Winter 1988 California Institute of Technology in This Issue
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--Winter 1988 California Institute of Technology In This Issue Light Fantastic But Not Escher or Bach A little over three years ago the Olga Taussky-Todd met Kurt American Physical Society G6del in 1925 at the University appointed a study group of of Vienna where they were both scientists to look into the tech students. G6del went on to nological aspects (not the ethical prove the existence of undecid or philosophical ones) of the able mathematical statements Strategic Defense Initiative and and to become one of the giants to present a report to the of 20th-century mathematics. society's membership. That Although she hasn't starred report was released last April. in any bestsellers, Taussky-Todd One of the 17 members of the also went on to become a study group was Cal tech's famous mathematician (algebraic Amnon Yariv, the Thomas G. number theory, topological alge Myers Professor of Electrical bra, matrix theory). After earn Engineering and professor of ing her doctorate in 1930, she applied physics. In "Star Wars taught at Bryn Mawr College, Technology: Will It Work?" and Girton College, Cambridge, beginning on page 29, Yariv and worked for the English Min describes some basics of lasers istry of Aircraft Production dur Sun Run and missiles and then sums up ing the war. She and her hus On the cover-the solar-powered the study group's conclusions. band Jack then worked at the GM Sunraycer, which outdis The article was adapted from a National Bureau of Standards in tanced all competition in a Watson Lecture. Washington, D.C. for 10 years recent race across Australia, rests Yariv came to Caltech as (with a year off at the Institute on the grounds of Pasadena's associate professor of electrical for Advanced Study) before Tournament House before engineering in 1964. His BS coming to Caltech in 1957. undertaking the less strenuous (1954), MS (1956), and PhD Taussky-Todd has been profes chore of leading the 1988 Rose (1958) are all from Berkeley. He sor emeritus (a term she doesn't Parade as the "pace car of the has been a pioneer in integrated care for) since 1977. In 1980 future." With Sunraycer are optoelectronics-marrying lasers she was awarded a Golden Doc (from left) Peter Lissaman, Alec and electronic circuits on a sin torate from the University of Brooks, and Paul MacCready, gle semiconductor chip-and in Vienna-50 years after the who played leading roles in the phase conjugate optics-a tech original. Taussky-Todd recalls vehicle's development; all hold nique for correcting atmospheric the earlier times in "Remem PhDs in aeronautics from Cal distortion, which could provide a brances of Kurt G6del," begin tech. In addition to these three, solution for one of the problems ning on page 24. The article there was a strong Caltech com of beaming lasers over great was adapted from a talk given in ponent in the whole project distances. Salzburg in July 1983. with alumni at GM and Hughes, as well as at Aero Vironment and among its consultants. MacCready (MS 1948, PhD David Harper - President of the Alumni Association 1952) is president of AeroViron Theodore P. Hurwitz - Vice President for Institute Relations ment, Inc., a firm whose staff Robert L. O'Rourke - Director of Public Relations specializes in environmental and alternative energy projects but is STAFF: Editor - Jane Dietrich perhaps best known for creating Writer - Douglas Smith unusual aeronautical vehicles Production Artist - Barbara Wirick powered by muscle, batteries, or Business Manager - Marilee Wood solar cells. So the small Monro Circulation Manager - Susan Lee via, California, company was a Photographer - Robert paz natural place for GM to turn to for meeting the Pentax World PICTURE CREDITS: Cover, 7, 43 - Robert Paz; 2, 10, 12, 13, back cover Solar Challenge. - Paul MacCready; 7 - Alec Brooks; 4,5,7, 10, 12 - GM; 13 - Mar- MacCready's story of how tyn Cowley; 13 - DuPont; 14-21 - Photo CERN; 23 - R. Zhu; 25- the car was conceived, designed, Caltech Archives; 25-27 - Olga Taussky-Todd; 29, 30, 34 - Physics Today; and built (beginning last March) 32, 33 - Scientific American; back cover - Walt Mancini/Pasadena Star News in time for the November 1 race appears on page 2. "Sunraycer Engineering & Science (ISSN 0013-7812) is published quarterly, Fall, Winter, Spring, Odyssey" also gives an overview and Summer, at the California Institute of Technology, l201 East California Boulevard, of some of the vehicle's ad Pasadena, California 91125. Annual Subscription $8.00 domestic, $20.00 foreign air mail, single copies, $2.00. Third class postage paid at Pasadena, California. All rights vanced technology as well as an reserved. Reproduction of material contained herein forbidden without authorization. account of the race itself and the " 1988 Alumni Association California Institute of Technology. Published by the strategy that contributed to the California Institute of Technology and the Alumni Association. Telephone: 818-356- victory. 3630. Postmaster: Send change of address to Caltech, 1-71, Pasadena, CA 91125. ENGNE~~~~ CAliFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY WINTER 1988 VOLUME LI, NUMBER 2 .sunraycer Odyssey - by Paul B. lvlacCready Page 2 An innovative solar-powered car was created and built in just eight months; one of Sunraycer's creators describes its genesis and its victory in a race across Australia. Quark Quest Page 14 Scientists may find the top quark at LEP, an accelerator under construction at CERN. Remembrances of Kurt Giidel - by Olga Taussky-Todd Page 24 A Caltech mathematician recalls the late 1920s and early 1930s at the University of Vienna, when her friend and fellow student proved undecidability. Star Wars Technology: Will It Work? - by Amnon Yariv Page 29 Conclusions of the American Physical Society's study group on directed-energy weapons are explained by a member of that committee. Departments Research in Progress Page 37 Photographic Memory Computer's- Eye View Books Page 41 Random Walk Page 42 Sunraycer Odyssey Winning the Solar-Powered Car Race Across Australia by Paul B. M acCready ~R DAYS WE HAl) BEEN TRA VEUNG south on the desk of General Motors Chairman Roger r Australia's deserted Stuart Highway, but Smith. Smith found the concept intriguing now crowds of spectators lined the road for and sent the invitation on to GM's subsidi the final few kilometers to watch the GM ary, Hughes Aircraft, for consideration of the Sunraycer, powered by sunbeams, win the project's feasibility. From GM's standpoint, 3,005-kilometer (l,867-mile) race from developing and racing such a vehicle would Darwin to Adelaide. Sunraycer completed serve to focus technological developments the Pentax World Solar Challenge course within the whole company, would make across the continent in 44.9 hours of running GM's technological capabilities more evident time during 51/4 days; the car's speed averaged to the public, would fit GM's racing philoso 66.9 kilometers per hour (41.6 mph), 50 per phy, and would attract students to engineer cent faster than the runner-up; the average ing as an exciting and rewarding career. electric power to the motor was just a bit over This article gives an overview of the 1,000 watts (11/3 horsepower). Of the 24 solar GM-Sunraycer story and my personal view of powered vehicles that started out from some of the main issues. More detailed treat Darwin on November 1, 1987 (nine from ments of the technology and of the race are Australia, four from Japan, four from the available elsewhere. Many people contributed United States, three from Germany, two from significantly to the success of Sunraycer, al Switzerland, and one each from Denmark though space allows me to cite only a few of and Pakistan), 13 completed the course. The them here. runner-up from Ford of Australia finished 23 My company's involvement began last Besides creaLing interesting hours behind Sunraycer, and only six had February when Edmund Ellion of Hughes photographic opportunities, the gold plating on arrived by the time of the banquet and prize (whom I knew 35 years ago at Caltech) con Sunraycer's canopy (leji) keeps ceremony November 13. The last one finally tacted me to explore whether Aero Vironment out 98 percent q{ the infrared reached Adelaide December 2. (A V), with its reputation for developing and 90 percent of the visible The story of the race began in 1982 when unusual low-powered vehicles, could help. radiation. As a result of this the Australian visionary and adventurer Hans In early March Hughes and A V began an shielding, plus a bit of ventila tion, the driver remains com Tholstrup drove a pioneering solar-powered intense three-week program-planning effort. jimable even on the hottest car slowly from Perth to Sydney. Soon after The basic overall design had to be esta days. From inside, the visibil ward he had the idea that a dramatic com blished during this three-week phase. Engi ity is surprisingly good; some petition would stimulate global interest in this neers always wish for adequate time to deli times a driver would even inexhaustible and nonpolluting energy re berate and explore alternatives before irrevo wear dark glasses. Such a windscreen wouldn'l be suil source, and he acted on the idea. In 1986 he cable decisions must be made, but the real able jl)r nighl driving, but sent out invitations to the 1987 World Solar world rarely grants that wish. We quickly thaL's of small concern for a Challenge. One of these invitations reached considered the trade-offs involved in a dozen solar-powered car. 3 different configurations: different shapes and orientations of solar panels, various body shapes, and the location and structural sup port of the wheels (and whether to have three or four of them).