James E. Faller

James E. Faller James Elliot Faller (January 17, 1934 – June 14, 2023) was an American physicist and inventor who specialized in precision measurement of gravity gravitational fields. He received several awards, including the 2001 Joseph F. Keithley Award Joseph F. Keithley Award for Advances in Measurement Science. Quotes ... during the past 20–30 years, the subject of geodesy has—as a result of advances in measurement technologies—been transformed from a chiefly theoretical endeavor that explored beautiful theorems, involving the Laplace's equation Laplace and Poisson's equation Poisson equations, to an experimental science—a science that has come of age as one can now make real-time measurements at the levels at which geophysical happenings are taking place. And absolute gravimetry (along with very long baseline interferometry, global positioning satellites, satellite ranging, etc.) was and is contributing to this revolution. The measurement of little g: a fertile ground for precision measurement science Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 110 6 December 2005 559–581 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4846227/ Determinations of the Gravitational constant Newtonian constant of gravitation (big G) fit into the oftentimes-unappreciated area of physics called precision measurement—an area which includes precision measurements, Null result null experiments and Time-variation of fundamental constants determinations of the fundamental constants. The determination of big G—a measurement which on the surface appears deceptively simple—continues to be one of Nature's greatest challenges to the skills and cunning of experimental physicists. In spite of the fact that, on the scale of the Universe, big G's effects are so large as to single-handedly hold everything together, on the scale of an individual research laboratory, big G's effects are so small that they go unnoticed…hidden in a background of much larger forces and noise sources. It is this ‘smallness’ that makes determining the precise value of this (seemingly unrelated to the rest of physics) fundamental constant so difficult. Precision measurement, scientific personalities and error budgets: the sine quibus non for big G determinations October 2014 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0023 10.1098/rsta.2014.0023 Quotes about James E. Faller He was passionate about JILA and the future of JILA. He was a strong advocate for hiring Deborah S. Jin Debbie Jin [a leading researcher in Bose–Einstein condensate ultracold physics]. He had a great sense of the qualitative understanding of a lot of physics, especially classical mechanics. I remember talking to him about the design of an experiment and him having good suggestions. He was a big advocate for the instrument shop. I think part of it is because he admired those guys for building and designing things. Eric Allin Cornell in: Illuminating Cosmos Brilliance: Remembering JILA Fellow James E. Faller July 5, 2023 jila.oolorado.edu https://jila.colorado.edu/news-events/news/illuminating-cosmos-brilliance-remembering-jila-fellow-james-e-faller (submitted by kennac) Most physicists will remember Jim Faller for his contributions to Laser Ranging Retroreflector lunar laser ranging. Robin Tucker "Tuck" Stebbins, Dr. James Faller: JILA Fellow & Physicist Memorial Page 2023 https://jila.colorado.edu/memorial/james-faller (memorial reminiscences by various scientists) External links Category:1934 births Category:2023 deaths Category:Princeton University alumni Category:Physicists from the United States Category:Inventors