Thomas H. Stix
Encyclopedia
Thomas Howard Stix was an American physicist. Stix performed seminal work in plasma physics
, and wrote the first mathematical treatment of the field in 1962's The Theory of Plasma Waves.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri
in 1924, Stix graduated from John Burroughs School
and served in the U.S. Army as a radio expert in the Pacific theater during and after World War II
. After the war, he obtained his bachelor's degree
from Caltech
and, in 1953, his doctorate
from Princeton
.
He worked for Project Matterhorn, the secret U.S. study of nuclear fusion, and developed the Stix coil to contain gases that were heated to solar temperatures with electromagnetic waves.
Stix taught astrophysical sciences at Princeton, and did much of his research at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
.
He died April 16, 2001 of leukemia
. His obituary in the New York Times read, in part, that Stix's "elegant mastery of the literally infinite complexities of waves in electrified gases helped create a new field of science."
Plasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
, and wrote the first mathematical treatment of the field in 1962's The Theory of Plasma Waves.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
in 1924, Stix graduated from John Burroughs School
John Burroughs School
Founded in 1923, John Burroughs School is a private, non-sectarian preparatory school with nearly 600 students in grades 7-12. Its 47.5 acre campus is located in Ladue, Missouri , an affluent suburb of Saint Louis. It is named for U.S...
and served in the U.S. Army as a radio expert in the Pacific theater during and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, he obtained his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from Caltech
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Pasadena, California, United States. Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphases on science and engineering...
and, in 1953, his doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
from Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
.
He worked for Project Matterhorn, the secret U.S. study of nuclear fusion, and developed the Stix coil to contain gases that were heated to solar temperatures with electromagnetic waves.
Stix taught astrophysical sciences at Princeton, and did much of his research at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory for plasma physics and nuclear fusion science located on Princeton University's Forrestal Campus in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey. Its primary mission is research into and development of fusion as an...
.
He died April 16, 2001 of leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. His obituary in the New York Times read, in part, that Stix's "elegant mastery of the literally infinite complexities of waves in electrified gases helped create a new field of science."