Robert C. Richardson is a Professor for Physics at Cornell University, Ithaca, and a Nobel Laureate for Physics. Born in Washington, D.C., he entered the Virginia Polytechnic Institute where he obtained both his BS and Master degree in Physics. Later at Duke University he received his Ph.D. for a thesis on NMR studies of solid helium-3. In 1966 Prof. Richardson moved to Ithaca to join the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics of Prof. David Lee at Cornell University. Together with Prof. Douglas Osheroff - who was by then still a graduate student - they worked on cooling techniques and NMR instrumentation for studying low temperature helium liquids. Their work led to the discovery of superfluidity of helium-3 at very low temperatures, a phenomenon that cannot be understood in terms of classical physics. By studying this phenomenon in detail the three scientists contributed important knowledge to describe matter at the microscopic level, a work that earned them the 1996 Nobel Prize for Physics. The phase transitions to superfluidity in helium-3 have also been recently used by research teams to test a theory regarding how cosmic strings can be formed in the universe. These immense hypothetical objects, which are thought to have been important for the forming of galaxies, can have arisen as a consequence of the rapid phase transitions believed to have taken place a fraction of a second after the Big Bang.

Wednesday, January 5, 2005:

10:00 Keynote speech and dialogue at the Asian Institute of Technology

Information & free tickets: Phone 02-524-5005, Fax 02-524-6005,

E-mail mailto:nadeera@ait.ac.th" class="link">nadeera@ait.ac.th

13:30 Keynote speech and dialogue at Thailand Science Park co-hosted by the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology (not a public event)

Thursday, January 6, 2005:

15:00 Keynote speech and dialogue at Kasetsart University

Information & free tickets: Phone 02-942-8171 Fax 02-942-8170,

E-mail mailto:fro@ku.ac.th" class="link">fro@ku.ac.th

Friday, January 7, 2005:

15:00 Keynote speech and dialogue at Khon Kaen University

Information & free tickets: Phone/Fax 043-202-425, E-mail mailto:suwit@kku.ac.th" class="link">suwit@kku.ac.th