Carl H. Brans *61

Carl died in New Orleans, Feb. 26, 2026.

Born in Dallas Dec. 13, 1935, Carl earned his undergraduate degree from Loyola University, New Orleans in 1957 and his Ph.D. in physics from Princeton in 1961. Under the guidance of Charles Misner and Robert H. Dicke, Carl’s dissertation was “Mach’s principle and a varying gravitational constant.” His doctoral work led to the Brans–Dicke scalar-tensor theory of gravity, an extension of Einstein’s general relativity that influences theoretical physics and cosmology.

Returning to Loyola in 1960, Carl became the J.C. Carter Professor of Theoretical Physics and remained there. Visiting positions included Princeton, the Institute for Advanced Study, and the University of Cologne.

Carl developed a complete invariant classification of four-dimensional Ricci flat geometries, a type of post-Petrov approach, developing early computer programs for symbolic manipulations. He summarized this work in terms of the complexification of the two-form fiber over space-time. He also considered certain developments in differential topology concerning the existence of exotic (nonstandard) global differential structures and their possible applications to physics.

Carl and Torsten Asselmeyer-Maluga proposed that exotic smoothness structures can resolve some of the problems in cosmology like dark matter or dark energy. Together they published a book, Exotic Smoothness and Physics.

Predeceased by his wife, Anna, and daughter, Mary Elizabeth, Carl is survived by children Thomas, Henry, Patrick, and John; nine grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.

Graduate memorials are prepared by the APGA.