Philosophy
Philip Geoffrey Saffman
Philip Geoffrey Saffman, the former Theodore von Karman Professor of Applied Mathematics and Aeronautics at Caltech and a leading expert on vortex dynamics -- the study of how liquids and gases of varying densities and viscosities interact -- died Sunday in Pasadena after a long illness. He was 77.
Among his best-known contributions to the field was profiling viscous fingering, which became known as "Saffman-Taylor Instability." This refers to the process by which a low- viscosity fluid forms a finger-like projection when injected into a higher viscosity fluid.
This work was key to helping the oil industry develop the best methods to recover oil in trapped basins, where water or steam must be injected to force the oil to the surface.
Saffman also made major contributions to the understanding of vorticity, which is the way ships and airplanes move through water and air, respectively.
In particular, he developed a precise mathematical understanding of wake turbulence caused by jets during takeoff. That analysis helped uncover the conditions that contributed to several aircraft accidents, including a Delta Air Lines crash in Dallas in August 1985, when the flight crew tried to land in a thunderstorm.
Saffman's work helped convince airlines and airports that they must allow a minimum amount of time to pass between takeoffs to let the wake turbulence of the preceding jet to subside.
"He really was one of the leading figures in fluid mechanics," said Dan Meiron, a professor of applied and computational math at Caltech. "He had an impact in almost every field of the science."
Despite his revolutionary effect on the field, he was an understated man with a dry sense of humor whose approach to his work was very simple, Meiron said.
No matter how complex the problem seemed, Saffman found a way to reduce it to its simplest elements and work from there.
"He didn't want to work on what he called the kitchen sink," Meiron said. "He really was about the basics."
Saffman was born in Leeds, England, on March 19, 1931, and earned his bachelor of arts, master of arts and doctorate at the University of Cambridge. In 1964, he was appointed a professor of fluid mechanics in Caltech's Division of Engineering and Applied Science. He was named the Von Karman professor in 1995.
Saffman was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 1988 was elected a fellow to the Royal Society, Great Britain's premier scientific organization. He also received the Otto Laporte Award from the American Physical Society.
Saffman served as associate editor of the Journal of Fluid Mechanics and Physical Review Letters. He most recently was an editorial board member for the journal Studies in Applied Mathematics.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth; three children, Emma, Louise and Mark; and eight grandchildren.
[To Pamela...if you know of an older photograph, let me know.]
- Einstein At A Press Conference...january 2nd, 1931
"Einsteins greet the media in 1931" by Scott Harrison August 12th, 2011 Los Angeles Times Albert Einstein and his wife, Elsa, pose for photographers at a press conference at Caltech in Pasadena. The image above at left was taken by...
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Philosophy
Deceased--Philip Geoffrey Saffman
Philip Geoffrey SaffmanMarch 19th, 1931 to August 17th, 2008
"Philip Geoffrey Saffman, 77; Caltech professor, leading expert on vortex dynamics"
by
John Johnson Jr.
August 22nd, 2008
The Los Angeles Times
by
John Johnson Jr.
August 22nd, 2008
The Los Angeles Times
Philip Geoffrey Saffman, the former Theodore von Karman Professor of Applied Mathematics and Aeronautics at Caltech and a leading expert on vortex dynamics -- the study of how liquids and gases of varying densities and viscosities interact -- died Sunday in Pasadena after a long illness. He was 77.
Among his best-known contributions to the field was profiling viscous fingering, which became known as "Saffman-Taylor Instability." This refers to the process by which a low- viscosity fluid forms a finger-like projection when injected into a higher viscosity fluid.
This work was key to helping the oil industry develop the best methods to recover oil in trapped basins, where water or steam must be injected to force the oil to the surface.
Saffman also made major contributions to the understanding of vorticity, which is the way ships and airplanes move through water and air, respectively.
In particular, he developed a precise mathematical understanding of wake turbulence caused by jets during takeoff. That analysis helped uncover the conditions that contributed to several aircraft accidents, including a Delta Air Lines crash in Dallas in August 1985, when the flight crew tried to land in a thunderstorm.
Saffman's work helped convince airlines and airports that they must allow a minimum amount of time to pass between takeoffs to let the wake turbulence of the preceding jet to subside.
"He really was one of the leading figures in fluid mechanics," said Dan Meiron, a professor of applied and computational math at Caltech. "He had an impact in almost every field of the science."
Despite his revolutionary effect on the field, he was an understated man with a dry sense of humor whose approach to his work was very simple, Meiron said.
No matter how complex the problem seemed, Saffman found a way to reduce it to its simplest elements and work from there.
"He didn't want to work on what he called the kitchen sink," Meiron said. "He really was about the basics."
Saffman was born in Leeds, England, on March 19, 1931, and earned his bachelor of arts, master of arts and doctorate at the University of Cambridge. In 1964, he was appointed a professor of fluid mechanics in Caltech's Division of Engineering and Applied Science. He was named the Von Karman professor in 1995.
Saffman was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 1988 was elected a fellow to the Royal Society, Great Britain's premier scientific organization. He also received the Otto Laporte Award from the American Physical Society.
Saffman served as associate editor of the Journal of Fluid Mechanics and Physical Review Letters. He most recently was an editorial board member for the journal Studies in Applied Mathematics.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth; three children, Emma, Louise and Mark; and eight grandchildren.
[To Pamela...if you know of an older photograph, let me know.]
- Einstein At A Press Conference...january 2nd, 1931
"Einsteins greet the media in 1931" by Scott Harrison August 12th, 2011 Los Angeles Times Albert Einstein and his wife, Elsa, pose for photographers at a press conference at Caltech in Pasadena. The image above at left was taken by...
- Jackson Pollock...physicist?
"Jackson Pollock, artist and physicist?" June 28th, 2011 Harvard University At a glance, a painting by Jackson Pollock (1912 - 1956) can look deceptively accidental: just a quick flick of color on a canvas. A quantitative analysis of Pollock's...
- Deceased--aaron Cohen
Aaron Cohen January 5th, 1931 to February 26th, 2010 "Former NASA Johnson Space Center Chief Aaron Cohen Dies at 79" by Amy Klamper March 1st, 2010 Space.com Spaceflight pioneer Aaron Cohen, who was at the helm of NASA's Johnson Space Center during...
- Deceased--andrew Lange
Andrew Lange July 23rd, 1957 to January 22nd, 2010 "Andrew Lange, noted universe researcher at Caltech, dies" by Janette Williams January 25th, 2010 Pasadena Star-News Andrew E. Lange, Goldberger Professor of Physics at Caltech and a preeminent cosmologist...
- Deceased--george W. Housner
George W. Housner December 9th, 1910 to November 10th, 2008 "George W. Housner dies at 97; Caltech professor emeritus was called the father of earthquake engineering" He developed the mathematical framework to understand quake vibrations, leading to...