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Professor Kip Stephen Thorne, Ph.D. , (born June 1 , 1940 ) is an American Theoretical Physicist , known for his prolific contributions in the field of Gravitation Physics and Astrophysics . A friend and colleague of Stephen Hawking , he is the current ''' Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics''' at Caltech and one of the world’s leading experts on the astrophysical implications of Einstein’s General Theory Of Relativity . BIOGRAPHY Thorne was born in Logan, Utah , the son of Professor s D. Wynne Thorne and Alison C. Thorne. He rapidly excelled at academics early in life. He received his B.S. from Caltech in 1962 , and Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1965 . Thorne returned to Caltech as an associate professor in 1967 and became a professor of theoretical physics in 1970, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor in 1981, and the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics in 1991, a post he currently holds. Throughout the years, Thorne has served as mentor and thesis advisor for many leading theorists who now work on observational, experimental, or astrophysical aspects of general relativity. Kip Thorne possesses a kindly demeanor and is rather modest, insisting on being addressed by his first name. He keeps in contact with his students even if he is on vacation. Thorne is known for his meticulous attention to detail and abundant energy. Thorne married Linda Jean Peterson in 1960. Their children are Kares Anne and Bret Carter. He divorced Linda in 1970 and married his second wife, Carolee Joyce Winstein, in 1984. RESEARCH Professor Kip S. Thorne's principal fields of research are Relativistic Astrophysics and Gravitation Physics . Thorne's scientific contributions, which focus on the general nature of Space , Time , and Gravity , span the full range of topics in General Relativity including means to test general relativity against rival theories of gravity, applications of relativity to Stellar Structure and Evolution (e.g., his studies of the structures and evolution of massive stars that have a black hole or Neutron Star in their cores), Black Hole s, Wormhole s, Graviton s, Gravitational Wave s, and Multipole Expansion of Gravitational Radiation . He is perhaps best known for his controversial theory that wormholes can conceivably be used for Time Travel . Thorne is the first person conducting scientific research on whether the laws of physics permit space and time to be Multiply Connected (can there exist classical, Traversable Wormholes and " Time Machine s"?). Thorne is currently interested in the origin of classical space and time from the Quantum Foam of Quantum Gravity theory. Dr. Thorne has made prolific contributions to Statistical Mechanical origin of the Entropy of a black hole. Both Hawking and Thorne have theorized that a Singularity exists in the interior of a black hole. As a tool to be used in both enterprises, astrophysics and theoretical physics, Thorne has developed an unusual approach, called the " Membrane Paradigm ", to the theory of black holes. Among a handful of physicists, Professor Thorne is considered one of the world’s authorities on gravitational waves. In part, his work has dealt with the prediction of gravity-wave strengths and their temporal signatures as observed on the Earth. These “signatures” are of great relevance to design analyses for features of the LIGO that cannot be developed on the basis of Experiment and he gives advice on Data Analysis Algorithm s. Kip Thorne has also theoretically predicted the existence of universally antigravitating " of the universe. He, along with his mentor John Wheeler , additionally proved that it was impossible for cylindrical Magnetic Field lines to implode. Most importantly, he laid the foundations for the theory of pulsations of Relativistic Star s and the gravitational radiation they emit. PUBLICATIONS Thorne has written and edited books on topics in '', a landmark book for non-scientists for which he received numerous awards. This book has been published in six languages, and editions in Chinese, Italian, Czech, and Polish are in press. Thorne has also published more than 150 articles in scholarly journals. Thorne is also known for his ability to convey the excitement and significance of discoveries in gravitation and astrophysics to both professional and lay audiences. In 1999, Dr. Thorne made some speculations on what the 21st Century will find as the answers to the following questions:
His presentations on subjects such as black holes, gravitational radiation, relativity, Time Travel , and Worm Holes have been included in PBS shows in the U.S. and in the United Kingdom on the BBC. Thorne's work has appeared in magazines and encyclopedias such as:
HONORS AND AWARDS Thorne has been elected to:
He has been recognized by numerous awards including:
He has been a Woodrow Wilson Fellow , Danforth Fellow , Guggenheim Fellow , and Fulbright Fellow . He has also received the honorary degree of doctor of humane letters from Claremont Graduate University . Dr. Thorne has served on:
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