Marshall Stoneham (1940–2011) Theoretician Who Contributed Widely to Condensed-Matter Physics
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COMMENT OBITUARY Marshall Stoneham (1940–2011) Theoretician who contributed widely to condensed-matter physics. arshall Stoneham was a theoretical the form of a page reference to the book! he wrote a masterly article (A. M. Stoneham physicist, most noted for his work During the 1970s, the Harwell theory Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 368, 3295–3313; 2010) on defects in solids, who made team had a leading role in the development on the history of the UK nuclear-energy pro- Mwide-ranging contributions to condensed- of condensed-matter computational phys- gramme and its prospects and challenges. matter science. He was a leading figure in ics, enabled by the availability of mainframe Nevertheless, with the environment at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment computers. Although Stoneham was at Harwell becoming less conducive to funda- (AERE) near Harwell, UK, when the key chal- heart an analytical theoretician, he appreci- mental research, in 1995 Stoneham became lenges to the nuclear industry became mate- ated this new capability. His solid-state and the first Massey professor of physics at Uni- rials and waste disposal as much as nuclear quantum-physics group exploited Harwell’s versity College London and director of its physics. He died on 18 February, aged 70. HADES code to model defects in solids, Centre for Materials Research. He loved the Born in 1940 in Barrow-in-Furness, in including their formation and migration wide range of materials-related work there northern England, Stoneham was educated energies and key structural properties. and developed projects in areas as diverse as at Barrow Grammar School for Boys, which The influence of this code, and Stoneham’s minimally invasive dentistry, odour recog- produced three future Fellows of the Royal group, extended beyond defect physics into nition, diamond film growth and quantum Society (of whom he was one), all in engi- information science, where his ideas on opti- neering and physical sciences, in the space of cally controlled gates led to a substantial and 15 years. He studied physics at the University ongoing research programme. of Bristol and remained there to do a PhD, Stoneham was a major figure in the UK under the supervision of Maurice Pryce, in and international physics communities, the theory of spin–lattice relaxation — how with awards to match. He was for several the spins of ions in a solid interact with years editor of Journal of Physics: Condensed the host crystal lattice — a topic of current Matter and last year became president of the importance in quantum information. Institute of Physics. He also inspired the many In 1964 he joined the Theoretical Physics scientists who worked with him and guided Division at AERE Harwell, then one of the them at crucial stages in their careers. He was world’s foremost physical-sciences labo- exceptionally supportive of his junior col- ratories. The division, built up by Walter laborators, and enjoyed challenging them to Marshall and Alan Lidiard, included lead- solve problems, using modern computational ing figures such as Ron Bullough (in the methods, more quickly and accurately than theory of elasticity in metals), Tony Lane he could with his ingenuity and his slide rule. (in nuclear theory) and John Hubbard Marshall’s wife Doreen and two daughters (in strongly correlated electron physics). are all physical scientists — a fact in which Its work was stimulated by the needs of the he took considerable pride, and with Doreen nuclear industry, and Stoneham flourished he founded Oxford Authentication, a com- in this challenging environment. pany that uses thermoluminescence to date He worked mainly on defects in solids, solid-state chemistry, especially the chem- fine-art ceramics. because these determined many properties of istry of non-stoichiometric compounds His scientific range was broad, but his materials important in nuclear applications — the component elements of which are interests extended even further. He was an and in the emerging semiconductor industry. not present in simple proportions, usually accomplished horn player and the author of He was particularly known for explaining, indicating the presence of defects. Indeed, a book on music for wind ensembles. He was with Pete Flynn at the University of Illinois the group became a magnet in the 1970s and always stimulating company and he seemed at Urbana-Champaign, how hydrogen atoms 1980s for those working on defects in mate- to know something interesting about — and move rapidly through metals and hence con- rials, and the work extended to surfaces and held a strong opinion on — almost any sub- tribute to brittleness. This was typical of his interfaces, and made key predictions of the ject. He gained and retained the respect and style, combining a sharp fundamental insight structures and stabilities of oxide surfaces. affection of all who worked with him and he (how the diffusing quantum atom interacts Stoneham’s group made advances in leaves behind an enduring contribution to with the thermal environment) with the the physics and chemistry of nuclear fuels physics and to physicists. ■ solution to an important applied problem. and, as the remit of Harwell broadened, in In 1975, he published the influential a wider range of problems. One such was Richard Catlow is dean of mathematical monograph Theory of Defects in Solids, which Tony Harker’s work on non-destructive and physical sciences at University College rationalized the vast phenomenology of the inspection of gas pipelines using ultrasound. London, London WC1H 0AJ, UK. He knew subject and explained it in terms of the under- Stoneham embraced the increasing com- Stoneham since doing a PhD at Harwell lying quantum mechanics, giving the field an mercial emphasis of what was by then AEA in the 1970s. Andrew Fisher is professor interpretative tool that is still valuable today. Industrial Technology, and in the early 1990s of physics at University College London, Collaborators who came to know him in sub- became AEA’s chief scientist. Throughout his London WC1E 6BT, UK. He became sequent years were struck by his astonishing career he was a leading expert on, and expo- Stoneham’s PhD student in 1986. memory — he often answered questions in nent of, fission nuclear power. Just last year e-mail: [email protected] 306 | NATURE | VOL 471 | 17 MARCH 2011 © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.