Yoichiro Nambu

Yoichiro Nambu ( 南 部 陽 一 郎 , Nanbu

Yōichirō, 18 January 1921 – 5 July 2015) Yoichiro Nambu
was a Japanese-American physicist and 南部 陽一郎
professor at the University of Chicago.

Known for his contributions to the field of

theoretical physics, he was awarded half of
the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2008 for the
discovery in 1960 of the mechanism of
spontaneous broken symmetry in
subatomic physics, related at first to the
strong interaction's chiral symmetry and
later to the electroweak interaction and
Higgs mechanism.[1]

The other half was split equally between

Nambu in 2005
Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide
Born 18 January 1921
Maskawa "for the discovery of the origin
Tokyo, Empire of Japan (Now Japan)
of the broken symmetry which predicts the
existence of at least three families of Died 5 July 2015 (aged 94)
quarks in nature."[1] Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
Citizenship American (from 1970)
Alma mater Tokyo Imperial University
Early life and education Known for Spontaneous symmetry breaking
String theory
Nambu was born on 18 January 1921 in
Nambu–Goto action
Tokyo, Empire of Japan (Now Japan).
Nambu-Goldstone boson
After graduating from the then-Fukui
Nambu mechanics
Secondary High School in Fukui City, he
Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model
enrolled in the Imperial University of
Tokyo (Now University of Tokyo) and Spouse Chieko Hida
studied physics. He received his Bachelor Children John Nambu (son)
of Science in 1942 and Doctorate of Awards Heineman Prize (1970)
Science in 1952.[1] In 1949, he was J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Prize (1976)
appointed to associate professor at Osaka Order of Culture of Japan (1978)
City University[2] and promoted to US National Medal of Science (1982)
professorship the next year at the age of Max Planck Medal (1985)
29.[1] Dirac Medal (1986)
J.J. Sakurai Prize (1994)
Wolf Prize in Physics (1994/1995)
Franklin Medal (2005)
In 1952, Nambu was invited by the Pomeranchuk Prize (2007)
Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, Nobel Prize in Physics (2008)
New Jersey, United States, to study. He Scientific career
moved to the University of Chicago in Fields Physics
1954 and was promoted to professor in
Institutions University of Tokyo (1942–49)
1958.[3] From 1974 to 1977, Nambu was
Osaka City University (1949–52)
also served as the Chairman of the
Institute for Advanced Study (1952–54)
Department of Physics, and then he
University of Chicago (1954– 2015)
became as an American citizen from 1970
until his death in 2015.[4]

Career in physics
Nambu proposed the "color charge" of
quantum chromodynamics,[5] having
done early work on spontaneous
symmetry breaking in particle
physics,[6] and having discovered that
the dual resonance model could be
explained as a quantum mechanical
theory of strings.[7][8] He was
accounted as one of the founders of
string theory.[9]
Nambu (white shirt) and associates in 1996
After more than fifty years as a
professor, he was Henry Pratt Judson
Distinguished Service Professor emeritus at the University of Chicago's Department of Physics and
Enrico Fermi Institute.[10][11]

The Nambu–Goto action in string theory is named after Nambu and Tetsuo Goto. Also, massless bosons
arising in field theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking are sometimes referred to as Nambu–
Goldstone bosons.[12][13]

Death
Nambu died of heart failure at the hospital in Osaka on 5 July 2015, at the age of 94. The announcement
of his death was delayed until 17 July, just 12 days after his death.[14][15][16][17] His funeral and memorial
services were held among close relatives.[15]

Nambu was survived by his wife, Chieko, and his son, John.[15]

Recognition
The Nambu Hall was opened on the second floor of Osaka University Graduate School of Science, J
Building in 2017.[18]

The Osaka Metropolitan University Nambu Yoichiro Institute of Theoretical and Experimental
Physics (NITEP) was founded on November 1, 2018.[19]

Nambu won numerous honors and awards including:

1970: Dannie Heineman Prize

1977: J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Prize[20][21]
1978: Order of Culture, Japan
1978: Person of Cultural Merit, Japan
1979: Honorary Citizen of Fukui City, Japan[22]
1982: National Medal of Science
1985: Max Planck Medal, Germany
1986: Dirac Prize
1994: Sakurai Prize
1994/1995: Wolf Prize in Physics
2003: Fukui Prefectural Award, Japan[23]
2005: Benjamin Franklin Medal, Franklin Institute[2][24]
2005: Oskar Klein Memorial Lecture
2008: Nobel Prize in Physics "for the discovery of the mechanism of spontaneous broken
symmetry in subatomic physics".[1][25][26]
2011: Honorary Citizen of Toyonaka City[27]

See also
List of Japanese Nobel laureates
List of Nobel laureates affiliated with the University of Tokyo
Nambu, Yoichiro (1985) Quarks, World Scientific, Singapore

References
1. Nambu, Yoichiro (2008). Karl Grandin (ed.). "Les Prix Nobel – The Nobel Prizes 2008" (http
s://web.archive.org/web/20141011220229/http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/la
ureates/2008/nambu-bio.html). Stockholm: The Nobel Foundation. Archived from the original
(https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2008/nambu.html) on 11
October 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
2. Hatsuda, Tetsuo. "Notable Alumni: Yoichiro Nambu" (http://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/research/
alumni/nambu/). University of Tokyo. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/2015071915221
7/http://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/research/alumni/nambu/) from the original on 19 July 2015.
Retrieved 19 July 2015.
3. Chicago Tribune (October 8, 2008) "University of Chicago physicist Yoichiro Nambu wins
Nobel Prize" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140313001028/http://articles.chicagotribune.co
m/2008-10-08/news/0810070528_1_university-of-chicago-physicist-yoichiro-nambu-subato
mic)
 4. Matt Moore; Karl Ritter; Mari Yamaguchi & Herbert G. McCann (7 October 2008). "Chicago
Professor Shares Nobel Prize In Physics" (https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?sto
ryId=95460513). NPR. Associated Press.
5. Serway, Raymond; Moses, Clement; Moyer, Curt (2004). "Elementary Particles" (https://boo
ks.google.com/books?id=uTM8AAAAQBAJ&q=Yoichiro+Nambu+color+charge+quantum+-w
ikipedia&pg=PA577). Modern Physics (https://books.google.com/books?id=uTM8AAAAQBA
J) (3rd ed.). Thomson Learning. p. 577. ISBN 1111794375. Retrieved 19 July 2015 – via
Google Books.
6. Xing, Zhizhong; Shun Zhou (2011). "Neutrinos within the Standard Model" (https://books.go
ogle.com/books?id=6QXqlCHLjJkC&q=Yoichiro+Nambu+spontaneous+symmetry+-wikipedi
a&pg=PA23). Neutrinos in Particle Physics, Astronomy and Cosmology. Zhejiang University
Press. p. 23. ISBN 9783642175602. Retrieved 19 July 2015 – via Google Books.
7. Nambu, Y. (1970). "Quark model and the factorization of the Veneziano amplitude." In R.
Chand (ed.), Symmetries and quark models (pp. 269–277). Singapore: World Scientific.
8. Pesic, Peter (2014). "Unheard Harmonies" (https://books.google.com/books?id=HfPvAwAA
QBAJ&q=Yoichiro+Nambu+dual+resonance+model+-wikipedia&pg=PA279). Music and the
Making of Modern Science (https://books.google.com/books?id=HfPvAwAAQBAJ).
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press. ISBN 9780262027274. Retrieved 19 July
2015 – via Google Books.
9. Jones, Andrew Zimmerman; Robbins, Daniel (2010). "Ten Notable String Theorists" (https://
books.google.com/books?id=uS6UHlSN54EC&q=nambu+founders+string+theory+-wikipedi
a&pg=PA347). String Theory for Dummies (https://books.google.com/books?id=uS6UHlSN5
4EC). Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley Publishing. p. 347. ISBN 9780470595848. Retrieved
19 July 2015 – via Google Books.
10. "Yoichiro Nambu" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140906173857/https://news.uchicago.edu/
profile/yoichiro-nambu). The University of Chicago. Archived from the original (https://news.u
chicago.edu/profile/yoichiro-nambu) on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
11. Narins, Brigham (2001). Notable Scientists from 1900 to the Present: N-S (https://books.goo
gle.com/books?id=piQvAQAAIAAJ&q=nambu+henry+pratt+judson+professor+-wikipedia).
Gale Group. p. 1613. ISBN 9780787617554.
12. Nambu, Y.; Jona-Lasinio, G. (1 April 1961). "Dynamical Model of Elementary Particles
Based on an Analogy with Superconductivity. I" (https://doi.org/10.1103%2Fphysrev.122.34
5). Physical Review. 122 (1). American Physical Society (APS): 345–358.
Bibcode:1961PhRv..122..345N (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1961PhRv..122..345N).
doi:10.1103/physrev.122.345 (https://doi.org/10.1103%2Fphysrev.122.345). ISSN 0031-
899X (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-899X).
13. Nambu, Y.; Jona-Lasinio, G. (1 October 1961). "Dynamical Model of Elementary Particles
Based on an Analogy with Superconductivity. II" (https://doi.org/10.1103%2Fphysrev.124.24
6). Physical Review. 124 (1). American Physical Society (APS): 246–254.
Bibcode:1961PhRv..124..246N (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1961PhRv..124..246N).
doi:10.1103/physrev.124.246 (https://doi.org/10.1103%2Fphysrev.124.246). ISSN 0031-
899X (https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0031-899X).
14. Grimes, William (17 July 2015), "Yoichiro Nambu, Nobel-Winning Physicist, Dies at 94" (http
s://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/18/us/yoichiro-nambu-nobel-winning-physicist-dies-at-94.htm
l), The New York Times
15. "南部陽一郎 大阪大学特別栄誉教授のご逝去について" (http://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/ja/news/top
ics/2015/07/20150717_01). 大阪大学. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
16. "2008年ノーベル物理学賞受賞の南部陽一郎 大阪大学特別栄誉教授がご逝去されました" (ht
tp://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/ja/news/topics/2015/07/20150717_01). Osaka University. 17 July
2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
17. "Nobel laureate in physics, Yoichiro Nambu dies at 94" (https://web.archive.org/web/201507
21210113/http://www.laprensasa.com/309_america-in-english/3229007_nobel-laureate-in-p
hysics-yoichiro-nambu-dies-at-94.html). La Prensa de San Antonio. EFE. 17 July 2015.
Archived from the original (http://www.laprensasa.com/309_america-in-english/3229007_no
bel-laureate-in-physics-yoichiro-nambu-dies-at-94.html) on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July
2015.
18. 南部陽一郎ホール – 大阪大学 大学院理学研究科・理学部 (https://www.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp/ja/n
ambu-hall/)
19. Nambu Yoichiro Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics (NITEP)｜about NITEP (h
ttps://www.nitep.omu.ac.jp/en/about.html)
20. Walter, Claire (1982). Winners, the blue ribbon encyclopedia of awards (https://archive.org/d
etails/winnersblueribbo0000walt). Facts on File Inc. p. 438 (https://archive.org/details/winner
sblueribbo0000walt/page/438). ISBN 9780871963864.
21. "J. Robert Oppenheimer Prize awarded to Yoichiro Nambu". Physics Today. 29 (3).
American Institute of Physics: 76–78. March 1976. doi:10.1063/1.3023388 (https://doi.org/1
0.1063%2F1.3023388).
22. 福井市名誉市民・市民栄誉賞 (http://www.city.fukui.lg.jp/sisei/fukuisi/meiyosimin/honor_citize
n.html) 福井市 2008年10月11日 閲覧(in Japanese)
23. 名誉市民の南部陽一郎先生が逝去されました。 福井市ホームページ (https://web.archive.or
g/web/20150923203946/http://www.city.fukui.lg.jp/sisei/fukuisi/meiyosimin/nambu-yoichiro.ht
ml) at the Wayback Machine (archived 2015-09-23)2015年8月11日 閲覧(in Japanese)
24. "Yoichiro Nambu" (https://www.fi.edu/laureates/yoichiro-nambu). Franklin Institute. April
2005. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20150514042400/https://www.fi.edu/laureates/y
oichiro-nambu) from the original on 14 May 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
25. Jonathan Amos (7 October 2008). "Cosmic imperfections celebrated" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/
1/hi/sci/tech/7656538.stm). BBC.
26. Pollard, Niklas (7 October 2008). "Two Japanese, American win 2008 physics Nobel" (http
s://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSTRE4963JJ20081007). Reuters.
27. "南部陽一郎さん（平成23年9月7日 豊中市議会議決） 豊中市" (https://www.city.toyonaka.os
aka.jp/joho/shoukai/meiyosimin/meiyosimin/nanbu_yoichiro/001nanbu.html).
www.city.toyonaka.osaka.jp. Retrieved 1 June 2021.

External links
Oral history interview with Yoichiro Nambu on 16 July 2004, American Institute of Physics,
Niels Bohr Library & Archives (https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-hi
stories/30538)
Yoichiro Nambu, Department of Physics faculty profile, University of Chicago (https://archiv
e.today/20121210104545/http://physics.uchicago.edu/research/areas/particle_t.html#Namb
u)
Profile, Scientific American Magazine (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/profile-yoich
iro-nambu/)
Yoichiro Nambu, Sc.D. Biographical Information (http://www.fi.edu/winners/2005/nambu_yoi
chiro.faw?winner_id=4394)
Nambu's most-cited scientific papers (https://inspirehep.net/literature?sort=mostcited&size=
25&page=1&q=a%20yoichiro%20nambu)
Yoichiro Nambu's earliest book for the scientific layman (http://www.worldscibooks.com/gene
ral/0103.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20110629121601/http://www.worldscib
 ooks.com/general/0103.html) 29 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
Yoichiro Nambu's previously unpublished material, including an original article on
spontaneously broken symmetry (http://www.worldscibooks.com/physics/2840.html)
"A History of Nobel Physicists from Wartime Japan" Article published in the December 1998
issue of Scientific American, co-authored by Laurie Brown and Yoichiro Nambu (http://www.s
ciam.com/article.cfm?id=physicists-in-wartime-japan)
Tribute upon Prof. Nambu passing by former student Dr. Madhusree Mukerjee (http://www.h
uffingtonpost.com/madhusree-mukerjee/the-passing-of-a-gentle-g_b_7827966.html)
Guide to the Yoichiro Nambu Papers 1917-2009 (https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/scrc/finding
aids/view.php?eadid=ICU.SPCL.NAMBUY) at the University of Chicago Special Collections
Research Center (https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/scrc/)
Yoichiro Nambu (https://www.nobelprize.org/laureate/826) on Nobelprize.org

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