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My Career As a Mineral Physicist at Stony Brook: 1976–2019

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My Career As a Mineral Physicist at Stony Brook: 1976–2019 minerals Editorial My Career as a Mineral Physicist at Stony Brook: 1976–2019 Robert Cooper Liebermann Mineral Physics Institute and Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA; [email protected]; Tel.: +001-(631)-766-5711 Received: 14 November 2019; Accepted: 6 December 2019; Published: 7 December 2019 Abstract: In 1976, I took up a faculty position in the Department of Geosciences of Stony Brook University. Over the next half century, in collaboration with graduate students from the U.S., China and Russia and postdoctoral colleagues from Australia, France and Japan, we pursued studies of the elastic properties of minerals (and their structural analogues) at high pressures and temperatures. In the 1980s, together with Donald Weidner, we established the Stony Brook High Pressure Laboratory and the Mineral Physics Institute. In 1991, in collaboration with Alexandra Navrotsky at Princeton University and Charles Prewitt at the Geophysical Laboratory, we founded the NSF Science and Technology Center for High Pressure Research. Keywords: mineral physics; ultrasonic interferometry; high-pressure multi-anvil apparatus; synchrotron X-radiation; CHiPR (Center for High Pressure Research); COMPRES (Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Sciences); Stony Brook University 1. Introduction In March 2013, I was invited by Tetsuo Irifune to give the keynote address at the Final Symposium of G-COE and TANDEM program at Ehime University in Matsuyama, Japan. I chose that opportunity to reflect on my career in mineral physics with the title: “Mineral Physics and Bob-san from 1963 to 2013: Role of Serendipity.” Yanbin Wang was in the audience in Matsuyama and suggested that I submit a manuscript on this topic to Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors for a Special Issue for which he was the Guest Editor. When Jay Bass heard of this talk, he recommended that I be asked to reprise this talk after the banquet at the 2013 Annual Meeting of COMPRES at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in June 2013; I modified the title for the U.S. audience: “Role of Serendipity in My Career in Mineral Physics: 1963 to 2013.” In October 2013, Dan Davis (the Chair of the Department of Geosciences) invited me to give this talk at the weekly Geosciences Colloquium and later to adapt it for the Geosciences Newsletter. This paper is the result and focuses on my career in mineral physics at Stony Brook from 1976 to 2019 and it compliments my earlier paper in Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors [1]. 2. Before Stony Brook After being an undergraduate in geophysics at Caltech and obtaining a PhD at Columbia University under Orson Anderson, I spent 6 years at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra working in the high-pressure laboratory of Ted Ringwood. When I decided to explore the opportunities to return to the U.S. to a tenure-track faculty position, I was fortunate that the Department of Earth and Space Sciences at Stony Brook was conducting a faculty search led by Don Weidner, who was open-minded enough to consider hiring another mineral physicist. I was encouraged to negotiate an attractive start-up package by Charlie Prewitt and Ted Bence (who were on sabbaticals in Australia at Monash University in Melbourne and the ANU, respectively). Minerals 2019, 9, 761; doi:10.3390/min9120761 www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals Minerals 2019, 9, 761x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 21 20 3. Start of my Career at Stony Brook (1976 to 1983) 3. Start of my Career at Stony Brook (1976 to 1983) I arrived in December 1976, shortly after the birth of our third child (two of whom are AustraliansI arrived) and in December was welcomed 1976, shortly by the after faculty, the birth graduate of our students, third child and (two staff. of whom Several are of Australians) the senior graduateand was welcomed students byof thePrewitt faculty, and graduate Weidner students, (Alan Kafka, and sta ffHubert. Several King, of the Lou seniorise Levien, graduate and students Mike Vaughanof Prewitt) andtook Weidner me under (Alan their Kafka, wing and Hubert “taught” King, Louiseme how Levien, to become and Mikea faculty Vaughan) member. took me under theirWhen wing andthe Provost “taught” Sei me Sujishi how to learned become that a faculty my first member. proposal to NSF Geophysics (which I wrote whileWhen still in the Canberra Provost) Seihad Sujishi been approved learned that for myfunding, first proposalhe immediately to NSF freed Geophysics up the (whichstart-up I wrotefunds whilewhich stillenable in Canberra) me to place had an been order approved for a 500 for-ton funding, hydraulic he immediatelypress from Harwood freed up Engineering the start-up fundsand a whichgirdle-anvil, enable high me to-pressure place an apparatus order for afrom 500-ton Pressure hydraulic Systems press fromResearch. Harwood This Engineering equipment andwas a deliveredgirdle-anvil, in high-pressureSeptember 1977 apparatus and installed from Pressure in Room Systems 375 of the Research. ESS Building This equipment with the washelp delivered of Tony Vidmarin September (our new 1977 technician and installed), Al inCatalano Room 375 (machinist of the ESS) and Building Alan Major with ( theconsultant help of Tonyfrom VidmarRingwood’s (our labnew at technician), the ANU) ( Alsee Catalano Figure 1a,b (machinist)). Vidmar and and Alan I had Major been (consultant flown in Fred from Gwinner’s Ringwood’s plane lab to at Boston the ANU) to (seevisit Figurethe Harwood1a,b). Vidmar factory and to Iassess had been the flownneeds infor Fred installing Gwinner’s the new plane press to Boston (Fred to was visit foreman the Harwood of the departmentalfactory to assess Machine the needs Shop for installing). On our the return new pressto campus, (Fred was we foreman had to ofeducate the departmental the Facilities Machine and EngineeringShop). On our unit return at Stony to campus, Brook we about had tothe educate difference the Facilitiesbetween andweight/force Engineering and unit pressure, at Stony as Brook they wereabout nervous the difference about betweeninstalling weight such a/force heavy and press pressure, on the as third they floor were of nervous the Earth about and installing Space Sciences such a Building.heavy press on the third floor of the Earth and Space Sciences Building. (a) (b) Figure 1.1. InstallationInstallation of of Harwood Harwood 500-ton 500- presston pres ands girdle-anviland girdle apparatus-anvil apparatus in 1977. in (a )1977. Bob and (a) technician Bob and Tonytechnician Vidmar Tony contemplating Vidmar contemplating how to bring how the to press bring to the upright press position;to upright (b position;) Al Catalano (b) Al (machinist Catalano extraordinaire)(machinist extraordinaire and Alan Major) and from Alan ANU Major with from Tony ANU Vidmar with checking Tony hydraulic Vidmar connectionschecking hydraulic to press. connections to press. In Spring 1977, I served on the Graduate Committee and had a chance to get an early look at the applicationsIn Spring for 1977, Fall I 1977. served We on were the Graduate successful Committee in recruiting and Paula had a Davidson chance to from get an Brown early University,look at the withapplications lobbying for from Fall Louise1977. We Levien were andsuccessful as the resultin recruiting of a return Paula visit Davidson to campus from by Brown Paula. University, From my withcolleagues lobbying Charlie from Sclar Louise at Lehigh Levien University and as the and result Taro of Takahashi a return at visit Queens to campus College by of Paula. CUNY, From I learned my colleaguesthat Jay Bass Charlie was unhappy Sclar at atLehigh Arizona University State University and Taro and Takahashi looking forat aQueens new institution College of to CUNY, continue I learnedhis Ph.D. that studies. Jay Bass I contacted was unhappy Jay and at Arizona invited State him toUniversity apply to ourand Department,looking for a whichnew institution he did and to continuearrived in his August Ph.D. 1977studies. with I contacted Paula. Although Jay and bothinvited Paula him and to apply Jay ultimately to our Department, decided to which pursue he their did anddoctoral arrived dissertations in August under 1977 thewith supervision Paula. Although of other both Earth Paula Science and faculty Jay ultimately (Don Lindsley decided for Paulato pursue and theirDon Weidnerdoctoral fordissertations Jay), I have under always the taken supervision a special of pride other in Earth helping Science to recruit faculty them (Don to Stony Lindsley Brook. for PaulaMy and first Don teaching Weidner experience for Jay), atI have Stony always Brook taken was in athe special Spring pride 1977 in semester, helping to in recruit which Ithem offered to StonyESS 607: Brook. Topics in Geophysics; I chose to adapt my informal lectures on “solid-state geophysics” from the ANUMy first and teaching enjoyed havingexperience Robin at ReichlinStony Brook and Dougwas in Anderson the Spring in 1977 the class semester, (along in with which Kafka, I offered King, ESSLevien 607: and Topics Vaughan in Geophysics; who sat in I for ch moralose to support).adapt my This informal course lectures was modeled on “solid after-state one geophysics” I took from fromOrson the Anderson ANU and at Columbia enjoyed having in the 1960s Robin (and Reichlin which and later Doug evolved Anderson into his bookin the “Equations class (along of Statewith Kafka,of Solids King, for GeophysicsLevien and andVaughan Ceramic who Science” sat in for [2 moral]). In Spring support 1978,). This this course course was was modeled approved after as ESSone I556: took Solid from State Orson Geophysics; Anderson over at Columbia the next 35 in years, the 1960s I have (and taught which this courselater evolved another into 13 timeshis book and profited“Equations from of havingState of an Solids outstanding for Geophysics series of and geophysics Ceramic and Science” geochemistry [2]).
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