passed away on January 7, 2010, at Carmel Hospital in Haifa at the age of 91. In accordance with her wishes, she was cremated.
Summary of Academic and Professional Profile
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Education | Hebrew University of Jerusalem (B.Sc.), Columbia University (PhD) |
| Key Institutions | Institute for Advanced Study, Weizmann Institute, University of Haifa |
| Core Research | General Relativity, Ising Model, Mössbauer Effect |
| Key Collaborators | Albert Einstein, Lars Onsager, John von Neumann, Harry Lipkin |
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Bruria Kaufman's main contribution to the Ising model?
Kaufman found an elegant solution to the two-dimensional Ising model using group theory and spinor analysis. This solution was much simpler than the original one published by Lars Onsager in 1944.
How did she collaborate with Albert Einstein?
Kaufman worked as a research associate with Einstein at the Institute for Advanced Study from 1950 to 1955. Together, they published two articles and co-authored a section of the book The Meaning of Relativity.
What is the Mössbauer effect, and what was her role in studying it?
The Mössbauer effect involves the recoil-free emission and absorption of gamma rays in solids. Kaufman collaborated with Professor Harry Zvi Lipkin to apply advanced mathematics to the physics of this effect.
Where did Bruria Kaufman teach during her career in Israel?
She served as a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot from 1960 to 1971 and at the University of Haifa from 1972 to 1988.
Did she work in fields other than physics?
Yes, during her time at the University of Pennsylvania, she worked on a project involving mathematical linguistics.