John Jaeger Had a Most Distinguished at Rhodes University, South Africa, Where Appreciated by a Wide Circle of Friends

616 Nature Vol. 281 18 October 1979 with acknowledged experts on equal terms. advances in our understanding of the microwave absorption in ferrites, when he An excellent pianist, he was devoted to origin and history of the earth. His joined the Department of Natural music and composed about 30 piano recognition of the importance of inter Philosophy at Glasgow and for which he sonatas. It was in accord with his character disciplinary fields, together with his ability received his PhD in 1947. An interest in that he was especially attracted by the work to attract staff and students, were major scintillation counters led him into the field of composers who, like Schubert, took a factors in establishment of the high of scintillators and the photophysics of theme and followed it through many reputation of the department, both organic molecules which became his main variations. nationally and internationally, in a scientific interest. Peter Caldwell's exceptionally gentle relatively short period. In 1951 he became professor of physics and kind personality made him much John Jaeger had a most distinguished at Rhodes University, South Africa, where appreciated by a wide circle of friends. career as mathematician, physicist and he quickly established an active research When relaxed he was most entertaining geophysicist. His scientific contributions group. However, his dislike of the develop company and he was always helpful in the covered an extraordinarily diverse range of ing racial policies made him return to lives and work of his colleagues and interests, including theoretical physics, Britain in 1954 as diretor of research at students. He will be widely missed and our radiophysics, ionospheric and solar British Dielectric Research. In 1957 he deepest sympathy goes to Mrs physics and meteorology, but the main moved to Manchester to resume his work P.A. Caldwell and their children Helen, emphasis of his research was in the appli on photophysics and in a few years had Margaret, Philip, Anne and Thomas. cation of mathematical techniques to a built up a large and thriving research group E.J. Denton wide variety of theoretical and practical which later, with his encouragement, diver problems, especially the conduction of sified into electron scattering, lasers, heat. On establishing the Department of microwave spectroscopy, vacuum ultra Geophysics in the Australian National violet spectroscopy and latterly, polymer John Jaeger University he embarked upon vigorous physics. PROFESSOR JOHN CONRAD JAEGER, experimental programmes concerned with An empiricist, he was probably most Emeritus Professor of Geophysics in the heat flow in the Australian continent, and gifted in correlating the mass of data in the Australian National University, died on 15 the behaviour of rocks under stress (rock field and extracting the essence. He had a May 1979 after a long illness, at the age of mechanics). John Jaeger was a man of good physical insight and made substantial 71. great scholastic achievement; he published contributions to his subject. A prolific and Born in Sydney on 30 July 1907, he was more than 130 articles in the scientific fluent writer he published some 180 papers, educated at the Church of England literature, and was author or coauthor of edited the proceedings of many con Grammar School, Sydney, and at the six books in applied mathematics and rock ferences, e.g. the Rutherford Jubilee University of Sydney from which he mechanics, which are regarded as standard International Conference 1961, and the graduated Bachelor of Science in 1928 works in their fields. His book (with series Progress in Dielectrics. He is with first class honours and university Carslaw) The Conduction ofHeat in Solids probably best known for his books medals in mathematics and physics. In that is widely accepted as a classic in this area. Scintillation Counters (1953), Theory and year he went to Cambridge University In recognition of his achievements, Practice of Scintillation Counting (1964), where he received first class honours in the Jaeger, in 1954, was elected a Fellow of the Photophysics of Organic Molecules (1970) Mathematical Tripos. Following five years Australian Academy of Science, of which and the two volumes of Organic Molecular of research at Cambridge in theoretical body he was Vice-President in 1958-1959, Photophysics (1974). Several monographs physics, he joined the University of and in 1970 he was elected Fellow of the on scintillation counting were widely Tasmania in 1936 as Lecturer in Royal Society (London). He was also distributed by several companies in the Mathematics, subsequently becoming Doctor of Science (honoris causa) of the field. He was a consultant to many Professor of Applied Mathematics in that University of Tasmania. In 1971, he was companies and national laboratories, in University. ln 1942 he was awarded the awarded the Rankine Lecture by the demand as a seminar speaker and a great degree of Doctor of Science in the Institution of Civil Engineers (London). attender of conferences where he met his University of Sydney. John Jaeger was a big man, both physi many friends who will now sadly miss his Shortly after the founding of the cally and mentally. He was a man of great stimulating presence. An enthusiast for his Australian National University, John humanity but basically very shy. He never subject he was on occasions guilty of going Jaeger was invited to accept a Chair and to sought the limelight and was extremely a bit over the top but his friends would set up a Department in the Research School modest about his own achievements. He set readily forgive him. of Physical Sciences. He took up his high standards for himself and expected John Birks was a man of wide culture appointment as Professor and Head of the staff and students alike to strive for and liberal humanistic views, and was Department of Geophysics in 1952, and excellence. His influence in many fields, always prepared to defend what he thought remained in that post until his retirement in including the earth sciences, in Australia was right and to support his friends. Never 1972. Under his direction, the Department and indeed in the world, has been an establishment man he clashed with of Geophysics developed rapidly into one profound. He will be sorely missed. authority on several occasions which of the leading research groups of its kind in Ian McDougall possibly affected his career. A most the world. In 1965, it became the efficient and capable administrator, and an Department of Geophysics and excellent teacher and researcher he had Geochemistry and more recently (1973), much to offer. was reconstituted to form the Research He was a generous host who entertained School of Earth Sciences, at least in part in J.B. Birks well and was particularly kind to his recognition of the high international repu DR JOHN B. BIRKS, reader in physics at students, many of whom came from tation that the department established Manchester University died suddenly on 1 overseas. He made them feel very much at under John Jaeger's leadership. March 1979, a few months after the death home, and now, spread around the world, The direction of development of the of his wife Margaret in a car accident. He they will be saddened by his death. deparment was largely based upon his leaves a son and daughter. The loss of his wife was a great blow. strongly held belief that the application of He was born on 6 March 1920. After They will both be greatly missed by his son the basic sciences of mathematics, physics graduation from Oxford in 1940 he joined and daughter and their families. I am glad and chemistry, in concert with more the Telecommunications Research Estab that for 28 years I knew him both as friend conventional geological methods, to the lishment for the duration of the war. His and colleague. study of the earth, would result in major work there on radar led to his work on Scott Hamilton © 1979 Nature Publishing Group.

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