Charles Hard Townes (born July 28, 1915) is an American Nobel Prize-winning physicist and educator. Townes is known for his work on the theory and application of the maser, on which he obtained the fundamental patent, and other work in quantum electronics connected with both maser and laser devices. He received a B.A. and B.S. from Furman University, an M.A. from Duke University, and a Ph.D. from CalTech. July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Sir Edward Appletons medal Photographs of Nobel Prize Medals. ... A physicist is a scientist trained in physics. ... A Hydrogen RF discharge, the first element inside an Hydrogen Maser (see description below), courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech. ... Lasers range in size from microscopic diode lasers (top) with numerous applications, to football field sized neodymium glass lasers (bottom) used for inertial confinement fusion, nuclear weapons research and other physics experiments. ... Furman University Furman University is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian, liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. ... Duke Chapel Duke University is a private, coeducational, research university located in Durham, North Carolina, USA. Although founded in 1924, Duke traces its roots back to 1838. ... California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (commonly known as Caltech) is a private, coeducational university located in Pasadena, California, in the United States. ...

Education

Townes came to the California Institute of Technology as a graduate student in 1937, and received his PhD in 1939. Later that year he became a member of the technical staff at Bell Labs, where he stayed until 1948. He then joined the faculty at Columbia University, and began the work that in 1953 produced the maser. From 1959 to 1961 he headed the Institute for Defense Analyses in Washington, D.C. He then served as provost and professor of physics at MIT for six years. In 1967, he went to the University of California, Berkeley, where his pioneering program in radio and infrared astronomy led to the discovery of ammonia and water molecules in the interstellar medium. The California Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Caltech) is a private, coeducational university located in Pasadena, California, in the United States. ... Bell Telephone Laboratories Inc. ... Columbia University is a private university in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City and a member of the Ivy League. ... A Hydrogen RF discharge, the first element inside an Hydrogen Maser (see description below), courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech. ... Mapúa Institute of Technology (MIT, MapúaTech or simply Mapúa) is a private, non-sectarian, Filipino tertiary institute located in Intramuros, Manila. ... It has been suggested that UC Mens Chorale be merged into this article or section. ...

Research

Charlie Townes was the lead researcher in the construction of the Infrared Spatial Interferometer, the first astronomical interferometer to operate in the mid-infrared. He continues researching into astrophysics and astronomy at the University of California, Berkeley. This article is in need of attention. ... Spiral Galaxy ESO 269-57 // Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties (luminosity, density, temperature and chemical composition) of astronomical objects such as stars, galaxies, and the interstellar medium, as well as their interactions. ... Lunar astronomy: the large crater is Daedalus, photographed by the crew of Apollo 11 as they circled the Moon in 1969. ... It has been suggested that UC Mens Chorale be merged into this article or section. ...

Awards

Townes has been widely recognised for his scientific work and leadership.

• He was awarded in 1961 David Sarnoff Electronics Award given by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the 1961 Rumford Medal awarded by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
• He received the 1962 John Carty Award given by the National Academy of Science.
• He shared the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics with N. G. Basov and Aleksandr Prokhorov for contributions to planetary thermal radiation. (He shared his prize money with Cornell Mayer of the US Naval Research Laboratory who had been a colaborator.)
• In 1979 he was awarded the Niels Bohr international medal awarded for contributions to the peaceful use of atomic energy.
• In 1980 Townes was inducted by his home state into the South Carolina Hall of Science and Technology, and has also been awarded a South Carolina Hall of Science and Technology Citation.
• He received the 1982 National Medal of Science, presented by President Ronald Reagan.
• In 1998 he was awarded the Henry Norris Russell Lectureship by the American Astronomical Society.
• In 2005 he was awarded the "Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities".
• He has also been awarded the LeConte Medallion.

1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Radios Sarnoff on the cover of Time in 1929 David Sarnoff (February 27, 1891–December 12, 1971) was the General Manager of Radio Corporation of America (RCA) from its founding in 1919 to his retirement in 1970. ... Not to be confused with the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE). ... In 1796, Benjamin Thompson, known as Count Rumford, gave $5000 separately to the Royal Society of London and the other by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences to give awards every two years for outstanding scientific research on heat or light. ... The House of the Academy, Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... President Harding and the National Academy of Sciences at the White House, Washington, DC, April 1921 The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine. ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... Hannes Alfvén (1908–1995) accepting the Nobel Prize for his work on magnetohydrodynamics [1]. List of Nobel Prize laureates in Physics from 1901 to the present day. ... Aleksandr Mikhailovich Prokhorov (Russian: Александр Михайлович Прохоров) (July 11, 1916 – January 8, 2002) was an Australian-Russian physicist. ... Cornell H. Mayer (1922-19 November 2005) was a radio astronomer, who famously was the first to accurately measure the temperature of Venus by measuring the planets thermal radiation. ... The US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps and conducts a broad program of scientific research and advanced development. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Niels Bohr Niels (Henrik David) Bohr (October 7, 1885 – November 18, 1962) was a Danish physicist who made essential contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics. ... Official language(s) English Capital Columbia Largest city Columbia Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 40th 82,965 km² 320 km 420 km 6 32°430N to 35°12N 78°030W to 83°20W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 26th 4,012... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... National Medal of Science The National Medal of Science, also called the Presidential Medal of Science, is an honor given by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... The Henry Norris Russell Lectureship is awarded each year by the American Astronomical Society in recognition of a lifetime of excellence in astronomical research. ... The American Astronomical Society (AAS) is a US society of professional astronomers and other interested individuals, headquartered in Washington, DC. The main aim of the AAS is provide a political voice for its members and organise their lobbying. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Templeton Prize for Progress Toward Research or Discoveries about Spiritual Realities was until 2001 awarded for Progress in Religion. ...

Representation

• Between 1966 and 1970 he was chairman of the NASA Science Advisory Committee for the Apollo lunar landing program.

1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Apollo 11 was the fifth human spaceflight of the Apollo program, the third human voyage to the moon, and the first manned mission to land on the Moon. ...

Education

He received his bachelor's degrees in physics and modern languages from Furman University in 1935, his M.A. in physics from Duke University in 1936, and his Ph.D. in physics from Caltech in 1939. With Arthur Leonard Schawlow, he wrote the book Microwave Spectroscopy, published in 1955. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... A Superconductor demonstrating the Meissner Effect. ... Furman University Furman University is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian, liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A Master of Arts is a postgraduate academic masters degree awarded by universities in North America and the United Kingdom (excluding the ancient universities of Scotland and Oxbridge. ... Duke Chapel Duke University is a private, coeducational, research university located in Durham, North Carolina, USA. Although founded in 1924, Duke traces its roots back to 1838. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Doctor of Philosophy, or Ph. ... California Institute of Technology The California Institute of Technology (commonly known as Caltech) is a private, coeducational university located in Pasadena, California, in the United States. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Arthur Leonard Schawlow (May 5, 1921-April 28, 1999) was an American physicist. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Personal details

He was born in Greenville, South Carolina to Baptist parents. He is a brother of Pi Kappa Phi, Delta Chapter. He still describes himself as Protestant Christian, but of a liberal interpretation. His father was an attorney. He has four daughters and six grandchildren. Greenvilles skyline from the south Greenville is the county seat of and largest city in Greenville CountyGR6 South Carolina, United States. ... A Baptist is a member of a Baptist church. ... Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity Pi Kappa Phi is a national social fraternity that was founded in the spirit of nu phi, meaning non-fraternity, in 1904. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the New Testament accounts of the life, teachings, and actions of Jesus of Nazareth, known by Christians as Jesus Christ. ...

External links

• Charles Hard Townes
• Amazing Light: Visions of Discovery (Symposium in honor of Charles Townes
• Infrared Spatial Interferometer Array
• Research page
• fundamental work in the field of quantum electronics, which has led to the construction of oscillators and amplifiers based on the maser-laser principle.