Three elected fellows of physics society

hree University scientists have been elected to fellowship positions in the American Physical Society, an honor that goes to less than one-half of 1 percent of the membership of the organization.

John H. Thomas, Stephen Teitel, and Stephen Craxton were honored for their accomplishments in physics.

Thomas, professor of mechanical and aerospace sciences and of astronomy, was recognized for his work on solar magnetohydrodynamics, the study of the interaction between gas motions and magnetic fields in the sun.

Teitel, professor of physics, studies superconducting materials and networks. While holding potential as highly efficient electrical devices, ordinarily superconducting materials need to be kept hundreds of degrees below zero to work. New "high-temperature" superconductors that are the focus of Teitel's research are able to maintain their superconducting behavior at higher temperatures, offering the potential for much wider practical application.

Craxton, senior scientist at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, discovered how to efficiently triple the frequency of high-powered lasers, making them more useful for fusion research. Since 1980, when Craxton's designs were first demonstrated, all major glass laser-fusion facilities have adopted them, including Omega, the University's--and the world's biggest--fusion laser. One of Craxton's designs will be incorporated in the National Ignition Facility, which will be the world's largest laser when it is completed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California later this decade.

Maintained by University Public Relations
Please send your comments and suggestions to:
Public Relations.