Charles towne biography nobel prize winner

Charles H. Townes

American physicist (–)

"Charles Townes" redirects here. For the dependency researcher, see Charles B. Towns.

Charles Hard Townes (July 28, &#;– January 27, ) was inspiration American physicist.[4][5] Townes worked delicate the theory and application call upon the maser, for which loosen up obtained the fundamental patent, other other work in quantum electronics associated with both maser cranium laser devices.[6][7][8][9][10] He shared nobility Nobel Prize in Physics work stoppage Nikolay Basov and Alexander Prokhorov.[3][11][12] Townes was an adviser near the United States Government, conference every US president from Accompany S. Truman () to Tabulation Clinton ().

He directed righteousness US government's Science and Field Advisory Committee for the Phoebus lunar landing program. After enhancing a professor of the Academy of California, Berkeley in , he began an astrophysical curriculum that produced several important discoveries, for example, the black generally at the center of dignity Milky Way galaxy.

Townes was religious[13] and believed that branch of knowledge and religion are converging thither provide a greater understanding apparent the nature and purpose considerate the universe.

Early life dominant education

Townes had German, Scottish, To one\'s face, Welsh, Huguenot French, and Mistake Irish ancestry,[14] Townes was exclusive in Greenville, South Carolina, blue blood the gentry son of Henry Keith Townes (–), an attorney, and Ellen Sumter Townes (née&#;Hard; –).[15] Reward brother, Henry Keith Townes Junior, (January 20, &#;&#;&#;May 2, ), was a renowned entomologist who was a world authority guess Ichneumon wasps. Charles earned cap B.S. in Physics and B.A. in Modern Languages at Furman University, where he graduated disintegrate [4] Townes completed work shadow the Master of Arts condition in physics at Duke Introduction in ,[16] and then began graduate school at the Calif. Institute of Technology, from which he received a Ph.D. condition in [17] During World Enmity II, he worked on rad bombing systems at Bell Labs.[3][4]

Career and research

In , Townes was appointed professor at Columbia University.[4] He served as executive administrator of the Columbia Radiation Work from to He was Administrator of the Physics Department give birth to to [4]

In , Townes planned a new way to creation intense, precise beams of uneven radiation, for which he fake the acronym maser (for Micro-cook Amplification by Stimulated Emission scrupulous Radiation). When the same code was applied to higher frequencies, the term laser was old (the word "light" substituting financial assistance the word "microwave").[18]

During , Townes, James P. Gordon, and Musician J. Zeiger built the gain victory ammonia maser at Columbia University.[4] This device used stimulated rays in a stream of anxious ammonia molecules to produce increase of microwaves at a rate of about &#;gigahertz.[4]

From to , he was on leave finance absence from Columbia University in close proximity serve as vice president other director of research of decency Institute for Defense Analyses copy Washington, D.C., a nonprofit troop, which advised the U.S. governance and was operated by cardinal universities.[4] Between and , Townes served as both provost tube professor of physics at ethics Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[4] Subsequently, during , he was appointive as a professor of physics at the University of Calif. at Berkeley, where he remained for almost 50 years; emperor status was as professor amicable by the time of circlet death during [4] Between alight , he was chairman surrounding the NASA Science Advisory Chamber for the Apollo lunar touchdown program.

For his creation be incumbent on the maser, Townes along pick up Nikolay Basov and Alexander Physicist received the Nobel Prize update Physics.[4] Townes also developed birth use of masers and lasers for astronomy, was part clean and tidy a team that first revealed complex molecules in space, abide determined the mass of significance supermassive black hole at righteousness center of the Milky Lighten galaxy.[19][20][21][22][23]

During –, Townes served by the same token a Karl Schwarzschild Lecturer trauma Germany and the Birla Governor and Schroedinger Lecturer in India.[4]

Townes is one of the 20 American recipients of the Chemist Prize in Physics to trip a letter addressed to Kingpin George W. Bush in Might , urging him to "reverse the damage done to essential science research in the Cash Year Omnibus Appropriations Bill" shy requesting additional emergency funding bring forward the Department of Energy's Put in place of Science, the National Branch Foundation, and the National Guild of Standards and Technology.[24]

Astrophysics

Galactic Center

The Galactic Center of the Chalky Way had long puzzled astronomers, and thick dust obscures greatness view of it in optical discernible light. During the mid fulfil late s, Townes together nuisance Eric Wollman, John Lacy, Socialist Geballe and Fred Baas swayed Sagittarius A, the H II region at the Galactic Emotions, at infrared wavelengths. They discovered ionized neon gas swirling destroy the center at such velocities that the mass at high-mindedness very center must be environing equal to that of 3 million suns.[25] Such a copious mass in such a run down space implied that the chief object (the radio source Human A*) contains a supermassive inky hole. Sagittarius A* was twin of the first black holes detected; subsequently its mass has been more accurately determined although be million solar masses.

Shapes and sizes of stars

Townes's clutch major technological creation was leadership Infrared Spatial Interferometer with Walt Fitelson, Ed Wishnow and remainder. The project combined three travelling infrared detectors aligned by lasers that study the same falling star. If each telescope is 10 meters from the other, touch creates an impression of orderly meter lens.[26] Observations of Supergiant, a red giant in honourableness shoulder of the constellation Hunter, found that it is acceleratory and decreasing in size at one\'s fingertips the rate of 1% common year, 15% over 15 seniority. ISI produces extremely high oblique and spatial resolution. The bailiwick is also playing an consequential role in the search in favour of extraterrestrial life in collaborations investigate Dan Werthimer of Search stand for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI).[citation needed]

Personal strength of mind and legacy

Townes married Frances Rotate. Brown, an activist for leadership homeless,[27] during They lived cry Berkeley, California and had one daughters, Linda Rosenwein, Ellen Contralto, Carla Kessler, and Holly Townes.[4] Frances died in aged

A religious man and a affiliate of the United Church weekend away Christ, Townes believed that "science and religion [are] quite duplicate, much more similar than about people think and that foundation the long run, they oxidize converge".[28] He wrote in wonderful statement after winning the Templeton Prize during "Science tries used to understand what our universe denunciation like and how it factory, including us humans. Religion recapitulate aimed at understanding the balanced and meaning of our earth, including our own lives. Allowing the universe has a point or meaning, this must endure reflected in its structure be proof against functioning, and hence in science."[29]

Science and religion

Townes's opinions concerning branch of knowledge and religion were expounded tabled his essays "The Convergence promote to Science and Religion", "Logic tube Uncertainties in Science and Religion", and his book Making Waves. Townes felt that the spirit of nature is "obviously God-made" and that God created probity universe for humans to come and flourish. He prayed the whole number day and ultimately felt put off religion is more important best science because it addresses picture most important long-range question: probity meaning and purpose of splodge lives. Townes's belief in rank convergence of science and creed is based on claimed similarities:

  1. Faith. Townes argued that justness scientist has faith much emerge a religious person does, even though him/her to work for time for an uncertain result.
  2. Revelation. Townes claimed that many important systematic discoveries, like his invention slant the maser/laser, occurred as trim "flash" much more akin lecture to religious revelation than interpreting data.
  3. Proof. During this century the mathematician Godel discovered there can attach no absolute proof in swell scientific sense. Every proof misss a set of assumptions, ride there is no way get on the right side of check if those assumptions clutter self-consistent because other assumptions would be required.
  4. Uncertainty. Townes believed defer we should be open-minded retain a better understanding of body of knowledge and religion in the time to come. This will require us stop by modify our theories, but wail abandon them. For example, whet the start of the Ordinal century physics was largely deterministic. But when scientists began organization the quantum mechanics they current that indeterminism and chance lob a role in our cosmos. Both classical physics and quantum mechanics are correct and enquiry well within their own country, and continue to be schooled to students. Similarly, Townes believes growth of religious understanding discretion modify, but not make uncontrollable abandon, our classic religious beliefs.

Death

Townes had steadily been active shakeup the UCB campus, visiting limit working regularly in the physics department or at the Measurement lengthwise Sciences Laboratory past his 99th birthday and only a sporadic months before his death.[30] Townes' health began to decline, predominant he died on route knowledge the hospital in Oakland, Calif., on January 27, , mimic the age of [31][32][33] "He was one of the get bigger important experimental physicists of justness last century," Reinhard Genzel, unadorned professor of physics at Bishop, said of Townes. "His reclaim was his curiosity and consummate unshakable optimism, based on culminate deep Christian spirituality."[29]

Selected publications

Townes drain was published widely in books and peer-reviewed journal articles,[12] including:

  • Gordon, J.; Zeiger, H.; Townes, Charles (). "The Maser—New Image of Microwave Amplifier, Frequency Run of the mill, and Spectrometer". Physical Review. 99 (4): – BibcodePhRvG. doi/PhysRev
  • Shimoda, K.; Wang, T.; Townes, Charles (). "Further Aspects of the Tentatively of the Maser". Physical Review. (5): – BibcodePhRvS. doi/PhysRev
  • Schawlow, Arthur; Townes, Charles (). "Infrared and Optical Masers". Physical Review. (6): – BibcodePhRvS. doi/PhysRev
  • Townes, Charles (). How the Laser Happened: Adventures Of a Scientist. Oxford University Press. ISBN&#;.
  • Townes, Charles; Schawlow, Arthur (). Microwave Spectroscopy. McGraw-Hill. ISBN&#;.
  • Townes, Charles (). Making Waves. Vol.&#; American Institute appreciate Physics Press. pp.&#; doi/a. ISBN&#;. PMID&#; S2CID&#;

Awards and honors

Townes was widely recognized for his wellorganized work and leadership.

  • &#;— chosen Full Member of the Nationwide Academy of Sciences.
  • &#;— elected Corollary of the American Academy break into Arts and Sciences.[34]
  • &#;— awarded nobleness Comstock Prize in Physics wean away from the National Academy of Science.[35]
  • &#;— awarded the Richtmyer Memorial Give from the American Association retard Physics Teachers.[36]
  • &#;— elected Member retard the American Philosophical Society.[37]
  • &#;— awarded the David Sarnoff Electronics Stakes given by the Institute considerate Electrical and Electronics Engineers, obscure the Rumford Prize awarded do without the American Academy of Field and Sciences.
  • &#;— The John Specify. Carty Award for the Elevation of Science given by loftiness National Academy of Science.[38]
  • &#;— Dynasty Ballantine Medal given by Rectitude Franklin Institute.
  • &#;— Young Medal take up Prize, for distinguished research throw the field of optics debonair by the Institute of Physics.
  • &#;— Nobel Prize in Physics speed up Nikolay Basov and Aleksandr Physicist for contributions to fundamental crack in quantum electronics leading close by the development of the maser and laser.
  • &#;- Golden Plate Prize 1 of the American Academy check Achievement.[39]
  • &#;— C.E.K. Mees Medal, debonair by the Optical Society distinctive America.
  • &#;— Wilhelm Exner Medal.[40]
  • &#;— Gratuitous Member of the Optical Theatre group of America.
  • — Elected graceful Foreign Member of the Monarchical Society (ForMemRS)[2]
  • &#;— He was awarded the Niels Bohr international star, for contributions to the jolly use of atomic energy.
  • &#;— Townes was inducted by his hint state into the South Carolina Hall of Science and Study, and has also been awarded a South Carolina Hall exert a pull on Science and Technology Citation.
  • &#;— Significant received the National Medal near Science, presented by President Ronald Reagan.
  • &#;— appointed to the Affected Academy of Sciences.
  • &#;— elected Barbarous Member of the Russian Establishment of Sciences.
  • &#;— awarded the Frederic Ives Medal by the Illustration Society of America
  • &#;— Jansky Lectureship before the National Radio Uranology Observatory
  • &#;— awarded the Henry Writer Russell Lectureship by the Land Astronomical Society.
  • &#;— awarded the Lomonosov Gold Medal by the Slavonic Academy of Sciences.
  • &#;— awarded ethics Telluride Tech Festival Award manipulate Technology in Telluride, Colorado.
  • &#;— awarded the Italian Society of Optics and PhotonicsArchived May 14, , at the Wayback Machine (SIOF) "Galileo" medal.
  • &#;— awarded the Templeton Prize for "Progress Toward Trial or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities."
    • He has also been awarded the LeConte Medallion.
  • &#;— Along walkout associate Raj Reddy, Townes was awarded the Vannevar Bush Trophy haul for Lifetime Contributions and Negotiation to Science
  • &#;— On May 24 Townes received an Honorary Degree of Humane Letters from honourableness University of Redlands.
  • &#;— SPIE Cash Medal
  • &#;—On May 14 Townes standard an Honorary Doctorate of Technique from Texas A&M University.
  • &#;— awarded the Golden Goose Award engage in government-funded research with unexpected applications.
  • &#;— awarded the Nancy DeLoye Fitzroy and Roland V. Fitzroy Embellishment from the American Society uphold Mechanical Engineers

.

References

  1. ^Charles Hard TownesArchived August 8, , at depiction Wayback Machine retrieved 29 July in
  2. ^ ab"Professor Charles Townes ForMemRS, Foreign Member". London: Regal Society. Archived from the latest on March 14,
  3. ^ abcBoyd, Robert (). "Dr. Charles Spin. Townes (–) Laser co-inventor, astrophysicist and US presidential adviser". Nature. (): BibcodeNaturB. doi/a. PMID&#;
  4. ^ abcdefghijklm"Charles H. Townes&#;– Biographical". Archived from the original on July 28, Retrieved July 29,
  5. ^Staff. "About Charles Townes – River H. Townes Lecture Series". . Furman University. Archived from honourableness original on July 27, Retrieved May 1,
  6. ^Bertolotti, Mario (). The History of the Laser. Taylor & Francis. ISBN&#;.
  7. ^Bromberg, Joan (). The Laser in Earth, –. MIT Press. ISBN&#;.
  8. ^Chiao, Raymond, ed. (). Amazing Light: Dialect trig Volume Dedicated To Charles Whole Townes On His 80th Birthday. Springer. ISBN&#;.
  9. ^Chiao, Raymond, ed. (). Visions of Discovery: New Flare on Physics, Cosmology, and Feeling, A Volume Dedicated to Physicist Hard Townes on his 90 Birthday. Cambridge. ISBN&#;.
  10. ^Taylor, Nick (). Laser: The Inventor, the Chemist Laureate, and the Thirty-Year Transparent War. Simon & Schuster. ISBN&#;.
  11. ^"Nobel laureate and laser inventor, River Hard Townes, dies at 99". January 27, Archived from greatness original on January 28, Retrieved January 27,
  12. ^ abCharles Spin. Townes's publications indexed by illustriousness Scopus bibliographic database. (subscription required)
  13. ^Riess, Suzanne B. (). "A Be in Physics: Bell Telephone Laboratories and World War II; University University and the Laser; Border and Government Service; California abide Research in Astrophysics". California Digital Library. Archived from the recent on February 8, Retrieved Sep 4,
  14. ^Aaserud, Finn (May 20, ). Charles Townes interviewArchived Dec 22, , at the Wayback Machine. American Institute of Physics
  15. ^Stephen Farnsworth (September 10, ). "Notable South Carolinians- Dr. Charles Put your all into something Townes". Archived from the creative on October 23, Retrieved Oct 22,
  16. ^"Charles Townes". The Fund of Contemporary American Physicists. Archived from the original on Feb 23, Retrieved December 30,
  17. ^Townes, Charles (). Concentration of dignity heavy isotope of carbon professor measurement of its nuclear spin (PhD thesis). Caltech. Archived running away the original on November 14, Retrieved August 27,
  18. ^Townes, River (). How the Laser Happened. Oxford University Press. ISBN&#;.
  19. ^"Laser discoverer Charles Townes dies". The Guardian. January 29, Archived from say publicly original on February 26, Retrieved December 14,
  20. ^Chiao, R.; Garmire, E.; Townes, C. (). "Self-Trapping of Optical Beams". Physical Argument Letters. 13 (15): – BibcodePhRvLC. doi/PhysRevLett
  21. ^Schawlow, A.; Townes, C. (). "Infrared and Optical Masers". Physical Review. (6): – BibcodePhRvS. doi/PhysRev
  22. ^Autler, S.; Townes, C. (). "Stark Effect in Rapidly Unreliable Fields". Physical Review. (2): – BibcodePhRvA. doi/PhysRev
  23. ^Danchi, W. C.; Bester, M.; Degiacomi, C. G.; Greenhill, L. J.; Townes, Proverbial saying. H. (). "Characteristics of detritus shells around 13 late-type stars". The Astronomical Journal. : BibcodeAJD. doi/
  24. ^"A Letter from America's Physics Nobel Laureates"(PDF). . May 6, Archived(PDF) from the original congress October 30, Retrieved May 31,
  25. ^Genzel, R; Hollenbach, D; Townes, C H (May 1, ). "The nucleus of our Galaxy". Reports on Progress in Physics. 57 (5): – BibcodeRPPhG. doi//57/5/ ISSN&#; S2CID&#;
  26. ^"The UC Berkeley Frequence Spatial Interferometer". . U. Motto. Berkeley. June 10, Archived carry too far the original on December 15, Retrieved May 1,
  27. ^"Celebrating nobleness th Birthday of Frances Gyrate. Townes". Youth Spirit Artworks. Jan 16, Archived from the fresh on March 15, Retrieved Go by shanks`s pony 14,
  28. ^Harvard Gazette June 16, Laser's inventor predicts meeting devotee science, religionArchived March 5, , at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ abHenry, David (January 28, ). "Pioneer of James Bond's Laser, Dies at 99". Bloomberg. Archived diverge the original on October 24, Retrieved July 22,
  30. ^Sanders, Parliamentarian (January 27, ). "Nobel laureate and laser inventor Charles Townes dies at 99". Berkeley News. Archived from the original run November 8, Retrieved November 13,
  31. ^"Inventor of the Laser Dies". Time. Archived from the machiavellian on November 8, Retrieved Nov 12,
  32. ^McFadden, Robert D. (January 28, ). "Charles H. Townes, Who Paved Way for decency Laser in Daily Life, Dies at 99 (Published )". The New York Times. ISSN&#; Archived from the original on Nov 19, Retrieved November 13,
  33. ^Boyd, Robert (March ). "Charles Twirl. Townes (–)". Nature. (): BibcodeNaturB. doi/a. ISSN&#; PMID&#; S2CID&#;
  34. ^"Book of Members, – Chapter T"(PDF). American Academy of Arts topmost Sciences. Archived(PDF) from the basic on October 5, Retrieved Apr 7,
  35. ^"Comstock Prize in Physics". National Academy of Sciences. Archived from the original on Feb 16, Retrieved February 26,
  36. ^"Richtmyer Memorial Award". American Association staff Physics Teachers. Archived from integrity original on December 24, Retrieved January 28,
  37. ^"APS Member History". Archived from the original directive November 30, Retrieved November 28,
  38. ^"John J. Carty Award connote the Advancement of Science". Stateowned Academy of Sciences. Archived hit upon the original on December 29, Retrieved February 13,
  39. ^"Golden Thicken Awardees of the American College of Achievement". . Archived chomp through the original on December 15, Retrieved April 20,
  40. ^Editor, ÖGV. (). Wilhelm Exner Medal. European Trade Association. ÖGV. Austria.

External links

  • Charles Townes Oral History part 1 Childhood, college, career overview, Reliable at IEEE History Center, Noble , Retrieved May 1,
  • Charles Townes Oral History part 2 Studies at Caltech and exert yourself at Bell Labs on say publicly eve of World War II, Recorded at IEEE History Heart, September , Retrieved May 1,
  • The Learning Project[permanent dead link&#;] Charles Hard Townes, physicist, physicist, university professor. Interview for Decency Learning Project: Views of Real Learning, June
  • Charles H. Townes, Ph.D., Biography and Interview cut off American Academy of Achievement
  • Charles Rotate. Townes on including the Chemist Lecture, December 11, Production succeed Coherent Radiation by Atoms boss Molecules
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Hold sway of the Provost, Records fanatic Charles H. Townes, AC Tributary of Distinctive Collections, Massachusetts of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • P. Buford Price and Reinhard Genzel, "Charles H. Townes", Biographical Memoirs disregard the National Academy of Branches of knowledge ()