Classical Electrodynamics
Jackson's best-known and most influential work, and a standard graduate-level text on electromagnetism.
Author guide
J. David Jackson Books in Order
J. David Jackson (1925–2016) was a Canadian-American theoretical physicist who taught at McGill University, the University of Illinois, and the University of California, Berkeley, and served as a faculty senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His research included muon-catalyzed fusion, weak interactions, high-energy particle physics, charmonium, and accelerator physics. He is best known for Classical Electrodynamics, a landmark graduate textbook, and also wrote works on elementary particles, quantum-mechanical mathematics, and the history of physics.
physicselectromagnetismparticle physicsquantum mechanicsscientific biography
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Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (1)
- The Physics of Elementary Particles
nonfiction · 1958
Nonfiction (1)
- Llewellyn Hilleth Thomas: A Biographical Memoir
biographical-memoir · 2009
Other (4)
- Mathematics for Quantum Mechanics
textbook · 1962
- Classical Electrodynamics
textbook · 1962
- The Nature of Intrinsic Magnetic Dipole Moments
report · 1977
- Conceptual Design of the Superconducting Super Collider
report · 1986
Frequently asked questions about J. David Jackson
Who was J.D. Jackson?
J.D. Jackson, formally John David Jackson, was a Canadian-American theoretical physicist and educator whose work spanned particle, nuclear, and atomic physics.
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Was J.D. Jackson Canadian or American?
Jackson was born in London, Ontario, Canada, and remained proudly Canadian; he became an American citizen in 1988.
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Where did J.D. Jackson teach and work?
He taught at McGill University and the University of Illinois before joining UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1967. At Berkeley, he later chaired the Physics Department and led the laboratory’s Physics Division.
Source: senate.universityofcalifornia.edu (opens in a new tab)
Who was J.D. Jackson’s doctoral adviser?
Jackson earned his 1949 physics Ph.D. at MIT under Victor Frederick Weisskopf.
Source: senate.universityofcalifornia.edu (opens in a new tab)
What honors did J.D. Jackson receive, and what is his legacy?
He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1990, received UC Berkeley’s Distinguished Teaching Award and Berkeley Citation, and is remembered especially for his influence on graduate physics education and his advocacy for human rights and academic freedom.
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