John L. Safko

Distinguished Professor Emeritu

Room Z130
Physics and Astronomy
University of South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina 29208
(803) 777-6466
e-mail

Research Interests

General Relativity. Exact solutions with physical interpretations, application of optimal control theory to gravitational problems, application of the already unified field theory of Rainich, Misner and Wheeler as an analytical tool, analytic calculations using the computer, observational radio astronomy.

Selected Publications

• "Dynamics of a Constructivist Astronomy Course for In-service Teachers," (with Timothy F. Slater and John R. Carpenter) Journal of Geoscience Education44, 523 (1996)
• "Long-Term Attitude Sustainability from a Constructivist-Based Astronomy-for-Teachers Course" (with Timothy F. Slater and John R. Carpenter) Journal of Geoscience Education47, 366 (1999)
• "On the Quantum Transition from Flat to Curved Space-Time" (with P.J. Camp) International Journal of Theoretical Phyiscs, 39, #6(June 2000), 1643-1668.
• "Hydrostatic Equilibrium of Stellar Models Using Optimal Control" (with S. Haggag), accepted by Astronomy & Space Sciences, 2002
• Classical Mechanics (with H. Goldstein and C. P. Poole), Addison-Wesley, 2002