William J. Thaler
Encyclopedia
William J. Thaler, Ph.D. (born December 4, 1925 – died June 5, 2005) was an American experimental physicist. Working for the Office of Naval Research
(ONR) at the Naval Research Laboratory in the 1950s, Thaler developed an early warning system to detect the launching of ballistic missile
s using high frequency
radio
waves bounced between the Earth's surface and the ionosphere
, part of the upper atmosphere.
Monitoring the disruption of the returning radio waves, called back-scatter
, allowed for the long distance detection of rocket launchings and nuclear tests. Based in the Washington D.C. area, the experimental monitoring systems, termed "over-the-horizon radar
", were able to pick up radio disruptions from nuclear tests held in Nevada
and were later successful in tracking a Polaris missile fired from Cape Canaveral
.
. He received his doctorate in physics at Catholic University in 1951.
, a secret series of tests conducted over the Atlantic Ocean
that looked at the effect of high-altitude detonations of nuclear weapon
s on radar and radio transmissions.
, expanded the Physics
department and chaired the department from 1960 to 1976. From 1976 to 1979, he took a leave of absence to serve as chief scientist and director of the Office of Telecommunications Policy
, within the Executive Office of the President, in the Ford
and Carter
administrations. He returned to Georgetown University and retired in 1996.
. This honor "is awarded to outstanding scientists who have done much by their painstaking work to advance the cause of science, and, by their lives and their standing before the world as scientists, have demonstrated that between true science and true religion there is no intrinsic conflict."
at his home in Centreville, Virginia
. He was 79 years old.
Office of Naval Research
The Office of Naval Research , headquartered in Arlington, Virginia , is the office within the United States Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S...
(ONR) at the Naval Research Laboratory in the 1950s, Thaler developed an early warning system to detect the launching of ballistic missile
Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the...
s using high frequency
High frequency
High frequency radio frequencies are between 3 and 30 MHz. Also known as the decameter band or decameter wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decameters . Frequencies immediately below HF are denoted Medium-frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Very high frequency...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
waves bounced between the Earth's surface and the ionosphere
Ionosphere
The ionosphere is a part of the upper atmosphere, comprising portions of the mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere, distinguished because it is ionized by solar radiation. It plays an important part in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere...
, part of the upper atmosphere.
Monitoring the disruption of the returning radio waves, called back-scatter
Back scattering alignment
The Back Scattering Alignment is a coordinate system used in coherent electromagnetic scattering. The coordinate system is defined from the viewpoint of the wave source, before and after scattering. The BSA is most commonly used in radar, specifically when working with a Sinclair Matrix because...
, allowed for the long distance detection of rocket launchings and nuclear tests. Based in the Washington D.C. area, the experimental monitoring systems, termed "over-the-horizon radar
Over-the-horizon radar
Over-the-horizon radar, or OTH , is a design concept for radar systems to allow them to detect targets at very long ranges, typically up to thousands of kilometers...
", were able to pick up radio disruptions from nuclear tests held in Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
and were later successful in tracking a Polaris missile fired from Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
.
Education
Thaler attended St. James Parochial School in Baltimore and Loyola High School in Towson, MD. He received his undergraduate degree from Loyola College of Baltimore in 1947 and earned his Master's degree in science at The Catholic University of AmericaThe Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
. He received his doctorate in physics at Catholic University in 1951.
Operation Argus
In 1958, Thaler was in charge of the ONR section of Operation ArgusOperation Argus
Operation Argus was a series of nuclear weapons tests and missile tests secretly conducted during August and September 1958 over the South Atlantic Ocean by the United States's Defense Nuclear Agency, in conjunction with the Explorer 4 space mission. Operation Argus was conducted between the...
, a secret series of tests conducted over the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
that looked at the effect of high-altitude detonations of nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s on radar and radio transmissions.
Later career
In late 1960, Thaler joined the faculty of Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, expanded the Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
department and chaired the department from 1960 to 1976. From 1976 to 1979, he took a leave of absence to serve as chief scientist and director of the Office of Telecommunications Policy
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce that serves as the President's principal adviser on telecommunications policies pertaining to the United States' economic and technological advancement and to regulation of the...
, within the Executive Office of the President, in the Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
and Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
administrations. He returned to Georgetown University and retired in 1996.
Awards
In 1960, Thaler was awarded the Mendel Medal by Villanova UniversityVillanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
. This honor "is awarded to outstanding scientists who have done much by their painstaking work to advance the cause of science, and, by their lives and their standing before the world as scientists, have demonstrated that between true science and true religion there is no intrinsic conflict."
Personal life
Thaler was married to Barbara Thaler and had five children, one of whom preceded him in death.Death
Thaler died of complications resulting from a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
at his home in Centreville, Virginia
Centreville, Virginia
Centreville is an unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a Census Designated Place , the community population was 71,135 as of the 2010 census and is approximately west of Washington, DC.-Colonial Period:Beginning in the 1760s,...
. He was 79 years old.