Robert C. Myers is a Canadian
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 ...
who specializes in
black holes
A black hole is a massive, compact astronomical object so dense that its gravity prevents anything from escaping, even light. Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will form a black hole. Th ...
,
string theory
In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. String theory describes how these strings propagate through space and intera ...
and
quantum entanglement
Quantum entanglement is the phenomenon where the quantum state of each Subatomic particle, particle in a group cannot be described independently of the state of the others, even when the particles are separated by a large distance. The topic o ...
. He is currently the Director of
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
Education
He did his undergraduate studies at
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a Public university, public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also op ...
, gained his PhD at
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
, and was a postdoctoral researcher at
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Tracing its roots back to 1891 as an ...
.
Career
For a time, Myers was a professor at
McGill University
McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
.
In 2019, Myers was appointed Director of the
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. where he holds the BMO Financial Group Isaac Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics. He served as Perimeter Institute's Faculty Chair from 2011 to 2018. He is also an adjunct professor of physics at the
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a Public university, public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also op ...
.
Research
Myers' research concerns
quantum fields and strings, and
quantum gravity
Quantum gravity (QG) is a field of theoretical physics that seeks to describe gravity according to the principles of quantum mechanics. It deals with environments in which neither gravitational nor quantum effects can be ignored, such as in the v ...
. His work focuses on foundational questions in
quantum theory and gravity. His contributions span a broad range, from foundational quantum field theory to gravitational physics, black holes, and cosmology.
The
Myers-Perry metric describes the higher-dimensional generalization of the
Kerr metric
The Kerr metric or Kerr geometry describes the geometry of empty spacetime around a rotating uncharged axially symmetric black hole with a quasispherical event horizon. The Kerr metric is an exact solution of the Einstein field equations of gen ...
.
Research and awards
Myers has also won the
Canadian Association of Physicists' (CAP)
Herzberg Medal in 1999 and the 2005 CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics "for his outstanding contributions to theoretical physics, ranging from aspects in gravitational physics to foundational aspects of string theory."
In 2006, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. He also won the CAP-TRIUMF Vogt Medal in 2012, and the
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.
He was awarded
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a Public university, public research university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on of land adjacent to uptown Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also op ...
Distinguished Alumni Award in 2018.
See also
*
List of University of Waterloo people
The University of Waterloo, located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, is a comprehensive public university that was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles. It has grown into an institution of more than 42,000 students, faculty, and st ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Myers, Robert
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
21st-century Canadian physicists
Academic staff of McGill University
Academic staff of the University of Waterloo
Canadian string theorists
Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada
Princeton University alumni
University of Waterloo alumni