Thomas W. L. Sanford
{{short description|American physicist}}
{{Infobox scientist
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| name = Thomas W. L. Sanford
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| nationality = American
| fields = Plasma physics
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| education = University of Washington (B.S.)
Columbia University (M.A., Ph.D.)
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| thesis_year = 1973
| doctoral_advisor = Leon M. Lederman
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| known_for = Z-pinch multi-wire array
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| awards = {{plainlist|
- Hannes Alfvén Prize (2005)
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Thomas W. L. "Tom" Sanford (born around 1945) is an American plasma physicist who developed a multi-wire array for use in a pulsed Z-pinch plasma system which resulted in a breakthrough for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research.{{Cite journal|last1=Sanford|first1=T. W. L.|last2=Olson|first2=R. E.|last3=Bowers|first3=R. L.|last4=Chandler|first4=G. A.|last5=Derzon|first5=M. S.|last6=Hebron|first6=D. E.|last7=Leeper|first7=R. J.|last8=Mock|first8=R. C.|last9=Nash|first9=T. J.|last10=Peterson|first10=D. L.|last11=Ruggles|first11=L. E.|date=1999|title=Z -Pinch-Generated X Rays Demonstrate Potential for Indirect-Drive ICF Experiments|journal=Physical Review Letters|language=en|volume=83|issue=26|pages=5511–5514|doi=10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.5511|bibcode=1999PhRvL..83.5511S|issn=0031-9007}} In 2005, he was awarded the Hannes Alfvén Prize with Malcolm Haines and Valentin Smirnov for his contributions to the field.{{Cite journal|last=Lister|first=Jo|date=2005|title=Award of the 2005 Hannes Alfvén Prize of the European Physical Society to Malcolm Haines, Tom Sanford and Valentin Smirnov|journal=Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion|language=en|volume=47|issue=12B|doi=10.1088/0741-3335/47/12b/e02|s2cid=250850964 |issn=0741-3335}}
Life and career
Sanford studied mathematics and physics at the University of Washington and obtained a bachelor's degree magna cum laude in 1965. He then went on to Columbia University, where he completed his master's degree in physics in 1967 and received his doctorate from Leon M. Lederman in 1973.{{Cite journal|last1=Sanford|first1=T.|last2=Childress|first2=S.|last3=Dugan|first3=G.|last4=Lederman|first4=L. M.|last5=Price|first5=L. E.|date=1973|title=Elastic Muon-Carbon Scattering in a Low-Momentum-Transfer Region|journal=Physical Review C|volume=8|issue=3|pages=896–908|doi=10.1103/PhysRevC.8.896|bibcode=1973PhRvC...8..896S}} Upon his graduation, he worked at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (with T. G. Walker), at CERN and at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (with Samuel C. C. Ting).{{Cite web|title=Thomas W. L. Sanford|url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37320003300|access-date=2020-06-14|website=IEEE}} In 1982, he was a member of Sandia National Laboratories and was involved in the development of the HERMES III (High Energy Radiation Megavolt Electron Source) electron accelerator, which was used to generate X-rays and gamma rays to simulate the effects of nuclear explosions.{{Cite web|title=Sandia National Laboratories: Saturn and HERMES III Accelerators|url=https://www.sandia.gov/Pulsed-Power/research_facilities/Saturn_and_HERMES.html|access-date=2020-06-14|website=www.sandia.gov}} In 1991, he became a Distinguished Member of the laboratory.
Scientific contributions
Sanford further developed the Z-pinch with wire arrangements, which had previously been successfully tested in Russia by Valentin Smirnov, via the Saturn experiment to the Z-machine.{{Cite journal|last1=Hammer|first1=James H.|last2=Eddleman|first2=James L.|last3=Springer|first3=Paul T.|last4=Tabak|first4=Max|last5=Toor|first5=Arthur|last6=Wong|first6=Keith L.|last7=Zimmerman|first7=George B.|last8=Deeney|first8=Chris|last9=Humphreys|first9=Russ|last10=Nash|first10=Thomas J.|last11=Sanford|first11=Thomas W. L.|date=1996|title=Two-dimensional radiation-magnetohydrodynamic simulations of SATURN imploding Z pinches|journal=Physics of Plasmas|language=en|volume=3|issue=5|pages=2063–2069|doi=10.1063/1.872003|bibcode=1996PhPl....3.2063H|issn=1070-664X}}{{Cite journal|last1=Sanford|first1=T. W. L.|last2=Nash|first2=T. J.|last3=Mock|first3=R. C.|last4=Spielman|first4=R. B.|last5=Struve|first5=K. W.|last6=Hammer|first6=J. H.|last7=De Groot|first7=J. S.|last8=Whitney|first8=K. G.|last9=Apruzese|first9=J. P.|date=1997|title=Dynamics of a high-power aluminum-wire array Z-pinch implosion|journal=Physics of Plasmas|language=en|volume=4|issue=6|pages=2188–2203|doi=10.1063/1.872382|bibcode=1997PhPl....4.2188S|issn=1070-664X}} It was the strongest X-ray source in the mid-2000s (2 megajoules in 6 nanoseconds with 200 terawatts of power),{{Cite journal|last1=Spielman|first1=R. B.|last2=Deeney|first2=C.|last3=Chandler|first3=G. A.|last4=Douglas|first4=M. R.|last5=Fehl|first5=D. L.|last6=Matzen|first6=M. K.|last7=McDaniel|first7=D. H.|last8=Nash|first8=T. J.|last9=Porter|first9=J. L.|last10=Sanford|first10=T. W. L.|last11=Seamen|first11=J. F.|date=1998|title=Tungsten wire-array Z-pinch experiments at 200 TW and 2 MJ|journal=Physics of Plasmas|language=en|volume=5|issue=5|pages=2105–2111|doi=10.1063/1.872881|bibcode=1998PhPl....5.2105S|issn=1070-664X}} which also generated record temperatures of 2 to 3 billion Kelvin for a short time.{{Cite web|last=Physik|first=Welt der|title=Hitzerekord im Labor - warum es im Plasma so heiß wird und effektiv Röntgenstrahlung abgibt|url=https://www.weltderphysik.de/gebiet/materie/news/2006/hitzerekord-im-labor-warum-es-im-plasma-so-heiss-wird-und-effektiv-roentgenstrahlung-abgibt/|access-date=2020-06-14|website=www.weltderphysik.de|language=de}} Two cylindrical shells of wire assemblies, through which a high current (20 megaamps) is sent, implode onto a central target, where high-intensity X-rays are generated for inertial fusion experiments or other studies.{{Cite journal|last1=Sanford|first1=T. W. L.|last2=Mock|first2=R. C.|last3=Spielman|first3=R. B.|last4=Haines|first4=M. G.|last5=Chittenden|first5=J. P.|last6=Whitney|first6=K. G.|last7=Apruzese|first7=J. P.|last8=Peterson|first8=D. L.|last9=Greenly|first9=J. B.|last10=Sinars|first10=D. B.|last11=Reisman|first11=D. B.|date=1999|title=Wire array Z-pinch insights for enhanced x-ray production|journal=Physics of Plasmas|language=en|volume=6|issue=5|pages=2030–2040|doi=10.1063/1.873458|bibcode=1999PhPl....6.2030S|osti=2826 |s2cid=123228897 |issn=1070-664X|url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc666839/}}{{Cite journal|last1=Sanford|first1=T. W. L.|last2=Mock|first2=R. C.|last3=Spielman|first3=R. B.|last4=Peterson|first4=D. L.|last5=Mosher|first5=D.|last6=Roderick|first6=N. F.|date=1998|title=Increased x-ray power generated from low-mass large-number aluminum-wire-array Z-pinch implosions|journal=Physics of Plasmas|language=en|volume=5|issue=10|pages=3737–3754|doi=10.1063/1.872984|bibcode=1998PhPl....5.3737S|issn=1070-664X}} This was studied with the dynamic hohlraum X-ray source.{{Cite journal|last1=Sanford|first1=T. W. L.|last2=Lemke|first2=R. W.|last3=Mock|first3=R. C.|last4=Chandler|first4=G. A.|last5=Leeper|first5=R. J.|last6=Ruiz|first6=C. L.|last7=Peterson|first7=D. L.|last8=Chrien|first8=R. E.|last9=Idzorek|first9=G. C.|last10=Watt|first10=R. G.|last11=Chittenden|first11=J. P.|date=2002|title=Dynamics and characteristics of a 215-eV dynamic-hohlraum x-ray source on Z|journal=Physics of Plasmas|language=en|volume=9|issue=8|pages=3573–3594|doi=10.1063/1.1489676|bibcode=2002PhPl....9.3573S|issn=1070-664X}}{{Cite web|date=2010-06-21|title=UCSD Center for Energy Research > News & Events > Seminars > Fusion seminars|url=http://cer.ucsd.edu/SEMINARS/Sanford.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100621222900/http://cer.ucsd.edu/SEMINARS/Sanford.shtml|archive-date=2010-06-21|access-date=2020-06-14}}
Honors and awards
Sanford is a fellow of the American Physical Society since 2000.{{Cite web|title=APS Fellow Archive|url=https://www.aps.org/programs/honors/fellowships/archive-all.cfm?initial=&year=2000&unit_id=DPP&institution=Sandia+National+Laboratories|access-date=2020-06-14|website=American Physical Society|language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Hannes Alfvén Prize recipients}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sanford, Thomas W. L.}}
Category:American plasma physicists
Category:University of Washington alumni
Category:Columbia Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni