John Reppy
John David Reppy | |
---|---|
Born | superfluids | February 16, 1931
Institutions | Yale University, Cornell University |
Doctoral advisor | C. T. Lane |
Website | physics |
John David Reppy (born February 16, 1931) is a
Reppy is also a notable
Early life and education
John David Reppy was born February 16, 1931, in
In Connecticut John Reppy became interested in herpetology, geology and rock climbing, exploring local quarries. He graduated from high school in 1950.[1]
Reppy immediately enrolled at the
In 1956, Reppy joined Cecil T. Lane's Yale Low Temperature group at Yale University. As part of his Ph.D. work, Reppy adapted a design by Jesse Beams and built an apparatus for rotating a container of liquid helium in vacuum and measuring the helium's angular momentum. He completed his dissertation in 1960,[1] and received his Ph.D from Yale University in 1961.[3] Reppy spent 1961 working with Nicholas Kurti in Oxford on a National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowship.[1]
Rock climbing
In the 1950s and 60s, Reppy was active on
Reppy has said his earliest interest in rock climbing as a very young teenager was related to the re-opening of small open-pit mica mines in eastern Connecticut during World War II in response to increased war-time demand for electronics materials.[4][5]
Reppy was among the first climbers in the United States to practice so-called "clean climbing" techniques, which he learned in England. While most climbers of the day were hammering their way up the cliffs with pitons, Reppy helped introduce the use of nuts, which at the time consisted of hex nuts from truck wheels, strung with nylon webbing. Unlike pitons, nuts are placed and removed without the use of hammers and save the rock from permanent damage. The technique often makes placements easier and faster to achieve, and thus may make difficult climbs easier to complete. Many advances in rock climbing were made possible by this method. Among a substantial number of others deserving credit for this trend in the U.S. are Yvon Chouinard and John Stannard.[6]
Scientific career
Reppy returned to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1962, and spent four years as an assistant professor at Yale University. He joined the Cornell University Physics Department in 1966, becoming the John Wetherill Professor of Physics in 1987.[3] As physics professor at Cornell University, he studies quantum properties of superfluids with an emphasis on boundary conditions and phase transitions in systems of reduced dimensionality.
Reppy's research group has close associations with
Reppy also figured at least on the fringes of the 2001 Nobel Prize for Physics which was awarded to
Physicists generally agree that the atoms in
Separately, work from Cornell physics laboratories has been used to test a theory of
Awards
Reppy is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the
References
- ^ S2CID 247388597. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ a b "2004 Charles A. Reynolds Distinguished Lecture in Physics" (PDF). Physics Department of University of Connecticut. July 2004.
- ^ a b "Reppy, John David". American Institute of Physics. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
- ^ "Climbing in Connecticut". Ragged Mountain Foundation. Archived from the original on 2008-12-01.
- ^ "The 1964 Climbing Guide to Ragged Mountain". MCIS.western.edu. Archived from the original on 2008-11-21.
- ^ "Classic Northeast Climbs". Appalachian Mountain Club.
- ^ Lee, David M. (1996-12-07). "The Extraordinary Phases of Liquid Helium" (PDF). Nobel Prize website. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
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(help) - ^ "New State of Matter Not So New?". Science Now. 2002-02-22. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
- ^ "A breakthrough in low-temperature physics" (Press release). Nobel Prize Website. 1996-10-09. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
- ^ "Prof. John Reppy to Receive NASA Medal". NASA. 2000-05-05. Archived from the original on 2001-03-06.