Thomas B. A. Senior
- Associated organizations
- University of Michigan
- Fields of study
- Radar
Biography
An applied mathematician and researcher of over 50 years, Thomas B.A. Senior has performed pioneering work in radar cross section (RCS) control, a measurement of how detectable an object is by radar. He created many of the analytical tools needed to predict how RCS reduction can be accomplished using shaping and radar-absorbing materials. Important to stealth aircraft development, which requires a low RCS measure, his findings have played a leading role in current RCS technology.
Dr. Senior demonstrated how radar-absorbing coatings, smooth surfaces and body angles designed to scatter radar waves away from a receiver enable a low RCS. He was the first to recognize how large wind turbines can cause interference to electromagnetic systems, such as television, and developed procedures that are now part of all environmental assessments of these machines.
An IEEE Life Fellow, Dr. Senior is currently an Emeritus Professor with the University of Michigan’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
