Peter A. Sturrock
From The Black Vault Encyclopedia Project
Peter Andrew Sturrock (born 1924) is a British scientist. Much of his career has been devoted to astrophysics, plasma physics, and solar physics, but Sturrock is interested in other fields, including ufology, scientific inference and the history of science and philosophy of science. Sturrock has been awarded many prizes and honors, and has written or co-authored many scientific articles and textbooks.
Sturrock began his education studying mathematics at Cambridge University in 1942. During and after World War 2, he postponed his Cambridge studies in order to help develop radar systems at the Telecommunications Research Establishment, now the Royal Radar Establishment.
After the war he resumed his education, and was awarded a scholarship at St John's College in 1947, followed by the University Rayleigh Prize for mathematics in 1949. Sturrock was elected to a fellowship at St John's in 1952. He then persued work on electron physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, followed by stints at Cambridge, the National Bureau of Standards, and the Ecole Normale Superieure at the University of Paris
In 1951, Sturrock earned a Ph.D. in astrophysics. In the 1950's he researched nuclear physics at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment; plasma physics at St. Johns' College, Cambridge; microwave tubes at Stanford University; accelerator physics at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN). Also in the 1950's, Sturrock invented a number of implements, including a novel microwave tube later dubbed the "free-electron laser."
In 1961, Sturrock was appointed a professor of applied physics at Stanford University, where he remained until 1998; he is currently an emeritus professor of physics and applied physics at Stanford. From 1992 to 1998, Sturrock was director of the Center for Space Science and Astrophysics, and from 1981 to 2001 was President of the Society for Scientific Exploration. Sturrock has also served as Chairman of the Plasma Physics Division and the Solar Physics Division of the American Astronomical Society.
Copyright
"Original data received from Wikipedia on April 21, 2006. Credit given to original authors can be seen Here."
