{{Short description|Israeli physicist and chemical engineer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} '''Jacob Nissim Israelachvili''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|FRS}} ({{Langx|he|יעקב ניסים ישראלכבילי}}; 19 August 1944 – 20 September 2018) was an Israeli [[physicist]] who was a professor at the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]] (UCSB).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004659b.htm|title= Israelachvili, Jacob Nissim (1944 - ) | publisher= Enclopaedia of Australian Science|access-date = 18 September 2015}}</ref> He made contributions in understanding the behavior of matter at small length scales.
== Personal life == He was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and sent to an English boarding school at the age of 7. After completing his secondary education he returned to Israel to carry out his military service before moving back to England to study the [[Natural Sciences (Cambridge)|Natural Sciences Tripos]] at the [[University of Cambridge]]. He received his [[Ph.D.]] in [[Physics]] from [[Christ's College, Cambridge]] in 1972 under the supervision of [[David Tabor (physicist)|David Tabor]]. He then became a Research Fellow at the Biophysics Institute, [[Stockholm University]] and at the [[Karolinska Institute]], Sweden until 1974.
He moved to Australia to take a post as fellow in the Research School of Physical Science and the Research School of Biological Sciences at the Institute of Advanced Studies, [[Australian National University]] in Canberra from 1974 to 1977. He was then appointed senior fellow in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Department of Neurobiology at the Institute of Advanced Studies, [[Australian National University]] in Canberra.
He relocated to California to join [[University of California, Santa Barbara|UCSB]] in 1986, where he worked till his death on 20 September 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-09-26|title=A Legacy of Discovery: Remembering Professor Emeritus Jacob Israelachvili|url=https://engineering.ucsb.edu/news/legacy-discovery-remembering-professor-emeritus-jacob-israelachvili|access-date=2021-02-11|website=UCSB College of Engineering|language=en}}</ref>
==Research== His research has involved study of molecular and interfacial forces. His work is applicable to a wide range of industrial and fundamental science problems. In particular, he has contributed significantly to the understanding of [[colloid|colloidal dispersions]], biological systems, and [[polymer]] [[engineering]] applications. He has studied interfacial phenomena, the physics of thin films, and fundamental questions in [[rheology]] and [[tribology]] of surfaces.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Zagorski | first1 = N. | title = Profile of Jacob N. Israelachvili | doi = 10.1073/pnas.0607766103 | journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | volume = 103 | issue = 43 | pages = 15736–15738 | year = 2006 | pmid = 17043213 | pmc =1636843 | bibcode = 2006PNAS..10315736Z | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Israelachvili, Jacob N. |title=Intermolecular and surface forces |publisher=Academic Press |location=Boston |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-12-375181-2 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mrl.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/jacob-israelachvili |title=Professor Jacob Israelachvili at UCSB |access-date=2014-01-03 }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Israelachvili has developed numerous techniques for the static and dynamic measurement of material and molecular properties of vapors, liquids, and surfaces. In particular, he pioneered a sensitive interfacial force-sensing technique known as the [[surface forces apparatus]] (SFA). This instrument involves carefully approaching two surfaces (usually immersed in a [[solvent]], such as [[water]]), and measuring the force of attraction and repulsion between them. Using [[piezoelectric]] positional movement and optical [[interferometry]] for position sensing, this instrument can resolve distances to within 0.1 [[nanometer]], and [[forces]] at the 10<sup>−8</sup> [[Newton (unit)|N]] level. This technique is similar to measuring the force of interaction between an [[atomic force microscope]] (AFM) and a sample surface, except that the specialized SFA can measure much longer-range forces and is intended for surface-surface interaction measurements (as opposed to tip-surface or molecule-surface measurements). The results of SFA experiments can be used to characterize the nature of intermolecular potentials and other molecular properties.
Israelachvili is also well known as the author of the textbook "Intermolecular and Surface Forces," published by [[Academic Press]]. This authoritative book describes the fundamental concepts and equations applicable to all intermolecular and interfacial science disciplines.
Israelachvili was also founder of SurForce, LLC. The company specializes in researching surface force interactions and producing SFA systems.[https://www.surforcellc.com/about-us/]
==Appointments, honors and awards== * Tribology Gold Medal, [[Institution of Mechanical Engineers]] (2013)<ref>{{Cite web|title=IMechE Tribology Gold Medal Laureates {{!}} Institution of Mechanical Engineers|url=https://www.imeche.org/careers-education/scholarships-and-awards/DGs/tribology/tribology-gold-medal/gold-medal-laureates|access-date=2020-12-22|website=www.imeche.org}}</ref> *ACS National Award in Colloid and Surface Chemistry (2009) * Named by the [[American Institute of Chemical Engineers|AICHE]] as one of the “One Hundred Chemical Engineers of the Modern Era (2008) * Honorary Degree of Doctor of Engineering – University of South Florida (2007) * Honorary Degree of Doctor sc. h.c. - [[ETH Zurich]] (2006) * Schlumberger Visiting Professor – [[University of Oxford]], UK (2005) * MRS Medal, awarded for recent work on adhesion and friction (2004) * Elected to the US [[National Academy of Sciences]] in the area of Engineering Science (2004)<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Zagorski|first=N.|date=2006-10-16|title=Profile of Jacob N. Israelachvili|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|language=en|volume=103|issue=43|pages=15736–15738|doi=10.1073/pnas.0607766103|pmid=17043213|pmc=1636843|bibcode=2006PNAS..10315736Z|issn=0027-8424|doi-access=free}}</ref> * Elected [[Fellow of the American Physical Society]] in the area of Biological Physics (2004) * Adhesion Society Award for “excellence in adhesion science (2003) * [[Fellow of the Royal Society]] (1988) * [[Matthew Flinders Medal and Lecture]] (1986) * [[David Syme Research Prize]] (1983) * Elected a [[list of Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science|fellow of the Australian Academy of Science]] (1982) * [[Pawsey Medal]] (1977)
==References== {{reflist}} *{{cite web|url=http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P004659b.htm| title= Israelachvili, Jacob Nissim (1944 - ) |publisher= Encyclopaedia of Australian Science| access-date= 1 September 2015}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Israelachvili, Jacob Nissim}} [[Category:Israeli people of Georgian descent]] [[Category:1944 births]] [[Category:2018 deaths]] [[Category:Scientists from Tel Aviv]] [[Category:Alumni of Christ's College, Cambridge]] [[Category:Israeli physicists]] [[Category:Israeli chemical engineers]] [[Category:Rheologists]] [[Category:Intermolecular forces]] [[Category:University of California, Santa Barbara faculty]] [[Category:Israeli fellows of the Royal Society]] [[Category:Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science]] [[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences]] [[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering]] [[Category:Fellows of the American Physical Society]] [[Category:Tribologists]]