Cecilia Jarlskog

Cecilia Jarlskog (born in 1941) is a Swedish theoretical physicist, working mainly on elementary particle physics.

Jarlskog obtained her doctorate in 1970 in theoretical particle physics at the Technical University of Lund. She is known for her work on CP violation in the electroweak sector of the Standard Model, introducing what is known as the Jarlskog invariant, and for her work on grand unified theories (see Georgi–Jarlskog mass relation).

She is mainly known for her study and expertise in theoretical particle physics, her studies include research on the ways that sub-atomic and electronic constituents of matter cohere or lose their symmetry, matter and antimatter asymmetry, mathematical physics, neutrino physics, and grand unification.

The Jarlskog invariant or rephasing-invariant CP violation parameter, is an invariant quantity in particle physics, which is in the order of ±2.8 x 10. It is expressed as J=±Im(V_usV_cbV
_ubV
_cs) and is used in elementary particle physics or in quantifying CP violations. It is one of Jarlskog's foremost contributions to physics, the other being the many years that she was an active member of CERN.

She recalls her appreciation of CERN’s (European Organization for Nuclear Research) international atmosphere. Being a part of this community gave her great opportunities to meet and talk with inspiring physicists from across the world. She noted that she felt fortunate to have 'lived in a period when the amount of information revealed about the nature of the elementary constituents of matter and their interactions has been mind-boggling'.

At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers probe the fundamental structure of the universe. The world's largest and most complex scientific instruments are employed to study the basic constituents of matter – fundamental particles. The particles are caused to collide at close to the speed of light, which affords physicists clues about the interactions of particles, and insights into the fundamental laws of nature.

Jarlskog was a professor in Bergen, Norway in 1976 and a professor in Sweden in 1985. She is currently a professor of Lund University since 1994, her alma mater where she graduated with a PhD in theoretical particle physics.

Jarlskog worked as a member of CERN from 1970 to 1972. In addition she served on the CERN Scientific Policy committee from 1982 to 1988. In her remaining 6 years at CERN, she served as the Advisor to the Director General of CERN from 1998 to 2004. Jarlskog was recognized by the Swedish Academy of Science community and was appointed as one of the 5 members of the Swedish Nobel Prize Committee of Physics from 1989 to 2000.

Honorary Professor at three universities in China, received an honorary degree from the University College Dublin, was appointed Advisor to the Director General of CERN on Member States (1998–2004), served on the Nobel Committee for Physics (1989–2000), and was appointed as Advisor to the Director General of CERN on Member States (1998–2004). She was also Member of the Swedish Academy of Sciences (1984), Member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences (1987), Member of the Board of Trustees of the Nobel Foundation (1996) and Member of the Academia Europe (2005).

Cecilia Jarlskog wrote the book, Portrait of Gunnar Källén: A Physics Shooting Star and Poet of Early Quantum Field Theory, while a member of CERN. Here she relates the accomplishments of a comparatively unknown physicist in quantum physics. Jarlskog has written many articles in her lifetime, among them are "Invariations of Lepton Mass Matrices and CP and T violation in Neutrino Oscillations", "On the Wings of Physics" and "Ambiguities Pertaining to Quark-Lepton Complementarity."