Richard F. Post
| Richard F. Post | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Freeman Post November 14, 1918 Pomona, California |
| Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Walnut Creek, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Fields | Nuclear fusion, plasma physics, magnetic mirrors, magnetic levitation, magnetic bearing design, direct energy conversion |
| Institutions | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
| Education | Pomona College (B.S.) Stanford University (Ph.D.) |
| Notable awards | <templatestyles src="Plainlist/styles.css"/> |
| Spouse | Marylee Post |
| Children | 3; including Markie Post |
Richard Freeman Post[1] (November 14, 1918 – April 7, 2015) was an American physicist notable for his work in nuclear fusion, plasma physics, magnetic mirrors, magnetic levitation, magnetic bearing design and direct energy conversion.[2]
Post was a winner of the James Clerk Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics[3] and led the controlled thermonuclear research group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for 23 years. He held a total of 34 patents in the fields of nuclear fusion, particle accelerators, and electronic and mechanical energy storage.[4]
Early life and education
Post was born in 1918 in Pomona, California, the son of Miriam (Colcord) and Freeman Post.[5][6] He received a BA in physics from Pomona College in 1940 and a PhD in physics from Stanford University in 1951. After his PhD, he was inspired to pursue fusion energy research by a college professor.[7]
Career
Post joined the staff at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as leader of the controlled thermonuclear research group until 1974.[5] During this time, he developed many of concepts behind magnetic mirrors and direct energy conversion.[2] He worked with Marshall Rosenbluth to develop the stability of plasma inside mirror machines.[8] From 1974 to 1987 he was deputy associate director of the magnetic fusion energy program at LLNL. This was a heavily funded effort by the United States Department of Energy to build a succession of magnetic mirror machines, including the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF) and the Tandem Mirror Facility. After 1987, Post was senior scientist in the magnetic fusion energy program.[5] He has held advisory roles at NASA, the National Academy of Sciences and the United States Air Force.[5]
His notable work includes inductrack[9][10][11] and magnetically levitated flywheels.[12]
Personal life
Post and his wife Marylee (a poet) are the parents of actress Markie Post and her two brothers,[1] Steve and Rodney.[4] Although he retired in 1994, Post continued to work in his lab four days a week, up until the week of his death on April 7, 2015.[4]
References
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- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Richard Post at Array of Contemporary American Physicists; accessed 6-28-2013
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ Post, Richard. "Thoughts on Fusion Energy Development", Fusion Power Associates Annual Meeting and Symposium - "Honoring Fusion Pioneers Richard F. Post and John H. Nuckolls", 3–4 December 2008
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