He received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Columbia University in 1983, for work on symmetry breaking in models with composite quarks and leptons. As a post-doc at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), he studied magnetic monopoles. In 1985, he joined the Physics Directorate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, to work on the computational modeling of many-body atomic systems in high-temperature plasmas. He was named group leader for computational physics in the lab's nuclear test program in 1989, deputy division leader for high-temperature atomic physics in the Physics and Space Technology Directorate in 1994, and program leader for physical data research in the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program in 1997. In 1999 he became acting associate director for Physics, and was named associate director for Physics and Advanced Technology in 2001.

At Livermore, Goldstein's main research interests have been in computational modeling of highly charged ions, atomic spectroscopy, and radiative processes in plasmas. He helped author and was the first to apply a set of atomic modeling codes that have been used to significantly advance understanding of high energy density plasma properties through spectral modeling. The codes qualitatively improved modeling of atomic processes in plasmas, and have had impact in high energy density applications including x-ray lasers, high-energy astrophysics, and fusion energy research. Subsequently, Goldstein co-authored the concept of atomic "super transition arrays (STA)," that has been a major advance in the simulation of heavy element opacity and plasma kinetics. He helped develop the first spectroscopic diagnostics for astrophysical photo-ionized plasmas, designed some of the earliest laboratory astrophysics experiments using high-power lasers, and pioneered the use of detailed atomic models for predicting energy balance in Tokamaks.

Goldstein led the application of atomic modeling and the STA method to problems in the Department of Energy's nuclear-pumped x-ray laser, weapons physics, and Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) programs that resolved a series of scientific problems. Some of this work was recognized by a DOE Weapons Recognition of Excellence Award in 1994.

Goldstein has been a leader in the establishment and management of the Department of Energy's stockpile stewardship program. Based on his experience using lasers in weapons physics research, he laid out the first systematic program of high energy density science for the National Ignition Facility. Goldstein formulated and initially led from 1997 to 2001 the Physical Data Research Program, with responsibility for providing experimentally validated equations-of-state, material properties, opacities, and nuclear cross section and transport data to the stockpile stewardship program. This program has played a critical role in resolving questions about plutonium aging, nuclear test yield diagnostics, and the sensitivity of weapon performance to underlying physics uncertainties.

Goldstein was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2009. He can be reached at Goldstein3@llnl.gov