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[[Image:GaryGibbons.JPG|thumb|Gary Gibbons at Harvard University]]
[[Image:GaryGibbons.JPG|thumb|Gary Gibbons at Harvard University]]


'''Gary Gibbons''' (b. [[1 July]], [[1946]]), [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]], is a British [[theoretical physics|theoretical physicist]]. Gibbons studied in [[Cambridge University|Cambridge]],
'''Gary William Gibbons''' (b. [[1 July]], [[1946]]), [[Fellow of the Royal Society|FRS]], is a British [[theoretical physics|theoretical physicist]]. Gibbons studied in [[Cambridge University|Cambridge]],
where in 1970–1972 he was a research student under the supervision of [[Stephen Hawking]]. Currently, Gibbons is professor of theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge. He is known for his work in [[general relativity]] and [[quantum gravity]].
where in [[1969]] he became a research student under the supervision of [[Dennis William Sciama|Dennis Sciama]]. When Sciama moved to [[Oxford University|Oxford]], he became a student of [[Stephen Hawking]]'s, obtaining his PhD from Cambridge in [[1973]]. Apart from a stay at the [[Max Planck Society|Max Planck Institute]] in Munich in the 1970s he has remained in Cambridge throughout his career, becoming a full professor in [[1997]], a [[Fellow of the Royal Society]] in [[1999]], and a Fellow of [[Trinity College, Cambridge]] in [[2002]].

Having worked on classical general relativity for his PhD thesis, Gibbons focussed on the quantum theory of black holes afterwards. Together with [[Malcolm Perry]], he used thermal [[Green's function]]s to prove the universality of thermodynamic properties of horizons, including cosmological event horizons<ref>
{{cite journal
| title = Cosmological Event Horizons, Thermodynamics, and Particle Creation
| author = Gibbons, G. W., [[Stephen Hawking|Hawking, S. W.]]
| journal = [[Physical Review]]
| volume = D 15
| issue =
| pages = 2738 - 2751
| year = 1977
| doi = 10.1103/PhysRevD.15.2738
| url = }}</ref>. He developed the [[Euclidean quantum gravity|Euclidean approach]] to quantum gravity with [[Stephen Hawking]], which allows a derivation of the [[Black hole thermodynamics|thermodynamics of black holes]] from a [[functional integral]] approach.<ref>
{{cite journal
| title = Action Integrals and Partition Functions in Quantum Gravity
| author = Gibbons, G. W., [[Stephen Hawking|Hawking, S. W.]]
| journal = [[Physical Review]]
| volume = D 15
| issue =
| pages = 2752 - 2756
| year = 1977
| doi = 10.1103/PhysRevD.15.2752
| url = }}</ref>

His work in more recent years includes contributions to research on [[supergravity]], [[p-branes]]<ref>
{{cite journal
| title = Born-Infeld particles and Dirichlet p-branes
| author = Gibbons, G. W.
| journal = Nucl. Phys.
| volume = B 514
| issue =
| pages = 603-639
| year = 1998
| doi =
| url = http://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/9709027}}</ref> and [[M-theory]], mainly motivated by [[string theory]]. He remains interested in geometrical problems of all sorts which have applications to physics.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Books==
* ''Euclidean Quantum Gravity'', [http://www.worldscibooks.com/physics/1301.html World Scientific (Singapore, 1993)]; Paperback ISBN 9810205163

==Related Pages==
* [[Gibbons-Hawking-York boundary term]]
* [[Euclidean quantum gravity]]
* [[Gibbons-Hawking effect]]


==External links==
==External links==
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[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society|Gibbons, Gary]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Royal Society|Gibbons, Gary]]
[[Category:Living people|Gibbons, Gary]]
[[Category:Living people|Gibbons, Gary]]


{{UK-physicist-stub}}

Revision as of 11:21, 11 July 2007

Gary Gibbons at Harvard University

Gary William Gibbons (b. 1 July, 1946), FRS, is a British theoretical physicist. Gibbons studied in Cambridge, where in 1969 he became a research student under the supervision of Dennis Sciama. When Sciama moved to Oxford, he became a student of Stephen Hawking's, obtaining his PhD from Cambridge in 1973. Apart from a stay at the Max Planck Institute in Munich in the 1970s he has remained in Cambridge throughout his career, becoming a full professor in 1997, a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1999, and a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge in 2002.

Having worked on classical general relativity for his PhD thesis, Gibbons focussed on the quantum theory of black holes afterwards. Together with Malcolm Perry, he used thermal Green's functions to prove the universality of thermodynamic properties of horizons, including cosmological event horizons[1]. He developed the Euclidean approach to quantum gravity with Stephen Hawking, which allows a derivation of the thermodynamics of black holes from a functional integral approach.[2]

His work in more recent years includes contributions to research on supergravity, p-branes[3] and M-theory, mainly motivated by string theory. He remains interested in geometrical problems of all sorts which have applications to physics.

References

  1. ^ Gibbons, G. W., Hawking, S. W. (1977). "Cosmological Event Horizons, Thermodynamics, and Particle Creation". Physical Review. D 15: 2738–2751. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.15.2738.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Gibbons, G. W., Hawking, S. W. (1977). "Action Integrals and Partition Functions in Quantum Gravity". Physical Review. D 15: 2752–2756. doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.15.2752.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Gibbons, G. W. (1998). "Born-Infeld particles and Dirichlet p-branes". Nucl. Phys. B 514: 603–639.

Books