Lars Elof Gustaf Brink (12 November 1943 - 29 October 2022) was a Swedish

theoretical physicist Theoretical physics is a branch of physics that employs mathematical models and abstractions of physical objects and systems to rationalize, explain, and predict natural phenomena. This is in contrast to experimental physics, which uses experi ...

. He made significant and well-cited contributions in

supersymmetry Supersymmetry is a Theory, theoretical framework in physics that suggests the existence of a symmetry between Particle physics, particles with integer Spin (physics), spin (''bosons'') and particles with half-integer spin (''fermions''). It propo ...

supergravity In theoretical physics, supergravity (supergravity theory; SUGRA for short) is a modern field theory that combines the principles of supersymmetry and general relativity; this is in contrast to non-gravitational supersymmetric theories such as ...

superspace Superspace is the coordinate space of a theory exhibiting supersymmetry. In such a formulation, along with ordinary space dimensions ''x'', ''y'', ''z'', ..., there are also "anticommuting" dimensions whose coordinates are labeled in Grassmann num ...

, and

superstrings Superstring theory is an attempt to explain all of the particles and fundamental forces of nature in one theory by modeling them as vibrations of tiny supersymmetric strings. 'Superstring theory' is a shorthand for supersymmetric string th ...

, and the connections among them. In 1977, with John Schwarz and

Joël Scherk Joël Scherk (; 27 May 1946 – 16 May 1980) was a French theoretical physicist who studied string theory and supergravity. Work Scherk studied in Paris at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS). In 1969 he received his diploma (Thèse de troisiè ...

, he introduced the first supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories. During 1971–1973, he was member of the theory group at

CERN The European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN (; ; ), is an intergovernmental organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. Established in 1954, it is based in Meyrin, western suburb of Gene ...

. Starting in 1986, he had been professor of theoretical physics at

Chalmers Institute of Technology Chalmers University of Technology (, commonly referred to as Chalmers) is a private research university located in Gothenburg, Sweden. Chalmers focuses on engineering and science, but more broadly it also conducts research and offers education ...

Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...

. Brink was one of the pioneers of superstring theory, since the 1970s (at CERN and Caltech). He coordinated the EU network Superstring Theory 1991–1995 and 2000–2008. In 1997 he became a member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences () is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special responsibility for promoting nat ...

. In 2001, 2004 and from 2008 to 2013 he was a member of the

Nobel Committee for Physics The Nobel Committee for Physics is the Nobel Committee responsible for proposing laureates for the Nobel Prize for Physics.

and its chairman in 2013.

References

External links

Oral history interview transcript for Lars Brink on 27 May 2021, American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives
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ORCID
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brink, Lars 1943 births 2022 deaths 21st-century Swedish physicists 20th-century Swedish physicists Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Academic staff of the Chalmers University of Technology People associated with CERN People from Uddevalla Municipality