MIT Kavli Institute Directory

Saul A. Rappaport

Professor of Physics, Emeritus Faculty

Professor Rappaport joined the MIT Department of Physics as an Assistant Professor in 1969 and became a full Professor in 1981. From 1993-95, he was Head of the Astrophysics Division.
He received his A.B. from Temple University (1963) and his Ph.D. from MIT in 1968.

Representative publications:

"A New Technique for Calculations of Binary Stellar Evolution, with Application to Magnetic Braking," RAPPAPORT S, VERBUNT F, JOSS PC, ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 275 (2): 713-731 1983. "On the Evolutionary Status of Bright, Low-Mass X-ray Sources," WEBBINK RF, RAPPAPORT S, SAVONIJE GJ, ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 270 (2): 678-693 1983. "The Evolution of Highly Compact Binary Stellar-Systems," RAPPAPORT S, JOSS PC, WEBBINK RF, ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 254 (2): 616-640 1982. "Accreting White-Dwarf Models for CAL-83, CAL-87 and Other Ultrasoft X-ray Sources in the LMC," VANDENHEUVEL EPJ, BHATTACHARYA D, NOMOTO K, RAPPAPORT SA, ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS 262 (1): 97-105 AUG 1992. "Formation and Evolution of Luminous Supersoft X-ray Sources," RAPPAPORT S, DISTEFANO R, SMITH JD, ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 426 (2): 692-703 Part 1 MAY 10 1994. "The Rings Around the Egg Nebula," Harpaz A, Rappaport S, Soker N, ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 487 (2): 809-817 Part 1 OCT 1 1997. "Collisions of Free-floating Planets with Evolved Stars in Globular Clusters," Soker N, Rappaport S, Fregeau J, ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL 563 (1): L87-L90 Part 2 DEC 10 2001.