Julius Ashkin

As a theoretical physicist, Julius Ashkin’s intellect knew no bounds. His work spanned statistical mechanics, solid-state physics, nuclear physics, and elementary particle physics. His insights into these fields paved the way for groundbreaking discoveries and advanced scientific knowledge.

During World War II, Ashkin joined the Manhattan Project, a pivotal moment in his scientific journey. He lent his expertise to the Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of Chicago, where he contributed to producing the world’s first controlled chain reaction. Subsequently, he worked at the Los Alamos Laboratory from mid-1943 to mid-1945, collaborating with luminaries such as Richard Feynman and Hans E. Bethe. His work there focused on estimating the rate at which neutrons diffuse through the explosive core of nuclear bombs, a critical aspect of the project. Ashkin’s involvement with this top-secret endeavor marked a defining chapter in his scientific career. He also co-produced a practical report on Poisoning and Production in a Power Plant which considered the power potential of sustained nuclear reactions as well as the radiation poisoning and other hazards that accompanied them. All these reports were secret when produced and have since been declassified and released.

Following his time at Los Alamos, Ashkin embarked on an academic journey that led him to the University of Rochester, where he served as an assistant professor and conducted pioneering experiments on neutron-proton, proton-proton, and nucleon-nucleon scattering. He was the first to formally recognize the significance of the Feynman diagram, a visualization tool that became indispensable in the field of physics.

In 1950, Ashkin joined the physics faculty at Carnegie Mellon University (formerly the Carnegie Institute of Technology). His experimental work thrived, aided by the university’s proton synchrocyclotron in nearby Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. He conducted groundbreaking experiments to understand the characteristics of short-lived particles, specifically the pi-meson or pion, produced during high-energy cosmic ray interactions with Earth’s atmosphere. His research was instrumental in advancing our knowledge of these fundamental particles.

Julius Ashkin’s contributions extended beyond the laboratory. He served as the chair of the physics department at Carnegie Mellon University from 1961 to 1972 and left an enduring legacy of teaching excellence. To honor his memory, the university established the Julius Ashkin Teaching Award. He served as a Trustee for Aspen Center for Physics from 1968 – 1972. 

Ashkin’s dedication to scientific exploration led him to CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, during a sabbatical year in 1958–1959. There, he played a key role in a significant discovery that confirmed an aspect of the V-A Theory of weak interactions.

Read more about Dr. Ashkin in his memorial obituary in The New York Times here.