Mendel Sachs

Mendel Sachs (born 13 April 1927, Portland, Oregon, died 5 May 2012, Buffalo, New York) is a US theoretical physicist who was Professor of Physics at the State University of New York Buffalo (1966–97) (Emeritus since 1997).

Education and career

Sachs studied for his A.B., M.A., and Ph.D., all in physics at the University of California, Los Angeles. Following the award of his PhD he was employed at the University of California Radiation Laboratory (1954–56). Then, he was a Senior Scientist at Lockheed Missiles and Space Laboratory (1956–1961). He was also employed as Assistant Professor of Physics at San Jose State College (1957–1961). In 1961 he became a Research Professor at McGill University; this was followed by a post as Associate Professor of Physics at Boston University (1962–1966). In 1966 he was appointed Professor of Physics at State University of New York at Buffalo. On his retirement in 1997 he was given the title Professor of Physics Emeritus.

Completion of Albert Einstein's unified field theory

Sachs has attempted to complete Albert Einstein's unified field theory by unifying the fields relativistically, then showing that Quantum Mechanics emerges under certain conditions.

His theory is based on three axioms: (1) the principle of relativity, (2) a generalized Mach principle, in which electromagnetism and gravity, as well as inertial mass, derives from the interaction of matter, and (3) a correspondence principle. The result is a continuous quaternion-based formalism modeling the electromagnetic (including the nuclear) forces, gravitational, and inertial manifestations of matter in general relativity. The transformation symmetry group is the Einstein group, the group that Sachs claims Einstein sought for the unified field. It approaches the Poincare group as the special relativity limit is approached. Sachs shows empirically that quantum mechanics emerges in the nonrelativistic (low energy-momentum transfer) domain.

"The well known trouble with RQFT," says Sachs, is that when its formal expression is examined for its solutions, it is found that it does not have any! This is because of infinities that are automatically generated in this formulation." Through general relativity, he produces theoretical results without resorting to arbitrary parameters or renormalization, some in closer agreement with experiment than those derived from quantum field theory, such as for the Lamb splitting with N = 4.

Sachs contends that, due to fundamental incompatibilities between relativity theory and quantum theory, there can never be a quantum theory of gravity.

Sach's symposium and the festschrift

A symposium was held in Sachs honour in 1997 and a subsequent festschrift published Fragments of Science: Festschrift for Mendel Sachs ed Michael Ram.

References

The derivation of the unified field theory:

• M.Sachs:'General Relativity and Matter' is based on original research by the author.

The derivation was inspired by early writings on this subject by Albert Einstein and his collaborators and by Erwin Schrodinger. See:

• A.Einstein, 'Autobiographical Notes', in "Albert Einstein': Philosopher-Scientist" (Open Court, 1949), ed.P.A, Schilpp
• A.Einstein and W. Mayer, "Semi-Vektoren und Spinoren", Preussiche Akademie der Wissenschaften Phys.-Math. Klasse Sitzungsberichte, 1932, p. 522
• A. Einstein, "Generalization of the Relativistic Theory of Gravitation", Annals of Mathematics 46 (1945), p. 578
• A. Einstein and E. Straus, "Generalization of the Relativistic Theory of Gravitation", Annals of Mathematics 47 (1946), p. 731
• E.Schrödinger, Space-Time Structure (Cambridge University Press, 1954)

The origin of the quaternion algebra is shown in:

• H. Halberstam and R. E. Ingram, editors, The Mathematical Papers of Sir William Rowan Hamilton, Vol. III, Algebra (Cambridge University Press, 1967).

A complete bibliography of the writings of Mendel Sachs, until 2002, are in the back of the book, M. Sachs, "Quantum Mechanics and Gravity" (Springer-Verlag,2004). The latest book by Mendel Sachs is:

• "Physics of the Universe", Imperial College Press, 2010).

External links

• Mendel Sachs' website
• THE INFLUENCE OF THE PHYSICS AND PHILOSOPHY OF EINSTEIN’S RELATIVITY ON MY ATTITUDES IN SCIENCE: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, MENDEL SACHS, Department of Physics, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York 14260, From: FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE: Festschrift for Mendel Sachs, M. Ram, editor (World Scientific, 1999), pp. 201 – 233.